Oberhofen am Thunersee: Difference between revisions

Oberhofen am Thunersee
Oberhofen am Thunersee
Municipality
	Oberhofen Castle and lake front
	Coat of arms
	Location of Oberhofen am Thunersee
Country	Switzerland
Canton	Bern
District	Thun
Government
• Mayor	Sonja Reichen
Area
• Total	2.8 km2 (1.1 sq mi)
Elevation	585 m (1,919 ft)
Population (31 December 2018)
• Total	2,412
• Density	860/km2 (2,200/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+01:00 (Central European Time)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+02:00 (Central European Summer Time)
Postal code(s)	3653
SFOS number	0934
ISO 3166 code	CH-BE
Surrounded by	Heiligenschwendi, Hilterfingen, Sigriswil, Spiez
Website	www.oberhofen.ch ; SFSO statistics

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Oberhofen am Thunersee is a municipality in the administrative district of Thun in the canton of Bern in Switzerland.

History

Oberhofen am Thunersee is first mentioned in 1133 as Obrenhoven.^[3]

The oldest trace of a settlement in the area are scattered Bronze Age artifacts which were discovered in the Längenschachen area. The area remained inhabited through the Early Middle Ages and into High Middle Ages, when the Freiherr von Oberhofen built a castle on a hill above the village. About 1130 the Freiherr founded Interlaken Abbey and donated part of his lands to the Abbey. A few years later he donated another part of the village to the college of canons of Amsoldingen. In 1200, a daughter of the family, Ita, married into the von Eschenbach family and gave this family the castle and village. In the 13th century they began a new, moated castle on the shores of Lake Thun. In 1306 the von Eschenbach family was forced to sell Oberhofen and the castle to the Habsburgs. The Habsburgs appointed a succession of vassals to administer the area for them, especially the Kyburgs who also owned Thun Castle. Following the Kyburg defeat in the Burgdorferkrieg of 1383-84 and the decisive Habsburg defeat at the Battle of Sempach in 1386, Bern began to expand into the Austrian lands in the Bernese Oberland. They occupied Oberhofen in 1386 and were finally able to purchase or usurp all the land and rights from every feudal land holder in 1397. In the following year they sold the castle and Oberhofen Herrschaft to Ludwig von Seftigen, a citizen of Bern.^[3]

Over the following centuries the town, castle and herrschaft passed through several Bernese patrician families. After the male line of the the von Erlach family in Oberhofen died out, Bern acquired the castle and lands. They created the bailiwick of Oberhofen and converted Oberhofen Castle into the administrative center for the bailiwick. Following the 1798 French invasion, Oberhofen am Thunersee became part of the Helvetic Republic Oberland Canton. After the collapse of the Republic and 1803 Act of Mediation it joined the newly created Thun District.^[3]

Traditionally vineyards and wine production were an important part of the local economy and grapes appear on the municipal coat of arms. In the 19th century, the vineyards went into decline due to increased supply from other wine growing regions and problems with disease. In 1881 there were 18 hectares (44 acres) of vineyards, but by 1900 it was only 4 hectares (9.9 acres) and by 1911 there were no vineyards in the municipality. Decreasing viticulture and limited farm land lead to constant emigration, generally to North America, throughout much of the 19th Century. In 1936 a few small vineyards were replanted on the sunny terraces above Lake Thun. In 2008 there were a total of only 2.88 hectares (7.1 acres) under viticulture in the municipality.^[3]

In 1864 a fire destroyed part of the town, but opened up land for new developments. In the following decade the municipality grew into a health spa destination and in 1875 the Logierhaus Moy (Moy Hotel) opened. It was followed by several other hotels, resorts and spas over the following decades. The Seestrasse, a road along the lake, was completed in 1884 and helped bring tourists to the town. The Seestrasse was followed by the Steffisburg-Thun tram in 1913 which made visiting Oberhofen even easier. However, the outbreak of World War I devastated the tourist industry. In the interwar period, tourism returned slightly but not to the levels that it had seen before the war. A new dock was built in the lake for tour boats, but other new construction remained limited. Tourism slumped again with the outbreak of World War II and did not recover until 1950. Beginning in the 1950 many new vacation homes and a beach promenade were built to bring tourists back to the municipality. A regional indoor pool opened in Oberhofen in 1970. Today, a number of small businesses operate in the municipality, but about two-thirds of the labor force commutes to jobs in cities like Thun and Bern.^[3]

The castle passed into private hands after 1803 and had several owners in the following years. In 1849-52 the Pourtàles family renovated and expanded the castle to its present appearance. In 1940 the American William Maul Measy established the Oberhofen Castle foundation to administer and maintain the castle. In 1952 it became a part of the Historical Museum of Bern and two years later they opened a branch in the castle.^[3]

Oberhofen has always been a part of the parish of Hilterfingen and the parish church of St. Andrew is actually within the Oberhofen municipal borders. In 1834 Hilterfingen and Oberhofen separated into two independent citizen's communities but remained part of a common parish.^[3]

Geography

Oberhofen am Thunersee has an area of 2.71 km² (1.05 sq mi).^[4] As of the 2004 survey, a total of 0.55 km² (0.21 sq mi) or 20.2% is used for agricultural purposes, while 1.43 km² (0.55 sq mi) or 52.6% is forested. Of rest of the municipality 0.76 km² (0.29 sq mi) or 27.9% is settled (buildings or roads), 0.01 km² (2.5 acres) or 0.4% is either rivers or lakes and 0.02 km² (4.9 acres) or 0.7% is unproductive land.^[5]

From the same survey, housing and buildings made up 18.8% and transportation infrastructure made up 5.1%. Power and water infrastructure as well as other special developed areas made up 1.1% of the area while parks, green belts and sports fields made up 2.6%. A total of 51.1% of the total land area is heavily forested and 1.5% is covered with orchards or small clusters of trees. Of the agricultural land, 17.3% is pasturage, while 2.9% is used for orchards or vine crops. All the water in the municipality is in lakes.^[5]

It is located on the northern shore of Lake Thun (German: Thunersee) about 5 km (3.1 mi) from the city of Thun (which is located where the Aare river leaves the lake). Ecclestically the village has always been a section of the parish of Hilterfingen, the next village north along the lake (The village church of Hilterfingen is actually on ground that is a part of Oberhofen township). The neighboring village to the south-east is Gunten (part of the township of Sigriswil), while up the steep mountain to the north-east is the village of Heiligenschwendi (no road connection, only a footpath).

