Ringgenberg

Coat of arms

Ringgenberg

Location of Ringgenberg

Coordinates: 46°42′N 7°54′E / 46.700°N 7.900°ECoordinates: 46°42′N 7°54′E / 46.700°N 7.900°E

Country

Area

• Total

8.75 km² (3.38 sq mi)

Elevation

1,103 m (3,619 ft)

Population (Dec 2015)

• Total

2,658

• Density

300/km² (790/sq mi)

Postal code

3852

SFOS number

0590

Localities

Ringgenberg, Goldswil

Surrounded by

Bönigen, Habkern, Interlaken, Niederried bei Interlaken, Unterseen

Website

www.ringgenberg.ch
SFSO statistics

Ringgenberg (sometimes also written as Ringgenberg BE in order to distinguish it from other "Ringgenbergs") is a village and a municipality in the Interlaken-Oberhasli administrative district in the canton of Bern in Switzerland. Besides the village of Ringgenberg, the municipality also includes the village of Goldswil.

Ringgenberg is located on the northern shores of Lake Brienz. It has a small church that was built on the ruins of a castle in the 17th century.

Ringgenberg and Goldswil belong to the Small Agglomeration Interlaken with 23,300 inhabitants (2014).

The oldest traces of a settlement in the area are neolithic graves which have been discovered in the village and at Goldswil-Mätteli.

The original name of Ringgenberg was Rinchenwile which appears in the historic record in 1240. This name stems from the Old High German personal name Rinco or Rincho and the place name ending –wilari (little town). The modern name is based on an elision of Ringgenwil with the castle (burg), which was built in the Middle Ages.

In 1230 Kuno von Brienz was appointed overlord of the Lake Brienz area by the German Emperor Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor, and built the castle at Ringgenberg. The noble family took its name from Ringgenberg. Johann von Ringgenberg was the most significant member of this family. He was known as "the knight who handled the sword and lyre equally well". His songs were collected in Zurich in around 1300 in the Codex Manesse collection.

During the 13th century, the Counts of Ringgenberg expanded their power, often at the expense of Interlaken Abbey. The ruin of the estate began in the time of Philipp von Ringgenberg (1351–1374). In 1351 part of the estate was sold to the Abbey. In 1381 Ringgenberg castle was burnt and plundered by troops from the Canton of Uri and Count Petermann von Ringgenberg was taken in chains to Obwalden. In 1386, the castle and lands were assigned to Bern. However the city lacked the funds to rebuild the burned castle and in 1411 and 1439 parts of the castle and village were sold to Interlaken. A few years later, in 1445, Bern reacquired the land, but lost it again in 1457.

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Wikipedia