Beinwil is a municipality in the district of Thierstein in Canton of Solothurn in Switzerland.

[3] Beinwil has an area, as of 2009[update], of 22.66 square kilometers (8.75 sq mi).

It consists of scattered farm houses and small settlement clusters without a village center.

The blazon of the municipal coat of arms is Sable two Bones Argent in bend sinister.

[7] The age distribution, as of 2000[update], in Beinwil is: 25 children or 8.0% of the population are between 0 and 6 years old and 61 teenagers or 19.6% are between 7 and 19.

[8] The historical population is given in the following chart:[3][13] The Former Benedictine Beinwil Abbey is listed as a Swiss heritage site of national significance.

After conflicts arising from the territorial claims of the towns of Solothurn and Basel against the Counts of Thierstein, who acted as the abbey's Vögte (lords protectors), it was burnt down in 1445.

After Beinwil had been taken over by Solothurn in 1519, the town authorities impounded much of the abbey's possessions.

As no monastic revival could be achieved due to the remote location, it was decided to re-settle the community at Mariastein Abbey, a new foundation in a pilgrimage center, which took place in 1648.

In anticipation of this, Mariastein became a member of the Swiss Congregation, now part of the Benedictine Confederation.

From Mariastein, at the end of the 18th century, it was at length possible to revive Beinwil, and at that time the church and the monastic premises were rebuilt.

The abbey was however suppressed in 1874 by plebiscite during the Kulturkampf, and the community of Mariastein went into exile.

The abbey church, dedicated to Saint Vincent of Saragossa, was destroyed by fire in 1978.

In the federal election, a total of 185 votes were cast, and the voter turnout was 79.1%.

The number of jobs in the primary sector was 70, of which 66 were in agriculture and 5 were in forestry or lumber production.

In the tertiary sector; 2 or 10.0% were in a hotel or restaurant, 4 or 20.0% were technical professionals or scientists, 3 or 15.0% were in education and 6 or 30.0% were in health care.

[8] From the 2000 census[update], 218 or 70.1% were Roman Catholic, while 65 or 20.9% belonged to the Swiss Reformed Church.

The education system in the Canton of Solothurn allows young children to attend two years of non-obligatory Kindergarten.

All the lower secondary students from Beinwil attend their school in a neighboring municipality.