St. Stephan (German pronunciation: [zaŋkt ˈʃtɛfan]) is a municipality in the Obersimmental-Saanen administrative district in the canton of Bern in Switzerland.

[3] The village grew out of a Burgundian royal estate located in a pass to Valais.

In the 15th century the residents began attempting to break away from the monastery and form their own parish.

Despite authorization from the Pope in 1430 and a decision of the Council of Basel in 1433, the monastery remained in control.

However, in the same year, Bern forced the Oberland, including St. Stephan, to convert.

[3] Traditionally the villagers of the municipality raised crops on the valley floor for local consumption.

Beginning in the 16th century, they started to trade for grain from the cities of the Swiss Plateau and raised cattle for meat, milk and cheese on the valley floor and in seasonal alpine herding camps.

In 1912 a railroad connected St. Stephan with Zweisimmen and tourists began to flock to the alpine village.

During World War II, in 1944, a military airport opened in the municipality.

Today some of the residents still raise cattle or produce cheese or work in the tourist industry.

[5] St. Stephan lies in the Bernese Oberland in the Simmental between Zweisimmen and Lenk.

The municipality consists of the cooperative farming villages (Bäuerten) of Ried, Häusern, Grodey, Matten, Fermel, Obersteg and Zu Hähligen.

[6] The blazon of the municipal coat of arms is Argent on a Mount Vert St. Stephen proper passant haloed Or clad Purpure holding in his dexter hand and reading an open book bound Gules and in his sinister a Palm Branch Vert and carrying in a Pouch Stones of the first.

[9] Most of the population (as of 2000[update]) speaks German (1,321 or 95.7%) as their first language, Albanian is the second most common (17 or 1.2%) and Serbo-Croatian is the third (12 or 0.9%).

In 2011, single family homes made up 25.1% of the total housing in the municipality.

[9] There were 688 residents of the municipality who were employed in some capacity, of which females made up 39.7% of the workforce.

The number of jobs in the primary sector was 154, of which 145 were in agriculture and 9 were in forestry or lumber production.

In the tertiary sector; 28 or 29.2% were in wholesale or retail sales or the repair of motor vehicles, 8 or 8.3% were in the movement and storage of goods, 25 or 26.0% were in a hotel or restaurant, 3 or 3.1% were the insurance or financial industry, 2 or 2.1% were technical professionals or scientists, 13 or 13.5% were in education and 7 or 7.3% were in health care.

[22] From the 2000 census[update], 1,025 or 74.2% belonged to the Swiss Reformed Church, while 66 or 4.8% 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.