On 31 December 2009 Amtsbezirk Thun, the municipality's former district, was dissolved. On the following day, 1 January 2010, it joined the newly created Verwaltungskreis Thun.^[6]

Coat of arms

The blazon of the municipal coat of arms is Per pale Gules and Argent overall a Vine tree growing from Coupeaux Vert on Prop Or with two grapes counterchanged.^[7]

Demographics

Oberhofen am Thunersee has a population (as of December 2020^[update]) of 2,445.^[8] As of 2012^[update], 9.5% of the population are resident foreign nationals. Between the last 2 years (2010-2012) the population changed at a rate of 1.4%. Migration accounted for 2.2%, while births and deaths accounted for -0.7%.^[9]

Most of the population (as of 2000^[update]) speaks German (2,055 or 94.3%) as their first language, Albanian is the second most common (24 or 1.1%) and French is the third (20 or 0.9%). There are 7 people who speak Italian.^[10]

As of 2008^[update], the population was 48.5% male and 51.5% female. The population was made up of 1,012 Swiss men (43.4% of the population) and 119 (5.1%) non-Swiss men. There were 1,107 Swiss women (47.4%) and 95 (4.1%) non-Swiss women.^[11] Of the population in the municipality, 442 or about 20.3% were born in Oberhofen am Thunersee and lived there in 2000. There were 999 or 45.8% who were born in the same canton, while 423 or 19.4% were born somewhere else in Switzerland, and 268 or 12.3% were born outside of Switzerland.^[10]

As of 2012^[update], children and teenagers (0-19 years old) make up 16.3% of the population, while adults (20-64 years old) make up 55.1% and seniors (over 64 years old) make up 28.7%.^[9]

As of 2000^[update], there were 742 people who were single and never married in the municipality. There were 1,086 married individuals, 193 widows or widowers and 158 individuals who are divorced.^[10]

As of 2010^[update], there were 456 households that consist of only one person and 41 households with five or more people.^[12] In 2000^[update], a total of 1,023 apartments (76.8% of the total) were permanently occupied, while 249 apartments (18.7%) were seasonally occupied and 60 apartments (4.5%) were empty.^[13] As of 2012^[update], the construction rate of new housing units was 1.7 new units per 1000 residents.^[9] The vacancy rate for the municipality, in 2013^[update], was 2.2%. In 2012, single family homes made up 47.1% of the total housing in the municipality.^[14]

The historical population is given in the following chart:^[3]^[15]^[16]

Economy

As of 2011^[update], Oberhofen am Thunersee had an unemployment rate of 1.88%. As of 2011^[update], there were a total of 751 people employed in the municipality. Of these, there were 20 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 7 businesses involved in this sector. The secondary sector employs 93 people and there were 28 businesses in this sector. The tertiary sector employs 638 people, with 149 businesses in this sector.^[9] There were 1,107 residents of the municipality who were employed in some capacity, of which females made up 43.0% of the workforce.

In 2008^[update] there were a total of 443 full-time equivalent jobs. The number of jobs in the primary sector was 14, of which 11 were in agriculture and 2 were in forestry or lumber production. The number of jobs in the secondary sector was 76 of which 14 or (18.4%) were in manufacturing and 61 (80.3%) were in construction. The number of jobs in the tertiary sector was 353. In the tertiary sector; 56 or 15.9% were in wholesale or retail sales or the repair of motor vehicles, 6 or 1.7% were in the movement and storage of goods, 74 or 21.0% were in a hotel or restaurant, 8 or 2.3% were in the information industry, 29 or 8.2% were technical professionals or scientists, 9 or 2.5% were in education and 79 or 22.4% were in health care.^[17]

In 2000^[update], there were 305 workers who commuted into the municipality and 814 workers who commuted away. The municipality is a net exporter of workers, with about 2.7 workers leaving the municipality for every one entering. A total of 293 workers (49.0% of the 598 total workers in the municipality) both lived and worked in Oberhofen am Thunersee.^[18] Of the working population, 23.8% used public transportation to get to work, and 49.5% used a private car.^[9]

The local and cantonal tax rate in Oberhofen am Thunersee is one of the lowest in the canton. In 2012 the average local and cantonal tax rate on a married resident, with two children, of Oberhofen am Thunersee making 150,000 CHF was 11.9%, while an unmarried resident's rate was 17.8%.^[19] For comparison, the average rate for the entire canton in 2011, was 14.2% and 22.0%, while the nationwide average was 12.3% and 21.1% respectively.^[20]

In 2010 there were a total of 1,121 tax payers in the municipality. Of that total, 469 made over 75,000 CHF per year. There were 19 people who made between 15,000 and 20,000 per year. The average income of the over 75,000 CHF group in Oberhofen am Thunersee was 130,730 CHF, while the average across all of Switzerland was 131,244 CHF.^[21]

In 2011 a total of 2.0% of the population received direct financial assistance from the government.^[22]

Heritage sites of national significance

Oberhofen Castle and the Wichterheer-Gut are listed as Swiss heritage site of national significance. The entire urbanized village of Oberhofen am Thunersee is part of the Inventory of Swiss Heritage Sites.^[23]

Historically Oberhofen was primarily an agricultural community (mainly vinticulture) until the late 19th century. Today it is a rather affluent residential community, privileged by geography. The hill slopes to the lake toward south-west, giving both much sunlight, and a spectacular view to the glacier covered high alpine peaks of the Bernse Alps across the lake.

The dominant feature of the village is the lakeside castle of Oberhofen, dating back to the Middle Ages, but constantly changed and updated throughout the ages. The castle today houses a division of the Historic Museum of Bern, and has a spectacular formal lakeside garden in the English style with many rare specimen trees.

The Wichterheer estate, lakeside to the south of the castle, houses the Museum fũr Uhren und Mechanische Musik (Museum of Timekeeping and Mechanical Music) as well as an exhibit of 20th century local art.

