Oeschenbach

Oeschenbach
Coat of arms
Oeschenbach Show map of Switzerland Oeschenbach Show map of Canton of Bern
Location of Oeschenbach
Coordinates: 47°6′N 7°45′E / 47.100°N 7.750°E / 47.100; 7.750Coordinates: 47°6′N 7°45′E / 47.100°N 7.750°E / 47.100; 7.750
Country	Switzerland
Canton	Bern
District	Oberaargau
Area
• Total	3.9 km2 (1.5 sq mi)
Elevation	650 m (2,130 ft)
Population (Dec 2015)
• Total	241
• Density	62/km2 (160/sq mi)
Postal code	4943
SFOS number	0335
Surrounded by	Ochlenberg, Ursenbach, Walterswil, Wynigen
Website	http://www.oeschenbach.ch SFSO statistics

Oeschenbach is a municipality in the Oberaargau administrative district in the canton of Bern in Switzerland.

Oeschenbach is first mentioned between 841-72 as Eschibach in a donation document to the Abbey of St. Gall. In 1287, St. Urban's Abbey was listed as the major property holder in the village. In 1408, Bern acquired the Kyburg lands which included Oeschenbach. What would become the municipality of Oeschenbach was divided. Some time before 1431, the farms of Oeschenbach, Böschenhubel, Kleinhaus, Bruch, Oeschenberg, Rebelberg and Sage were assigned to the Court of Affoltern in the Amt of Trachselwald, while Oeschenbach village and 16 other farms or farm house groups went to the Court of Ursenbach in the Amt of Wangen. The settlements remained separated until 1803, though when they reunited as a community in a political municipality. Finally in 1885, the community separated from the municipality of Rohrbach to become an independent municipality.

The local economy has always been dominated by agriculture. Beginning in the 19th century many farms shifted from raising hay and crops to cattle and dairy farming. Several cheese factories opened in the municipality in 1850, 1883 and 1889. The population has slowly decreased since 1850 as residents migrate away. Starting in the 1960s an increasing number of residents have started commuting to jobs outside the municipality. In 2005, almost two-thirds of the remaining jobs in Oeschenbach were in agriculture.

Oeschenbach has an area of 3.9 km² (1.51 sq mi). Of this area, 2.51 km² (0.97 sq mi) or 64.4% is used for agricultural purposes, while 1.17 km² (0.45 sq mi) or 30.0% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 0.2 km² (0.077 sq mi) or 5.1% is settled (buildings or roads), 0.02 km² (4.9 acres) or 0.5% is either rivers or lakes.