Studen, Bern

Studen is a municipality in the Seeland administrative district in the canton of Bern in Switzerland.

[3] The ruins of the Celtic and Roman settlement of Petinesca are still visible in the south-east corner of the municipality on the slopes of Jensberg mountain.

The site comprises a Celtic fortification (Oppidum), and a fortified village dating from the Roman Empire.

Petinesca was mentioned in the Tabula Peutingeriana and the Antonine Itinerary as a station on the road between Aventicum (Avenches) and Salodurum (Solothurn).

The Roman site dates from around the middle of the 1st century AD, however the Celtic Oppidum is probably older.

A small military base, built in 368-69, in the nearby municipality of Aegerten many have been connected to Petinesca.

In 1398 the entire Inselgau, including Studen, was acquired by the city of Bern and incorporated into the bailiwick of Nidau and the parish of Bürglen.

Throughout its history, the village and its surrounding fields were occasionally damaged or destroyed when the Aare river flooded.

The Jura water correction projects of 1868 to 1891 rerouted the Aare, prevented flooding and opened up additional farm land.

However, as the town grew and industrialized, agriculture became less important and today less than 3% of jobs in the municipality are in farming.

Despite the growth of industry, Studen was first connected to the Swiss Federal Railways network in 1999.

The rest of the municipality is 1.14 km2 (0.44 sq mi) or 41.9% is settled (buildings or roads), 0.02 km2 (4.9 acres) or 0.7% is either rivers or lakes.

[7] The blazon of the municipal coat of arms is Or a Fir Tree issuant from a Willow Vert trunked and eradicated Gules.

[10] Most of the population (as of 2000[update]) speaks German (2,140 or 89.7%) as their first language, French is the second most common (85 or 3.6%) and Italian is the third (36 or 1.5%).

[15] The historical population is given in the following chart:[3][16][17] The Roman era vicus and temple complex at Petinesca is listed as a Swiss heritage site of national significance.

In the tertiary sector; 425 or 55.8% were in wholesale or retail sales or the repair of motor vehicles, 70 or 9.2% were in the movement and storage of goods, 68 or 8.9% were in a hotel or restaurant, 44 or 5.8% were the insurance or financial industry, 18 or 2.4% were technical professionals or scientists, 34 or 4.5% were in education and 48 or 6.3% were in health care.

[25] From the 2000 census[update], 1,563 or 65.5% belonged to the Swiss Reformed Church, while 366 or 15.3% 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.