Oberhofen Castle
Wichterheer estate

Politics

In the 2011 federal election the most popular party was the Swiss People's Party (SVP) which received 27.6% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the FDP.The Liberals (16.8%), the Conservative Democratic Party (BDP) (16.8%) and the Social Democratic Party (SP) (13.8%). In the federal election, a total of 1,181 votes were cast, and the voter turnout was 64.2%.^[24]

Religion

From the 2000 census^[update], 1,535 or 70.4% belonged to the Swiss Reformed Church, while 243 or 11.2% were Roman Catholic. Of the rest of the population, there were 6 members of an Orthodox church (or about 0.28% of the population), there were 7 individuals (or about 0.32% of the population) who belonged to the Christian Catholic Church, and there were 41 individuals (or about 1.88% of the population) who belonged to another Christian church. There were 58 (or about 2.66% of the population) who were Muslim. There were 2 individuals who were Buddhist and 2 individuals who were Hindu. 227 (or about 10.42% of the population) belonged to no church, are agnostic or atheist, and 58 individuals (or about 2.66% of the population) did not answer the question.^[10]

Education

In Oberhofen am Thunersee about 58% of the population have completed non-mandatory upper secondary education, and 28.7% have completed additional higher education (either university or a Fachhochschule).^[9] Of the 452 who had completed some form of tertiary schooling listed in the census, 68.6% were Swiss men, 22.1% were Swiss women, 5.3% were non-Swiss men and 4.0% were non-Swiss women.^[10]

The Canton of Bern school system provides one year of non-obligatory Kindergarten, followed by six years of Primary school. 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.^[25]

During the 2012-13 school year, there were a total of 243 students attending classes in Oberhofen am Thunersee. There were a total of 36 students in the German language kindergarten classes in the municipality. Of the kindergarten students, 2.8% were permanent or temporary residents of Switzerland (not citizens) and 5.6% have a different mother language than the classroom language. The municipality's primary school had 207 students in German language classes. Of the primary students, 9.2% were permanent or temporary residents of Switzerland (not citizens) and 12.1% have a different mother language than the classroom language.^[26]

As of 2000^[update], there were a total of 191 students attending any school in the municipality. Of those, 110 both lived and attended school in the municipality, while 81 students came from another municipality. During the same year, 100 residents attended schools outside the municipality.^[18]

References

^ ^a ^b "Arealstatistik Standard - Gemeinden nach 4 Hauptbereichen". Federal Statistical Office. Retrieved 13 January 2019.
^ "Ständige Wohnbevölkerung nach Staatsangehörigkeitskategorie Geschlecht und Gemeinde; Provisorische Jahresergebnisse; 2018". Federal Statistical Office. 9 April 2019. Retrieved 11 April 2019.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h Oberhofen am Thunersee in German, French and Italian in the online Historical Dictionary of Switzerland.
^ Arealstatistik Standard - Gemeindedaten nach 4 Hauptbereichen
^ ^a ^b Swiss Federal Statistical Office-Land Use Statistics 2009 data Template:De icon accessed 27 August 2014
^ Nomenklaturen – Amtliches Gemeindeverzeichnis der Schweiz Template:De icon accessed 4 April 2011
^ Flags of the World.com accessed 28 August 2014
^ "Ständige und nichtständige Wohnbevölkerung nach institutionellen Gliederungen, Geburtsort und Staatsangehörigkeit". bfs.admin.ch (in German). Swiss Federal Statistical Office - STAT-TAB. 31 December 2020. Retrieved 21 September 2021.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f Swiss Federal Statistical Office accessed 28 August 2014
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e STAT-TAB Datenwürfel für Thema 40.3 - 2000 Template:De icon accessed 2 February 2011
^ Statistical office of the Canton of Bern Template:De icon accessed 4 January 2012
^ Swiss Federal Statistical Office - Haushaltsgrösse Template:De icon accessed 8 May 2013
^ Swiss Federal Statistical Office STAT-TAB - Datenwürfel für Thema 09.2 - Gebäude und Wohnungen Template:De icon accessed 28 January 2011
^ Statistischer Atlas der Schweiz - Anteil Einfamilienhäuser am gesamten Gebäudebestand, 2012 accessed 5 August 2014
^ Swiss Federal Statistical Office STAT-TAB Bevölkerungsentwicklung nach Region, 1850-2000 Template:De icon accessed 29 January 2011
^ Swiss Federal Statistical Office - Ständige Wohnbevölkerung in Privathaushalten nach Gemeinde und Haushaltsgrösse Template:De icon accessed 12 August 2013
^ Swiss Federal Statistical Office STAT-TAB Betriebszählung: Arbeitsstätten nach Gemeinde und NOGA 2008 (Abschnitte), Sektoren 1-3 Template:De icon accessed 28 January 2011
^ ^a ^b Swiss Federal Statistical Office - Statweb Template:De icon accessed 24 June 2010
^ Statistischer Atlas der Schweiz - Steuerbelastung, 2012 Politische Gemeinden Template:De icon accessed 4 August 2014
^ Swiss Federal Tax Administration - Grafische Darstellung der Steuerbelastung 2011 in den Kantonen Template:De icon Template:Fr icon accessed 17 June 2013
^ Federal Tax Administration Report Direkte Bundessteuer - Natürliche Personen - Gemeinden - Steuerjahr 2010 Template:De icon Template:Fr icon accessed 5 August 2014
^ Statistischer Atlas der Schweiz - Bezüger/-innen von Sozialhilfeleistungen (Sozialhilfeempfänger/-innen), 2011 accessed 18 June 2013
^ "Kantonsliste A-Objekte". KGS Inventar (in German). Federal Office of Civil Protection. 2009. Retrieved 25 April 2011. {{cite web}}: External link in |work= (help)
^ Swiss Federal Statistical Office 2011 Election Template:De icon accessed 8 May 2012
^ EDK/CDIP/IDES (2010). Kantonale Schulstrukturen in der Schweiz und im Fürstentum Liechtenstein / Structures Scolaires Cantonales en Suisse et Dans la Principauté du Liechtenstein (PDF) (Report). Retrieved 24 June 2010.
^ Datei der Gemeinde- und Schultabellen Template:De icon accessed 23 July 2014

External links

Oberhofen am Thunersee (Official village website)

[wikidata-34465df301612b4c187d3751abe3e95527f60501-v18-1] "Arealstatistik Standard - Gemeinden nach 4 Hauptbereichen". Federal Statistical Office. Retrieved 13 January 2019.

[wikidata-08bd17aa84cda5e3983f082e36c9004a86cf08fc-v18-2] "Ständige Wohnbevölkerung nach Staatsangehörigkeitskategorie Geschlecht und Gemeinde; Provisorische Jahresergebnisse; 2018". Federal Statistical Office. 9 April 2019. Retrieved 11 April 2019.

[HDS-3] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h Oberhofen am Thunersee in German, French and Italian in the online Historical Dictionary of Switzerland.

[Arealstatistik-4] Arealstatistik Standard - Gemeindedaten nach 4 Hauptbereichen

[BFS_land-5] Swiss Federal Statistical Office-Land Use Statistics 2009 data Template:De icon accessed 27 August 2014

[Mutation-6] Nomenklaturen – Amtliches Gemeindeverzeichnis der Schweiz Template:De icon accessed 4 April 2011

[7] Flags of the World.com accessed 28 August 2014

[Stat2020_BE-8] "Ständige und nichtständige Wohnbevölkerung nach institutionellen Gliederungen, Geburtsort und Staatsangehörigkeit". bfs.admin.ch (in German). Swiss Federal Statistical Office - STAT-TAB. 31 December 2020. Retrieved 21 September 2021.

