Walterswil, Bern

Walterswil is a municipality in the Oberaargau administrative district in the Swiss canton of Bern.

[3] The local Freiherr von Walterswil appear in historic records until the early 14th century.

After their extinction, portions of the modern municipality were owned by other local nobles.

Following the 1798 French invasion, the smaller Walterswil parish became part of the Helvetic Republic district of Unteremmental.

After the collapse of the Republic and 1803 Act of Mediation it joined the newly created Trachselwald District.

Finally, in 1888-89 it received part of the Hubberg Quarter (Hubbergviertel) from Ursenbach, which expanded the municipality to its modern borders.

[3] Historically the local economy was based on farming with some cottage industry canvas weaving in the 18th and 19th centuries.

[6] The blazon of the municipal coat of arms is Argent three branches palewise in fess raguly inflamed Gules.

[9] Most of the population (as of 2000[update]) speaks German (540 or 98.9%) as their first language, Albanian is the second most common (5 or 0.9%) and French is the third (1 or 0.2%).

In the tertiary sector; 7 or 12.3% were in wholesale or retail sales or the repair of motor vehicles, 3 or 5.3% were in the movement and storage of goods, 6 or 10.5% were in a hotel or restaurant, 5 or 8.8% were in education.

[22] From the 2000 census[update], 506 or 92.7% belonged to the Swiss Reformed Church, while 3 or 0.5% 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.

There were a total of 13 students in the German language kindergarten classes in the municipality.

The municipality's primary school had 33 students in German language classes.

During the same year, the lower secondary schools in neighboring municipalities had a total of 23 students from Walterswil.

A barn and small fields in Walterswil. Today over two-thirds of jobs in the municipality are in agriculture.
Hillsides and a sign pointing to Walterswil ski lift in the municipality
Traditional house and plastic wrapped hay bales in Walterswil.
Modern municipal administration building
Napf brewery in Walterswil
Village church of Walterswil