Oberwil im Simmental is located in the valley of the river
Simme, Bernese Oberland, which is part of the Canton of Berne,
Switzerland. There is no home page for this village so far but
there are some links related to this village.
Facts and figures:
Demo-/geographic information:
Inhabitants:
929 in 1997
Altitude:
837 m asl
Coordinates:
599.6 X / 167.3 Y (Swiss from Bordeau, France)
7°26.06' E / 46° 39.49' N (Greenwich)
Geografic area:
District Niedersimmental, Simmental, Bernese Oberland,
Canton of Berne
Surface:
4600 ha, which of 50 % alps and pasture-ground,
25 % forest
Oberwil im Simmental (OiS) history (Lit:
Historisch-Biographisches Lexikon der Schweiz, 1924;
Schweizer Lexikon; Kirche Oberwil, Arnold Blatti / Ref.
Kirchgemeinde Oberwil i.S.)
OiS is a municipality and a parish, known as
"Obrewile" in 1278 (=: upper hamlet).
In 1850 a bronze axe found close to Weissenburg.
In the caves of OiS is prehistoric discoveries
have been reported.
Parts of this municipality (Wellenberg, Bühl,
Berswil, Schwendi, Weissenbach) seemed to be
owned by Burgundy. In 994 Emperor Otto III gave
it to the monastery Sels in Alsace and 1276 it
was sold to Augstine monestary Därstetten. It
was part of the properties of the Lords
(Herrschaft) of Weissenburg and came to Bern in
1439.
The church
(St. Mauritius) was probably a donation of the
Barons of Weissenburg. It is first known as
church of Bersvile mentioned in the list of
churches of the bishopric of Lausanne in 1228 .
In 1326 Johann and Rudolf von Weissenburg sold it
to the monastery of Därstetten. Its estates were
annexed to the Vinzenzenstift of Bern in 1486.
The priest Moritz Meister who was prior from
1525-1527 was one of the first follower of the
Reformation in the Bernese Oberland. In 1892 the
church was restored (gothic cieling showing
Weissenburg coat of arms, heraldic figure panes
of Berne and Niedersimmental of 16th century,
gothic baptismal font
dd. 1620, Christophorus
dd late 15th cent. ). On the balcony there are
the names of the
people painted who helped to build up the church.
In 1799 many inhabitants of Oberwil participated
in the revolution against the Helvetican
Republic, therefore the municipality was barned
several times. Plagues 1565 and 1591.
There are many remains of strongholds but there
are no historical sources known: 1.
"Heidenmauer" or also known as
"Rosenstein" at the train station, 2.
"Feste", above Wöschbrunnen, 3.
"Schlössli" between Wüstenbach and
Zelg", 4. The castle at Pfaffenried.
Aquitinta of
Samuel Jakob Weibel: church and parish building,
from south, 1823
Baptismal register since 1562, wedding registers
since 1603, death register since 1666
Oberwil im Simmental
