Wynigen is a municipality in the administrative district of Emmental in the canton of Bern in Switzerland.

Other traces of prehistoric settlements include the earthen fortifications at Heidenstatt and the fortresses at Grimmenstein, Friesenberg and Schwanden.

In 1402, the Kyburg's were forced to sell the low court at Bickigen-Schwanden to Burgdorf and their fields and forests in Wynigen to Petermann von Rohrmoos who held Grimmenstein for Bern.

The chapel remained independent until after the Protestant Reformation, after which it apparently was abandoned and fell into ruin.

Despite good transportation links on the Burgdorf-Langenthal road and a rail station on the Olten-Bern railway, the village remained largely rural and agricultural.

The only exceptions were dairy factories in Friesenberg, Breitenegg and Wynigen which produced cheese from milk from local livestock.

However, as a response to falling enrollment, in 2007 only the schools in Wynigen and Kappelen remained open.

In 1928 the power company BKW built an electrical substation at Bickigen which is a hub in the Swiss and European grid.

[4] Historically, Brechershäusern was not part of the Kyburg officium Gutisberg, the resident were citizens of Burgdorf.

Until 1887, the hamlets of Brechershäusern, Rain, Buchengasse and Heuweg were part of the parish of Koppigen and formed an enclave in Wynigen.

Of the rest of the land, 1.59 km2 (0.61 sq mi) or 5.6% is settled (buildings or roads), 0.06 km2 (15 acres) or 0.2% is either rivers or lakes.

[7] The municipality is located in the Emmental hill country at an elevation between 500–849 meters (1,640–2,785 ft).

It consists of the villages of Wynigen and Bickigen-Schwanden in the valley and the hamlets of Rüedisbach, Kappelen, Mistelberg, Ferrenberg, Breitenegg and Brechershäusern as well as scattered farm houses.

[8] The blazon of the municipal coat of arms is Per bend sinister Argent a Rose Gules barbed and seeded proper and of the second.

[12] Most of the population (as of 2000[update]) speaks German (1,993 or 97.8%) as their first language, Albanian is the second most common (9 or 0.4%) and French is the third (8 or 0.4%).

The historical population is given in the following chart:[3][15] The farm house at Oberbühl 239, the farm house Glungge at Brechershäusern 340, the village fountain, the former gasthof Wilder Mann, the village rectory and the granary in Oberbüel are listed as Swiss heritage site of national significance.

The entire hamlet of Breitenegg is part of the Inventory of Swiss Heritage Sites.

In the tertiary sector; 53 or 31.5% were in wholesale or retail sales or the repair of motor vehicles, 7 or 4.2% were in the movement and storage of goods, 16 or 9.5% were in a hotel or restaurant, 9 or 5.4% were the insurance or financial industry, 4 or 2.4% were technical professionals or scientists, 26 or 15.5% were in education and 27 or 16.1% were in health care.

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.

As of 2008[update] it was open a total of 256 days with average of 5.5 hours per week during that year.