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

[3] The oldest trace of a settlement is the Roman road that likely passed through Rüeggisberg between Aventicum / Payerne and the Thun lake area.

During the Middle Ages there were three fortifications in the area, Büffelhölzli, Ramsburg and Schlosschäle castles or forts.

He granted the property and estates to Cluny Abbey making it the first Cluniac house in the German-speaking world.

Construction of the Romanesque church lasted from about 1100 to about 1185, of which there still remain the north transept and parts of the crossing tower.

The Priory gradually lost power and in 1484 it was incorporated into the newly built college of the Augustinian Canons of Bern Minster.

Traditionally, the villagers raised crops in fields both on the valley floor and in the high alpine meadows.

Beginning in the 19th century they gradually shifted to pasturing cattle for milk and cheese in the alpine meadows during the spring and summer.

Between 1850 and 1980 the population of the municipality steadily dropped as residents emigrated out of Switzerland or moved to the cities of the Swiss Plateau for work.

This trend began to reverse around 1975, when improved roads and a regular bus to Bern allowed residents to commute to jobs in the cities.

The Rossgraben and Schwandbach bridges in the municipality were built in 1932 and 1933 by Robert Maillart and are now Swiss heritage site of national significance.

It consists of the village of Rüeggisberg, the hamlets of Oberbütschel, Niederbütschel, Vorderfultigen, Hinterfultigen and Helgisried-Rohrbach, the exclave alpine meadows of an Gantrisch and Nünenenfluh as well as scattered farm houses.

[8] The blazon of the municipal coat of arms is Gules a Mullet Or between two Fir Trees Vert issuant from a Mount of 3 Coupeaux of the same.

[11] Most of the population (as of 2000[update]) speaks German (1,892 or 97.6%) as their first language, Albanian is the second most common (12 or 0.6%) and French is the third (8 or 0.4%).

[16] The historical population is given in the following chart:[3][17][18] The Rossgrabenbrücke (a bridge shared with neighboring Wahlern), the ruins of the former Cluniac Rüeggisberg Priory Church and the Schwandbachbrücke (bridge) are listed as Swiss heritage site of national significance.

The entire village of Rüeggisberg and the hamlets of Oberbütschel and Schwanden are part of the Inventory of Swiss Heritage Sites.

It was turned into the first Cluniac house in the German-speaking world by Cuno of Siegburg and Ulrich of Zell.

The priory was one of the most important monastic houses of Switzerland during the Middle Ages, but in the late medieval period decline set in, and in 1484 it was incorporated into the newly built college of the Augustinian Canons of Bern Minster.

In the tertiary sector; 22 or 17.5% were in wholesale or retail sales or the repair of motor vehicles, 8 or 6.3% were in the movement and storage of goods, 14 or 11.1% were in a hotel or restaurant, 4 or 3.2% were in the information industry, 9 or 7.1% were the insurance or financial industry, 6 or 4.8% were technical professionals or scientists, 21 or 16.7% were in education and 22 or 17.5% were in health care.

[27] From the 2000 census[update], 1,562 or 80.6% belonged to the Swiss Reformed Church, while 58 or 3.0% 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.