Sigriswil

Sigriswil
Sigriswil village
Coat of arms
Sigriswil
Location of Sigriswil
Coordinates: 46°43′N 7°43′E / 46.717°N 7.717°E / 46.717; 7.717Coordinates: 46°43′N 7°43′E / 46.717°N 7.717°E / 46.717; 7.717
Country	Switzerland
Canton	Bern
District	Thun
Government
• Mayor	Alfred Santschi
Area
• Total	55.43 km2 (21.40 sq mi)
Elevation	810 m (2,660 ft)
Population (Dec 2015)
• Total	4,727
• Density	85/km2 (220/sq mi)
Postal code	3655
SFOS number	0938
Localities	11 villages (Aeschlen ob Gunten, Gunten, Meiersmaad, Merligen, Ringoldswil, Schwanden, Sigriswil, Tschingel ob Gunten, Wiler, Endorf, Reust); Justistal
Surrounded by	Beatenberg, Heiligenschwendi, Horrenbach-Buchen, Krattigen, Leissigen, Oberhofen am Thunersee, Spiez, Teuffenthal
Twin towns	Lutry (Switzerland), Villa General Belgrano (Argentina)
Website	www.sigriswil.ch SFSO statistics

Sigriswil is a municipality in the administrative district of Thun in the canton of Bern in Switzerland.

Sigriswil is first mentioned in 1222-23 as Sigriswile.

Archeological remains dating from the Late Neolithic and Bronze Age show that the area around Sigriswil has been inhabited as early as 5000 years ago. It's thought that the first modern inhabitants can be traced back to Alamanni tribesmen who settled on the banks of Thun lake around the 5th Century A.D., later moving on up into the higher elevations around the modern village of Sigriswil between the 8-10th century. The village church of St. Gallus was first mentioned in 1222-23 in the Strättliger Chronicle as one of the twelve churches around Lake Thun. However, it was probably built during the 10th to 12th centuries. The patronage rights over the church and the Justistal settlement and alpine meadow were given to Interlaken Abbey in the 13th century.

In 1347, the inhabitants of Sigriswil were able to buy their independence in the Castle of Thun from Count Eberhard (a member of the Kyburg dynasty who had fallen on hard financial times) for the sum of 300 "Pfund Thuner Pfennige" (300 pounds of 'Thun Pennies'). By 1384, Bern ruled over the municipality, though the citizens of Sigriswil were able to govern themselves.

In 1467 the old church was demolished and a new parish church was built in 1467. In 1528 Bern adopted the new faith of the Protestant Reformation and suppressed all monasteries, including Interlaken Abbey. The patronage right over the church transferred to Bern, while Justistal became part of the municipality. In 1678-79 the second church was demolished and the current church was built.