Wald (German pronunciation: [valt] ⓘ) is a municipality in the Bern-Mittelland administrative district in the canton of Bern in Switzerland.

By the 15th century Bernese patrician families owned the village and surrounding Herrschaft.

This situation remained until the 18th century, when Bernese patricians bought the majority of the shares back.

A poorhouse opened in 1890 and eventually became the Kühlewil nursing home, which is now a major employer in the village.

[3] The oldest trace of a settlement in the area are several neolithic artifacts found at Äppenacker.

Roman era artifacts and a lime kiln have been discovered scattered around the municipal area.

The village and surrounding lands were owned by several Bernese families as well as Interlaken Monastery, Köniz and Münchenbuchsee Commanderys and the Obere Spital in Bern.

In 1528 Bern adopted the new faith of the Protestant Reformation, secularized the monasteries and acquired their estates, including Zimmerwald.

The village was combined to form the court of Obermuhlern and Zimmerwald in the Seftigen District.

[4] In 1641 the wealthy Bernese Werdt family built a hunting lodge in the village.

[9] Most of the population (as of 2000[update]) speaks German (97.7%) as their first language, French is the second most common (0.6%) and Italian is the third (0.5%).

The number of jobs in the primary sector was 122, of which 113 were in agriculture and 9 were in forestry or lumber production.

In the tertiary sector; 10 or 4.7% were in wholesale or retail sales or the repair of motor vehicles, 6 or 2.8% were in the movement and storage of goods, 10 or 4.7% were in a hotel or restaurant, 3 or 1.4% were technical professionals or scientists, and 160 or 75.8% were in health care.

[20] In 2000 about 83.2% of the population belonged to a Protestant church, 9.4% were Roman Catholic and 5.2% had no religious affiliation.

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.