Unterseen

Unterseen
Coat of arms
Unterseen
Location of Unterseen
Coordinates: 46°41′N 7°51′E / 46.683°N 7.850°E / 46.683; 7.850Coordinates: 46°41′N 7°51′E / 46.683°N 7.850°E / 46.683; 7.850
Country	Switzerland
Canton	Bern
District	Interlaken-Oberhasli
Government
• Executive	Gemeinderat with 7 members
• Mayor	Jürgen Ritschard SVP/UDC
• Parliament	none (Gemeindeversammlung)
Area
• Total	14.03 km2 (5.42 sq mi)
Elevation (Stedtlizentrum)	567 m (1,860 ft)
Population (Dec 2015)
• Total	5,690
• Density	410/km2 (1,100/sq mi)
Demonym(s)	German: Unterseener(in)
Postal code	3800
SFOS number	0593
Localities	Unteres Stadtfeld, Wellenacher, Neuhaus, Mühleholz, Däleboden, Chiemberg, Stolle, Luegiwald, Hindere Harder, Harderkulm, Vordere Harder, Hohmüedig, Mühleholz, Breite
Surrounded by	Beatenberg, Därligen, Habkern, Interlaken, Leissigen, Ringgenberg
Website	www.unterseen.ch SFSO statistics

Unterseen is a historic town and a municipality in the Interlaken-Oberhasli administrative district in the canton of Bern in Switzerland.

Unterseen literally means Lower Lake, which is correct, since Unterseen is located on the flat area on the eastern shore of Lake Thun between the two creek Lombach below the Chienberg to the north and the Aare to the south, which both flow into Lake Thun. The historic town however is mainly found at the northern bank of the Aare, which flows here from Lake Brienz to Lake Thun (therefore lower lake). Just across the Aare is the town of Interlaken. Both municipalities are located on the flat alluvial land among steep mountains, which is also called the Bödeli.

Unterseen belongs to the Small Agglomeration Interlaken with 23,300 inhabitants (2014).

Along with Interlaken, Unterseen is an important tourist center in the Bernese Highlands, and from the town one can see the mountains Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau.

The oldest traces of a settlement in the area are scattered neolithic tools. During the second century AD, a Roman graveyard was built in the area. An Early Middle Ages cemetery shows that there was a settlement in the area and by the High Middle Ages at least three forts had been built in the area. The area was known as Interlacus by 1133 when Interlaken Monastery was founded on the opposite side of the Aare. Interlaken village grew up across from the Monastery in the following years. By 1239 it was known as villa Inderlappen and in 1280 it was civitas Inderlappen. The city of Unterseen was founded on 13 July 1279, when King Rudolf I von Habsburg granted Baron Berchtold III of Eschenbach-Oberhofen permission to build a stronghold between the two lakes. The name came from "unter," which in Middle High German meant "between", and "seen," which means "lake." The fortification was given Stadtrecht (town privileges) in this agreement. By 1281 Interlaken and Unterseen was mentioned collectively as stat ze Inderlappen oder Undersewen and in 1291 they were called Inderlappen, genant Undersewen.