Ursenbach is a municipality in the Oberaargau administrative district in the canton of Bern in Switzerland.
[3] During the Middle Ages the major landholders in Ursenbach were the Lords of Aarwangen and Rüegsau Priory.
The low court, known as the Amt of Ursenbach, was held by the Kyburg counts.
Following the 1798 French invasion, under the Helvetic Republic, it was part of the district of Langenthal.
[3] During the 18th and 19th centuries, cottage industry linen weaving and straw plaiting began to supplement agriculture in the local economy.
During the early 20th century agriculture became increasingly mechanized, requiring fewer farm workers.
Of the rest of the land, 0.53 km2 (0.20 sq mi) or 5.8% is settled (buildings or roads), 0.02 km2 (4.9 acres) or 0.2% is either rivers or lakes.
It consists of the village of Ursenbach with the old church, the upper and lower village sections and the hamlets of Hirseren, Richisberg, Lünisberg and Hofen as well as scattered farm houses throughout the hilly landscape.
[6] The blazon of the municipal coat of arms is Gules a Bend wavy Argent over a Mount of 3 Coupeaux Vert.
The wavy line represents a stream or brook (German: Bach).
[10] Most of the population (as of 2000[update]) speaks German (887 or 98.6%) as their first language, Serbo-Croatian is the second most common (6 or 0.7%) while French and Italian are the third, each with 2 people.
The historical population is given in the following chart:[3][13] In the 2011 federal election the most popular party was the SVP which received 48.6% of the vote.
In the tertiary sector, 20 or 38.5% were in wholesale or retail sales or the repair of motor vehicles, 6 or 11.5% were in the movement and storage of goods, 18 or 34.6% were in a hotel or restaurant.
[10] From the 2000 census[update], 43 or 4.8% were Roman Catholic, while 780 or 86.7% belonged to the Swiss Reformed Church.
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.