[SFSO-9] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f Swiss Federal Statistical Office accessed 28 August 2014

[STAT2000-10] STAT-TAB Datenwürfel für Thema 40.3 - 2000 Template:De icon accessed 2 February 2011

[BE_Stat-11] Statistical office of the Canton of Bern Template:De icon accessed 4 January 2012

[12] Swiss Federal Statistical Office - Haushaltsgrösse Template:De icon accessed 8 May 2013

[Housing-13] Swiss Federal Statistical Office STAT-TAB - Datenwürfel für Thema 09.2 - Gebäude und Wohnungen Template:De icon accessed 28 January 2011

[14] Statistischer Atlas der Schweiz - Anteil Einfamilienhäuser am gesamten Gebäudebestand, 2012 accessed 5 August 2014

[15] Swiss Federal Statistical Office STAT-TAB Bevölkerungsentwicklung nach Region, 1850-2000 Template:De icon accessed 29 January 2011

[16] Swiss Federal Statistical Office - Ständige Wohnbevölkerung in Privathaushalten nach Gemeinde und Haushaltsgrösse Template:De icon accessed 12 August 2013

[17] Swiss Federal Statistical Office STAT-TAB Betriebszählung: Arbeitsstätten nach Gemeinde und NOGA 2008 (Abschnitte), Sektoren 1-3 Template:De icon accessed 28 January 2011

[commuter-18] Swiss Federal Statistical Office - Statweb Template:De icon accessed 24 June 2010

[19] Statistischer Atlas der Schweiz - Steuerbelastung, 2012 Politische Gemeinden Template:De icon accessed 4 August 2014

[20] Swiss Federal Tax Administration - Grafische Darstellung der Steuerbelastung 2011 in den Kantonen Template:De icon Template:Fr icon accessed 17 June 2013

[21] Federal Tax Administration Report Direkte Bundessteuer - Natürliche Personen - Gemeinden - Steuerjahr 2010 Template:De icon Template:Fr icon accessed 5 August 2014

[22] Statistischer Atlas der Schweiz - Bezüger/-innen von Sozialhilfeleistungen (Sozialhilfeempfänger/-innen), 2011 accessed 18 June 2013

[23] "Kantonsliste A-Objekte". KGS Inventar (in German). Federal Office of Civil Protection. 2009. Retrieved 25 April 2011. {{cite web}}: External link in |work= (help)

[election_2011-24] Swiss Federal Statistical Office 2011 Election Template:De icon accessed 8 May 2012

[25] EDK/CDIP/IDES (2010). Kantonale Schulstrukturen in der Schweiz und im Fürstentum Liechtenstein / Structures Scolaires Cantonales en Suisse et Dans la Principauté du Liechtenstein (PDF) (Report). Retrieved 24 June 2010.

[School-26] Datei der Gemeinde- und Schultabellen Template:De icon accessed 23 July 2014

