Köniz

Infobox Swiss town
subject_name = Köniz
municipality_name = Köniz
municipality_type = municipality
imagepath_coa = Köniz-coat of arms.svg|pixel_coa=


languages = German
canton = Berne
iso-code-region = CH-BE
district = Berne
lat_d=46|lat_m=56|lat_NS=N|long_d=7|long_m=24|long_EW=E
postal_code = 3098
municipality_code = 0355
area = 51.2
elevation = 572|elevation_description=
population = 38098|populationof = December 2006 | popofyear = 2006
website = www.koeniz.ch
mayor = Luc Mentha |mayor_asof=|mayor_party=SPS
mayor_title = |list_of_mayors =
places = Köniz, Gasel, Halen, Herzwil, Liebefeld, Liebewil, Mengestorf, Mittelhäusern, Moos, Niederscherli, Niederwangen, Oberried, Oberscherli, Oberwangen, Ried, Schlatt, Schliern, Schwanden, Spiegel, Thörishaus, Ulmiz, Wabern
demonym =
neighboring_municipalities= Berne ("Bern"), Kehrsatz, Muri bei Bern, Neuenegg, Oberbalm, Ueberstorf (FR), Wahlern, Wald
twintowns = Prijepolje (Serbia), Blatten (Switzerland)|

Köniz is a municipality in the district of Berne in the canton of Berne in Switzerland. With a population of 38,098 inhabitants, the municipality is one of the 15 most populous cities in Switzerland.

General

Köniz lies to the south of Berne, and with 37,955 inhabitants (December 2003), amongst whom 5,274 are foreigners, is the fourth largest municipality in the Canton of Berne and is the twelfth largest overall in Switzerland. It covers an area of 51 km². The municipality is the largest suburban municipality in Switzerland. Although it has more than three times the required 10'000 inhabitants, Köniz refuses the title of "Town".

History

The current municipality has long been inhabited; there have been a number of Bronze- and Iron Age finds, as well as Roman villas ("villae rusticae") and Early Middle Ages graveyards. The oldest parts of the current reformed parish church (formerly. St. Peter and Paul) date back to around 1100. There may have other previous buildings on this sight, but archaeological digs have uncovered no evidence of them thus far.

According to legend the church is meant have been founded by Burgundian King Rudolph II and his wife Bertha. The parish did not only comprise the current municipality, but also the area around present day Berne, around 5 km away. In 1191 it became the parish church of the newly founded town, until it was given the status of its own parish in 1276.

Since time immemorial there had been an Augustinian monastery at the church, which was given to the Teutonic Knights by King Heinrich VII, the son and heir to the Holy Roman Emperor Friedrich II, in 1226. The order established a commendam at the church, which belonged to the Ballei of Schwaben-Elsass-Burgund, as well as a settlement in Berne. One of the friars was installed as parish priest. With the growth of the parish of Bern, the settlement there was raised to commendam status, whose principle was the parish priest in Berne.

The Köniz commendam was secularised in 1528 during the Bernese Reformation, but was given back to the Order in 1552 after pressure from the catholic Cantons. In 1729 the Order sold the commendam to Berne. A bailiwick was established, which existed until the collapse of the old Berne in 1798. The municipality of Köniz in its present form, came into being in 1846.

"Much of the information above is a translation from the German version"

Villages

(December 2003)

References

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