Wohlen bei Bern

Wohlen bei Bern
Coat of arms
Wohlen bei Bern
Location of Wohlen bei Bern
Coordinates: 46°58′N 7°21′E / 46.967°N 7.350°E / 46.967; 7.350Coordinates: 46°58′N 7°21′E / 46.967°N 7.350°E / 46.967; 7.350
Country	Switzerland
Canton	Bern
District	Bern-Mittelland
Area
• Total	36.29 km2 (14.01 sq mi)
Elevation	547 m (1,795 ft)
Population (Dec 2015)
• Total	8,987
• Density	250/km2 (640/sq mi)
Postal code	3033
SFOS number	0360
Localities	Hinterkappelen, Illiswil, Innerberg, Möriswil, Murzelen, Oberdettigen, Säriswil, Steinisweg, Uettligen, Unterdettigen, Weissenstein, Wickacker
Surrounded by	Bern, Frauenkappelen, Kirchlindach, Meikirch, Mühleberg, Radelfingen, Seedorf
Website	www.wohlen-be.ch SFSO statistics

Wohlen bei Bern is a municipality in the Bern-Mittelland administrative district in the canton of Bern in Switzerland.

Wohlen bei Bern is first mentioned in 1275 as Wolun.

There were several prehistoric settlements near Wohlen. The earliest evidence includes several neolithic stone axes, Bronze Age axes and Hallstatt and La Tene burial mounds. During the Roman era a settlement spread across much of the current municipality. Based on the similar bricks and tiles, it appears that there was a brick works in the area. A Roman graveyard has been discovered at Uettligen with about 30-40 burials and 1st or 2nd century pottery. The next trace of a settlement is a 7th-century graveyard in Hinterkappelen.

During the High Middle Ages there were wooden castles at Ballmoos, Sandbühl, Heugraben and Aspitanne, which were probably fiefs of the court at Oltigen. Between 1410 and 1412 the entire bailiwick of Oltigen was acquired by Bern. Bern controlled the low courts at Säriswil and Frieswil, but not the private Herrschafts of Illiswil and Dettigen. Dettigen was owned by a number of Bernese patrician families. In 1748, they sold the court and rights over the village to Bern, but retained ownership of the manor house or Schlössli. During the 19th century, Illiswil and Dettigen were gradually incorporated into the political municipality.

Illiswil was first mentioned in 1269 as Igliswile. The seat of the former Herrschaft is located on the right bank of the river Aare. The Herrschaft was not part of the bailiwick of Oltigen, and did not come under Bernese control when the rest of the bailiwick did in 1412. By 1351, Illiswil was owned by a Bernese patrician family. Through marriages and inheritances the Herrschaft was divided into shares which were often owned by several families at once. For example, in 1550 the Willading and May families shared Illiswil, while in 1672 it was shared between the Bucher and von Erlach. In 1719, Hieronymus von Erlach acquired the shares from the heirs of Johann Rudolf Bucher and thereby became the only owner of Illiswil. He then traded Illiswil to the city of Bern in 1721 and received Moosseedorf.