Schüpfen

Schüpfen is a municipality in the Seeland administrative district in the canton of Bern in Switzerland. Schüpfen is first mentioned in 1208 as Scuphon. Prehistoric traces of a settlement in the area include Mesolithic and Bronze Age artifacts, along with Hallstatt and La Tene grave mounds. The area remained inhabited during the Roman era and Early Middle Ages. The Ministerialis (unfree knights in the service of a feudal overlord) family of Schüpfen ruled the village for the Zähringens and Kyburgs from 1208 until 1405. Schüpfen was a center of local administration for several surrounding communities. In 1405, the Lords of Mattstetten inherited Schüpfen from the Schüpfen family. They then donated the village and surrounding lands to the Hospitallers at Münchenbuchsee Commandery. During the 14th century, Frienisberg Abbey bought much of the property in the village. After the secularization of the Abbey in 1528, the village became part of the Bernese bailiwick of Frienisberg. After the 1798 French invasion, it became part of the District of Zollikofen under the Helvetic Republic. After the Act of Mediation in 1803, it was transferred to the Aarberg District. The village church was first mentioned in 1268 and was rebuilt in 1741-42, though the new building retained the medieval bell tower. The local economy has traditionally relied heavily on agriculture, though around 1850 many farms shifted to cattle and dairy production. Currently agriculture remains important in the surrounding hamlets and villages, while Schüpfen is a center of trade and light industry. The Bern-Biel cantonal road was first built in 1835-44 and connected Schüpfen to larger towns. This first large road was supplemented by a railroad in 1864 and a highway in 1983. The good transportation links allowed Schüpfen residents to easily commute to Bern, Biel and Lyss for work or school. In the 1970s new housing developments for the growing number of commuters grew up along the major roads and railway. Schüpfen has an area of . Of this area, or 55.