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

[3] The oldest traces of a settlement in the area include scattered neolithic artifacts and Roman coins.

Across from Bühlhölzli, on Schönegg hill, are the ruins of Blankenberg Castle, which was demolished in the second half of the 14th century.

During the 13th century, Jordan I of Thun began buying up farming villages and land in the Gürbetal and surrounding valleys.

In 1397 the Burgistein family died out and the castle was inherited by Werner Münzer.

Over the following century it passed through numerous owners until 1484[1] when the Bernese Schultheiss Jakob von Wattenwyl acquired it.

[4][3] Burgistein has always been part of the parish of Thurnen, even after the village church was built in 1959.

The rest of the municipality is 0.73 km2 (0.28 sq mi) or 9.7% is settled (buildings or roads), 0.06 km2 (15 acres) or 0.8% is either rivers or lakes.

The closest thing it has to a center is the old village that grew up around the former castle, Burgistein-Dorf on Längenberg-Gurnigel.

[7] The blazon of the municipal coat of arms is Per bend sinister Argent and Sable and in the first a Semi Deer salient issuant Gules.

[10] Most of the population (as of 2000[update]) speaks German (1,007 or 97.9%) as their first language, English is the second most common (5 or 0.5%) and French is the third (3 or 0.3%).

In 2011, single family homes made up 55.2% of the total housing in the municipality.

[15] The historical population is given in the following chart:[3][16][17] The Castle is listed as a Swiss heritage site of national significance.

[10] There were 512 residents of the municipality who were employed in some capacity, of which females made up 39.1% of the workforce.

In the tertiary sector; 42 or 48.3% were in wholesale or retail sales or the repair of motor vehicles, 6 or 6.9% were in the movement and storage of goods, 16 or 18.4% were in a hotel or restaurant, 4 or 4.6% were technical professionals or scientists, 8 or 9.2% were in education.

[24] In 2011 a total of 2.3% of the population received direct financial assistance from the government.

[25] From the 2000 census[update], 834 or 81.0% belonged to the Swiss Reformed Church, while 64 or 6.2% were Roman Catholic.

This is followed by three years of obligatory lower Secondary school where the students are separated according to ability and aptitude.

Following the lower Secondary students may attend additional schooling or they may enter an apprenticeship.