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@@ Line 17: / Line 17: @@
  | area			= 2.8
  | elevation		= 585|elevation_description=
- | population		= {{Swiss populations NC|CH-BE|0934}} | populationof = {{Swiss populations YM|CH-BE}} |  popofyear = {{Swiss populations Y|CH-BE}}
+ | population           = 2366 | populationof = Dec 2012|  popofyear = 2012
- | website		= www.oberhofen.ch
+ | website              = www.oberhofen.ch
- | mayor		= |mayor_asof=|mayor_party=
+ | mayor                =  Sonja Reichen |mayor_asof=|mayor_party=
- | mayor_title	= |list_of_mayors	=
+ | mayor_title = |list_of_mayors =
  | places		=
  | demonym		=
@@ Line 28: / Line 28: @@
 '''Oberhofen am Thunersee''' is a [[Municipalities of Switzerland|municipality]] in the administrative district of [[Thun (administrative district)|Thun]] in the [[Cantons of Switzerland|canton]] of [[Bern (canton)|Bern]] in [[Switzerland]].
-[[File:2011-07-23 Lago de Thun (Foto Dietrich Michael Weidmann) 334.JPG|thumb|left|250px|Oberhofen]]
 ==History==
-Oberhofen is first mentioned in 1133 as ''Obrenhoven''.<ref name=HDS/>
+Oberhofen am Thunersee is first mentioned in 1133 as ''Obrenhoven''.<ref name=HDS/>
+The oldest trace of a settlement in the area are scattered [[Bronze Age]] artifacts which were discovered in the Längenschachen area.  The area remained inhabited through the [[Early Middle Ages]] and into [[High Middle Ages]], when the [[Freiherr]] von Oberhofen built a castle on a hill above the village.  About 1130 the Freiherr founded [[Interlaken Abbey]] and donated part of his lands to the Abbey.  A few years later he donated another part of the village to the [[college (canon law)|college]] of [[canon (priest)|canons]] of [[Amsoldingen Castle|Amsoldingen]].  In 1200, a daughter of the family, Ita, married into the von Eschenbach family and gave this family the castle and village.  In the 13th century they began a new, [[moat]]ed castle on the shores of [[Lake Thun]].  In 1306 the von Eschenbach family was forced to sell Oberhofen and the castle to the [[House of Habsburg|Habsburgs]].  The Habsburgs appointed a succession of [[vassal]]s to administer the area for them, especially the [[House of Kyburg|Kyburgs]] who also owned [[Thun Castle]].  Following the Kyburg defeat in the [[Burgdorferkrieg]] of 1383-84 and the decisive Habsburg defeat at the [[Battle of Sempach]] in 1386, [[Bern]] began to expand into the Austrian lands in the [[Bernese Oberland]].  They occupied Oberhofen in 1386 and were finally able to purchase or usurp all the land and rights from every feudal land holder in 1397.  In the following year they sold the castle and Oberhofen ''[[Herrschaft (territory)|Herrschaft]]'' to Ludwig von Seftigen, a citizen of Bern.<ref name=HDS/>
+Over the following centuries the town, castle and ''herrschaft'' passed through several Bernese [[Patrician (post-Roman Europe)|patrician]] families.  After the male line of the the von [[Erlach family]] in Oberhofen died out, Bern acquired the castle and lands.  They created the [[bailiwick]] of Oberhofen and converted [[Oberhofen Castle]] into the administrative center for the bailiwick.  Following the [[French invasion of Switzerland#Collapse|1798 French invasion]], Oberhofen am Thunersee became part of the [[Helvetic Republic]] [[Oberland Canton]].  After the collapse of the Republic and 1803 [[Act of Mediation]] it joined the newly created [[Thun District]].<ref name=HDS/>
+Traditionally [[vineyards]] and wine production were an important part of the local economy and grapes appear on the municipal [[coat of arms]].  In the 19th century, the vineyards went into decline due to increased supply from other wine growing regions and problems with disease.  In 1881 there were {{convert|18|ha|acre|sp=us}} of vineyards, but by 1900 it was only {{convert|4|ha|acre|sp=us}} and by 1911 there were no vineyards in the municipality.  Decreasing viticulture and limited farm land lead to constant emigration, generally to North America, throughout much of the 19th Century.  In 1936 a few small vineyards were replanted on the sunny terraces above Lake Thun.  In 2008 there were a total of only {{convert|2.88|ha|acre|sp=us}} under viticulture in the municipality.<ref name=HDS/>
+In 1864 a fire destroyed part of the town, but opened up land for new developments.  In the following decade the municipality grew into a health spa destination and in 1875 the ''Logierhaus Moy'' (Moy Hotel) opened.  It was followed by several other hotels, resorts and spas over the following decades.  The ''Seestrasse'', a road along the lake, was completed in 1884 and helped bring tourists to the town.  The ''Seestrasse'' was followed by the [[Steffisburg]]-[[Thun]] tram in 1913 which made visiting Oberhofen even easier.  However, the outbreak of World War I devastated the tourist industry.  In the [[interwar period]], tourism returned slightly but not to the levels that it had seen before the war.  A new dock was built in the lake for tour boats, but other new construction remained limited.  Tourism slumped again with the outbreak of World War II and did not recover until 1950.  Beginning in the 1950 many new vacation homes and a beach promenade were built to bring tourists back to the municipality.  A regional indoor pool opened in Oberhofen in 1970.  Today, a number of small businesses operate in the municipality, but about two-thirds of the labor force commutes to jobs in cities like Thun and Bern.<ref name=HDS/>
+The castle passed into private hands after 1803 and had several owners in the following years.  In 1849-52 the Pourtàles family renovated and expanded the castle to its present appearance.  In 1940 the American William Maul Measy established the Oberhofen Castle foundation to administer and maintain the castle.  In 1952 it became a part of the [[Historical Museum of Bern]] and two years later they opened a branch in the castle.<ref name=HDS/>
+Oberhofen has always been a part of the [[parish]] of Hilterfingen and the [[parish church]] of St. Andrew is actually within the Oberhofen municipal borders.  In 1834 Hilterfingen and Oberhofen separated into two independent [[Bürgergemeinde|citizen's communities]] but remained part of a common parish.<ref name=HDS/>
 ==Geography==
+[[File:2011-07-23 Lago de Thun (Foto Dietrich Michael Weidmann) 334.JPG|thumb|Oberhofen]]
-Oberhofen has an area, {{as of|2009|lc=on}}, of {{convert|2.72|km2|sqmi|sp=us}}.  Of this area, {{convert|0.55|km2|sqmi|abbr=on}} or 20.2% is used for agricultural purposes, while {{convert|1.43|km2|sqmi|abbr=on}} or 52.6% is forested.   Of the rest of the land, {{convert|0.76|km2|sqmi|abbr=on}} or 27.9% is settled (buildings or roads), {{convert|0.01|km2|acre|abbr=on}} or 0.4% is either rivers or lakes and {{convert|0.02|km2|acre|abbr=on}} or 0.7% is unproductive land.<ref name=BFS_land>[http://www.bfs.admin.ch/bfs/portal/de/index/themen/02/03/blank/data/gemeindedaten.html Swiss Federal Statistical Office-Land Use Statistics] 2009 data {{de icon}} accessed 25 March 2010</ref>
+Oberhofen am Thunersee has an area of {{Swiss area|0934|mi=on}}.{{Swiss area data|0934|QUELLE}}<!--2.72 - 2.77 km2-->  As of the 2004 survey, a total of {{convert|0.55|km2|mi2|abbr=on}} or 20.2% is used for agricultural purposes, while {{convert|1.43|km2|mi2|abbr=on}} or 52.6% is forested.   Of rest of the municipality {{convert|0.76|km2|mi2|abbr=on}} or 27.9% is settled (buildings or roads), {{convert|0.01|km2|acre|abbr=on}} or 0.4% is either rivers or lakes and {{convert|0.02|km2|acre|abbr=on}} or 0.7% is unproductive land.<ref name=BFS_land>[http://www.bfs.admin.ch/bfs/portal/de/index/themen/02/03/blank/data/gemeindedaten.html Swiss Federal Statistical Office-Land Use Statistics] 2009 data {{de icon}} accessed 27 August 2014</ref>
-Of the built up area, housing and buildings made up 18.8% and transportation infrastructure made up 5.1%.  Power and water infrastructure as well as other special developed areas made up 1.1% of the area while parks, green belts and sports fields made up 2.6%.  Out of the forested land, 51.1% of the total land area is heavily forested and 1.5% is covered with orchards or small clusters of trees.  Of the agricultural land, 17.3% is pastures, while 2.9% is used for orchards or vine crops.  All the water in the municipality is in rivers and streams.<ref name=BFS_land/>
+From the same survey, housing and buildings made up 18.8% and transportation infrastructure made up 5.1%.  Power and water infrastructure as well as other special developed areas made up 1.1% of the area while parks, green belts and sports fields made up 2.6%.  A total of 51.1% of the total land area is heavily forested and 1.5% is covered with orchards or small clusters of trees.  Of the agricultural land, 17.3% is pasturage, while 2.9% is used for orchards or vine crops.  All the water in the municipality is in lakes.<ref name=BFS_land/>
 It is located on the northern shore of [[Lake Thun]] (German: ''Thunersee'') about {{convert|5|km|mi|abbr=on}} from the city of [[Thun]] (which is located where the [[Aare river]] leaves the lake).  Ecclestically the village has always been a section of the [[parish]] of [[Hilterfingen]], the next village north along the lake (The village church of Hilterfingen is actually on ground that is a part of Oberhofen township). The neighboring village to the south-east is Gunten (part of the township of [[Sigriswil]]), while up the steep mountain to the north-east is the village of [[Heiligenschwendi]] (no road connection, only a footpath).
+On 31 December 2009 Amtsbezirk Thun, the municipality's former district, was dissolved.  On the following day, 1 January 2010, it joined the newly created Verwaltungskreis Thun.<ref name=Mutation>[http://www.bfs.admin.ch/bfs/portal/de/index/infothek/nomenklaturen/blank/blank/gem_liste/02.html Nomenklaturen – Amtliches Gemeindeverzeichnis der Schweiz] {{de icon}} accessed 4 April 2011</ref>
+==Coat of arms==
+The [[blazon]] of the municipal [[coat of arms]] is ''Per pale Gules and Argent overall a Vine tree growing from Coupeaux Vert on Prop Or with two grapes counterchanged.''<ref>[http://www.crwflags.com/fotw/flags/ch-be351.html Flags of the World.com] accessed 28 August 2014</ref>
 ==Demographics==
-Oberhofen has a population (as of {{Swiss populations date|CH-BE}}) of {{Swiss populations|CH-BE|0934}}.{{Swiss populations ref|CH-BE}} {{as of|2007}}, 7.7% of the population was made up of foreign nationals.  Over the last 10 years the population has grown at a rate of 10.2%.  Most of the population ({{as of|2000|lc=on}}) speaks German  (94.3%), with Albanian being second most common ( 1.1%) and French being third ( 0.9%).
+Oberhofen am Thunersee has a population ({{as of|{{Swiss populations YM|CH-BE}}|lc=on}}) of {{Swiss populations|CH-BE|0934}}.{{Swiss populations ref|CH-BE}}  {{as of|2012}}, 9.5% of the population are resident foreign nationals.  Between the last 2 years (2010-2012) the population changed at a rate of 1.4%.  Migration accounted for 2.2%, while births and deaths accounted for -0.7%.<ref name=SFSO>[http://www.bfs.admin.ch/bfs/portal/en/index/regionen/02/key.html Swiss Federal Statistical Office] accessed 28 August 2014</ref>
+Most of the population ({{as of|2000|lc=on}}) speaks [[German language|German]] (2,055 or 94.3%) as their first language, [[Albanian language|Albanian]] is the second most common (24 or 1.1%) and [[French language|French]] is the third (20 or 0.9%).  There are 7 people who speak [[Italian language|Italian]].<ref name=STAT2000/>
-In the 2007 election the most popular party was the [[Swiss People's Party|SVP]] which received 33.6% of the vote.  The next three most popular parties were the [[Free Democratic Party of Switzerland|FDP]] (21.2%), the [[Social Democratic Party of Switzerland|SPS]] (17.5%) and the [[Green Party of Switzerland|Green Party]] (14.8%).
+{{as of|2008}}, the population was 48.5% male and 51.5% female.  The population was made up of 1,012 Swiss men (43.4% of the population) and 119 (5.1%) non-Swiss men.  There were 1,107 Swiss women (47.4%) and 95 (4.1%) non-Swiss women.<ref name=BE_Stat>[http://www.fin.be.ch/de/index/finanzen/finanzen/publikationen/wohnbevoelkerung.html Statistical office of the Canton of Bern] {{de icon}} accessed 4 January 2012</ref>  Of the population in the municipality, 442 or about 20.3% were born in Oberhofen am Thunersee and lived there in 2000.  There were 999 or 45.8% who were born in the same canton, while 423 or 19.4% were born somewhere else in Switzerland, and 268 or 12.3% were born outside of Switzerland.<ref name=STAT2000/>
-The age distribution of the population ({{as of|2000|lc=on}}) is children and teenagers (0–19 years old) make up 15.9% of the population, while adults (20–64 years old) make up 60.5% and seniors (over 64 years old) make up 23.6%.  In Oberhofen about 86.7% of the population (between age 25-64) have completed either non-mandatory [[Education in Switzerland#Secondary|upper secondary education]] or additional higher education (either university or a ''[[Fachhochschule]]'').
+{{as of|2012}}, children and teenagers (0-19 years old) make up 16.3% of the population, while adults (20-64 years old) make up 55.1% and seniors (over 64 years old) make up 28.7%.<ref name=SFSO/>
-Oberhofen has an unemployment rate of 1.65%.  {{as of|2005}}, there were 36 people employed in the [[Primary sector of the economy|primary economic sector]] and about 13 businesses involved in this sector.  92 people are employed in the [[Secondary sector of the economy|secondary sector]] and there are 17 businesses in this sector.  440 people are employed in the [[Tertiary sector of the economy|tertiary sector]], with 84 businesses in this sector.<ref name=SFSO>[http://www.bfs.admin.ch/bfs/portal/en/index/regionen/02/key.html Swiss Federal Statistical Office] accessed 17-Jul-2009</ref>
-The historical population is given in the following table:<ref name=HDS>{{HDS|8477|Oberhofen}}</ref>
+{{as of|2000}}, there were 742 people who were single and never married in the municipality.  There were 1,086 married individuals, 193 widows or widowers and 158 individuals who are divorced.<ref name=STAT2000>[http://www.pxweb.bfs.admin.ch/Database/German_40%20-%20Eidgen%C3%B6ssische%20Volksz%C3%A4hlung/40.3%20-%202000/40.3%20-%202000.asp?lang=1&prod=40&secprod=3&openChild=true STAT-TAB Datenwürfel für Thema 40.3 - 2000]  {{de icon}} accessed 2 February 2011 </ref>
-{| class="wikitable"
-|-
+{{as of|2010}}, there were 456 households that consist of only one person and 41 households with five or more people.<ref>[http://www.bfs.admin.ch/bfs/portal/de/index/themen/01/04/blank/key/haushaltsgroesse.html Swiss Federal Statistical Office - Haushaltsgrösse] {{de icon}} accessed 8 May 2013</ref>  {{as of|2000|alt=In 2000}}, a total of 1,023 apartments (76.8% of the total) were permanently occupied, while 249 apartments (18.7%) were seasonally occupied and 60 apartments (4.5%) were empty.<ref name=Housing>[http://www.pxweb.bfs.admin.ch/Database/German_09%20-%20Bau-%20und%20Wohnungswesen/09.2%20-%20Geb%C3%A4ude%20und%20Wohnungen/09.2%20-%20Geb%C3%A4ude%20und%20Wohnungen.asp?lang=1&prod=09&secprod=2&openChild=true Swiss Federal Statistical Office STAT-TAB - Datenwürfel für Thema 09.2 - Gebäude und Wohnungen] {{de icon}} accessed 28 January 2011</ref>  {{as of|2012}}, the construction rate of new housing units was 1.7 new units per 1000 residents.<ref name=SFSO/>  The vacancy rate for the municipality, {{as of|2013|alt=in 2013}}, was 2.2%.  In 2012, single family homes made up 47.1% of the total housing in the municipality.<ref>[http://www.atlas.bfs.admin.ch Statistischer Atlas der Schweiz - Anteil Einfamilienhäuser am gesamten Gebäudebestand, 2012] accessed 5 August 2014</ref>
-! year
-! population
+The historical population is given in the following chart:<ref name=HDS>{{HDS|8477|Oberhofen am Thunersee}}</ref><ref>[http://www.pxweb.bfs.admin.ch/Database/German_40%20-%20Eidgen%C3%B6ssische%20Volksz%C3%A4hlung/40.4%20-%201850-2000/40.4%20-%201850-2000.asp?lang=1&prod=40&secprod=4&openChild=true Swiss Federal Statistical Office STAT-TAB Bevölkerungsentwicklung nach Region, 1850-2000] {{de icon}} accessed 29 January 2011</ref><ref>[http://www.bfs.admin.ch/bfs/portal/de/index/news/04/01.html Swiss Federal Statistical Office - Ständige Wohnbevölkerung in Privathaushalten nach Gemeinde und Haushaltsgrösse] {{de icon}} accessed 12 August 2013</ref>
-|-
+<timeline>
-| 1764
+Colors=
-|  349
+  id:lightgrey value:gray(0.9)
-|-
+  id:darkgrey  value:gray(0.8)
-| 1850
+ImageSize  = width: auto height:200 barincrement:45
-|  731
+PlotArea   = top:20 left:40 bottom:20 right:35
-|-
+AlignBars  = justify
-| 1900
+DateFormat = x.y
-|  909
+Period     = from:0 till:2300
-|-
+TimeAxis   = orientation:vertical
-| 1950
+AlignBars  = justify
-|  1,486
+ScaleMajor = gridcolor:darkgrey increment:500 start:0
-|-
+ScaleMinor = gridcolor:lightgrey increment:100 start:0
-| 2000
+PlotData=
-|  2,179
+  color:yellowgreen width: 35   mark:(line,white) align:center
-|-
+  bar:1764 from:start till:349 text:"349"
-|}
+  bar:1850 from:start till:731 text:"731"
+  bar:1860 from:start till:780 text:"780"
+  bar:1870 from:start till:834 text:"834"
+  bar:1880 from:start till:842 text:"842"
+  bar:1888 from:start till:783 text:"783"
+  bar:1900 from:start till:909 text:"909"
+  bar:1910 from:start till:994 text:"994"
+  bar:1920 from:start till:1111 text:"1,111"
+  bar:1930 from:start till:1165 text:"1,165"
+  bar:1941 from:start till:1300 text:"1,300"
+  bar:1950 from:start till:1486 text:"1,486"
+  bar:1960 from:start till:1605 text:"1,605"
+  bar:1970 from:start till:1663 text:"1,663"
+  bar:1980 from:start till:1811 text:"1,811"
+  bar:1990 from:start till:2071 text:"2,071"
+  bar:2000 from:start till:2179 text:"2,179"
+  bar:2010 from:start till:2288 text:"2,288"
+</timeline>
+==Economy==
+{{as of|2011|In 2011}}, Oberhofen am Thunersee had an unemployment rate of 1.88%.  {{as of|2011}}, there were a total of 751 people employed in the municipality.  Of these, there were 20 people employed in the [[Primary sector of the economy|primary economic sector]] and about 7 businesses involved in this sector.  The [[Secondary sector of the economy|secondary sector]] employs 93 people and there were 28 businesses in this sector.  The [[Tertiary sector of the economy|tertiary sector]] employs 638 people, with 149 businesses in this sector.<ref name=SFSO/>  There were 1,107 residents of the municipality who were employed in some capacity, of which females made up 43.0% of the workforce.
+{{as of|2008|alt=In 2008}} there were a total of 443 [[full-time equivalent]] jobs.  The number of jobs in the primary sector was 14, of which 11 were in agriculture and 2 were in forestry or lumber production.  The number of jobs in the secondary sector was 76 of which 14 or (18.4%) were in manufacturing and 61 (80.3%) were in construction.  The number of jobs in the tertiary sector was 353.  In the tertiary sector; 56 or 15.9% were in wholesale or retail sales or the repair of motor vehicles, 6 or 1.7% were in the movement and storage of goods, 74 or 21.0% were in a hotel or restaurant, 8 or 2.3% were in the information industry, 29 or 8.2% were technical professionals or scientists, 9 or 2.5% were in education and 79 or 22.4% were in health care.<ref>[http://www.pxweb.bfs.admin.ch/Database/German_06%20-%20Industrie%20und%20Dienstleistungen/06.2%20-%20Unternehmen/06.2%20-%20Unternehmen.asp?lang=1&prod=06&secprod=2&openChild=true Swiss Federal Statistical Office STAT-TAB Betriebszählung: Arbeitsstätten nach Gemeinde und NOGA 2008 (Abschnitte), Sektoren 1-3] {{de icon}} accessed 28 January 2011</ref>
+{{as of|2000|alt=In 2000}}, there were 305 workers who commuted into the municipality and 814 workers who commuted away.  The municipality is a net exporter of workers, with about 2.7 workers leaving the municipality for every one entering.  A total of 293 workers (49.0% of the 598 total workers in the municipality) both lived and worked in Oberhofen am Thunersee.<ref name=commuter>[http://www.media-stat.admin.ch/stat/pendler/pop.php Swiss Federal Statistical Office - Statweb] {{de icon}} accessed 24 June 2010</ref>  Of the working population, 23.8% used public transportation to get to work, and 49.5% used a private car.<ref name=SFSO/>
+The local and cantonal tax rate in Oberhofen am Thunersee is one of the lowest in the canton.  In 2012 the average local and cantonal tax rate on a married resident, with two children, of Oberhofen am Thunersee making 150,000 [[CHF]] was 11.9%, while an unmarried resident's rate was 17.8%.<ref> [http://www.atlas.bfs.admin.ch Statistischer Atlas der Schweiz - Steuerbelastung, 2012 Politische Gemeinden] {{de icon}} accessed 4 August 2014</ref>  For comparison, the average rate for the entire canton in 2011, was 14.2% and 22.0%, while the nationwide average was 12.3% and 21.1% respectively.<ref>[http://www.estv2.admin.ch/d/dokumentation/zahlen_fakten/karten/sb-2011_rangliste/index-d.htm Swiss Federal Tax Administration - Grafische Darstellung der Steuerbelastung 2011 in den Kantonen] {{de icon}} {{fr icon}} accessed 17 June 2013</ref>
+In 2010 there were a total of 1,121 tax payers in the municipality.  Of that total, 469 made over 75,000 CHF per year.  There were 19 people who made between 15,000 and 20,000 per year.  The average income of the over 75,000 CHF group in Oberhofen am Thunersee was 130,730 CHF, while the average across all of Switzerland was 131,244 CHF.<ref>[http://www.estv.admin.ch/dokumentation/00075/00076/00701/01362/index.html?lang=de Federal Tax Administration Report Direkte Bundessteuer - Natürliche Personen - Gemeinden - Steuerjahr 2010] {{de icon}} {{fr icon}} accessed 5 August 2014</ref>
+In 2011 a total of 2.0% of the population received direct financial assistance from the government.<ref>[http://www.atlas.bfs.admin.ch Statistischer Atlas der Schweiz - Bezüger/-innen von Sozialhilfeleistungen (Sozialhilfeempfänger/-innen), 2011] accessed 18 June 2013</ref>
+==Heritage sites of national significance==
+[[Oberhofen Castle]] and the Wichterheer-Gut are listed as Swiss [[Swiss inventory of cultural property of national and regional significance|heritage site of national significance]].  The entire urbanized village of Oberhofen am Thunersee is part of the [[Inventory of Swiss Heritage Sites]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bevoelkerungsschutz.admin.ch/internet/bs/de/home/themen/kgs/kgs_inventar/a-objekte.html|title=Kantonsliste A-Objekte|year=2009|work=[http://www.bevoelkerungsschutz.admin.ch/internet/bs/de/home/themen/kgs/kgs_inventar.html KGS Inventar]|publisher=Federal Office of Civil Protection|language=German|accessdate=25 April 2011}}</ref>
-==Sights==
-[[Image:oberhofenSchloss.jpeg|thumb|Oberhofen Castle]]
 Historically Oberhofen was primarily an agricultural community (mainly vinticulture) until the late 19th century.  Today it is a rather affluent residential community, privileged by geography. The hill slopes to the lake toward south-west, giving both much sunlight, and a spectacular view to the glacier covered high alpine peaks of the Bernse Alps across the lake.
 The dominant feature of the village is the lakeside castle of [[Oberhofen Castle|Oberhofen]], dating back to the Middle Ages, but constantly changed and updated throughout the ages. The castle today houses a division of the Historic Museum of Bern, and has a spectacular formal lakeside garden in the English style with many rare specimen trees.
-{{clear left}}
-[[Image:Wichterheergut.jpeg|thumb|Wichterheer estate]]
 The Wichterheer estate, lakeside to the south of the castle, houses the [[Museum fũr Uhren und Mechanische Musik]] (Museum of Timekeeping and Mechanical Music) as well as an exhibit of 20th century local art.
+<gallery>
+File:oberhofenSchloss.jpeg|Oberhofen Castle
+File:Wichterheergut.jpeg|Wichterheer estate
+</gallery>
+==Politics==
+In the 2011 [[Swiss federal election, 2011|federal election]] the most popular party was the [[Swiss People's Party|Swiss People's Party (SVP)]] which received 27.6% of the vote.  The next three most popular parties were the [[FDP.The Liberals|FDP.The Liberals]] (16.8%), the [[Conservative Democratic Party of Switzerland|Conservative Democratic Party (BDP)]] (16.8%) and the [[Social Democratic Party of Switzerland|Social Democratic Party (SP)]] (13.8%).  In the federal election, a total of 1,181 votes were cast, and the [[voter turnout]] was 64.2%.<ref name=election_2011>[http://www.bfs.admin.ch/bfs/portal/de/index/themen/17/02/blank/data/05/03.html Swiss Federal Statistical Office 2011 Election] {{de icon}} accessed 8 May 2012</ref>
+==Religion==
+From the {{as of|2000|alt=2000 census}}, 1,535 or 70.4% belonged to the [[Swiss Reformed Church]], while 243 or 11.2% were [[Roman Catholic]].  Of the rest of the population, there were 6 [[Orthodox Christianity|members of an Orthodox church]] (or about 0.28% of the population), there were 7 individuals (or about 0.32% of the population) who belonged to the [[Christian Catholic Church of Switzerland|Christian Catholic Church]], and there were 41 individuals (or about 1.88% of the population) who belonged to another Christian church.  There were 58 (or about 2.66% of the population) who were [[Muslim]].  There were 2 individuals who were [[Buddhism|Buddhist]] and 2 individuals who were [[Hinduism|Hindu]].  227 (or about 10.42% of the population) belonged to no church, are [[Agnosticism|agnostic]] or [[Atheism|atheist]], and 58 individuals (or about 2.66% of the population) did not answer the question.<ref name=STAT2000/>
+==Education==
+In Oberhofen am Thunersee about 58% of the population have completed non-mandatory [[Education in Switzerland#Secondary|upper secondary education]], and 28.7% have completed additional higher education (either [[List of universities in Switzerland|university]] or a ''[[Fachhochschule]]'').<ref name=SFSO/>  Of the 452 who had completed some form of tertiary schooling listed in the census, 68.6% were Swiss men, 22.1% were Swiss women, 5.3% were non-Swiss men and 4.0% were non-Swiss women.<ref name=STAT2000/>
+The Canton of Bern school system provides one year of non-obligatory [[Kindergarten]], followed by six years of Primary school.  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]].<ref>{{Cite report |title=Kantonale Schulstrukturen in der Schweiz und im Fürstentum Liechtenstein / Structures Scolaires Cantonales en Suisse et Dans la Principauté du Liechtenstein |url= http://edudoc.ch/record/35128/files/Schulsystem_alle.pdf |author= EDK/CDIP/IDES |year= 2010 |accessdate= 24 June 2010 }}</ref>
+During the 2012-13 school year, there were a total of 243 students attending classes in Oberhofen am Thunersee.  There were a total of 36 students in the German language kindergarten classes in the municipality.  Of the kindergarten students, 2.8% were permanent or temporary residents of Switzerland (not citizens) and 5.6% have a different mother language than the classroom language.  The municipality's primary school had 207 students in German language classes.  Of the primary students, 9.2% were permanent or temporary residents of Switzerland (not citizens) and 12.1% have a different mother language than the classroom language.<ref name=School>[http://www.erz.be.ch/erz/de/index/direktion/organisation/generalsekretariat/statistik/schul-_und_gemeindetabellen.html Datei der Gemeinde- und Schultabellen]{{de icon}} accessed 23 July 2014</ref>
+{{as of|2000|In 2000}}, there were a total of 191 students attending any school in the municipality.  Of those, 110 both lived and attended school in the municipality, while 81 students came from another municipality.  During the same year, 100 residents attended schools outside the municipality.<ref name=commuter/>
 ==References==
@@ Line 94: / Line 161: @@
 [[Category:Castles in Switzerland]]
 [[Category:Populated places on Lake Thun]]
+[[Category:Cultural property of national significance in the canton of Bern]]