{{Infobox Swiss town | subject_name = Biglen | municipality_type = municipality | imagepath_coa = CHE Biglen COA.svg | imagepath_flag = CHE Biglen Flag.svg | canton = Bern | iso-code-region = CH-BE | district = Bern-Mittelland administrative district |coordinates = {{coord|46|55|N|7|37|E|display=inline,title}} | postal_code = 3507 | municipality_code = 0603 | area = 3.61 | elevation = 739|elevation_description= | population = {{Swiss populations NC|CH-BE|0603}} | populationof = {{Swiss populations YM|CH-BE}} | popofyear = {{Swiss populations Y|CH-BE}} | website = www.biglen.ch | mayor = Urs Schweizer<ref name=Mayor>[https://www.biglen.ch/de/politik/cdws/mitglieder.php Gemeinderat] 2025 data {{in lang|de}} accessed 21 may 2026</ref>|mayor_asof=2026|mayor_party= | executive_name = Gemeinderat | executive_number_of_members = 9 | mayor_title = Gemeindepräsident |list_of_mayors = | places = | demonym = | neighboring_municipalities= Arni, Grosshöchstetten, Schlosswil, Walkringen, Worb | twintowns = |}} thumb|Biglen seen from West thumb|Biglen seen from South
'''Biglen''' (Highest Alemannic: ''Bigle'') is a municipality in the Bern-Mittelland administrative district in the canton of Bern in Switzerland.
==History== Biglen is first mentioned in 894 as ''Pigiluna''. In 1236 it was mentioned as ''Biglun''.<ref name=HDS/>
The earliest traces of a settlement in the area are scattered Roman era artifacts which have been found throughout the municipality. Very little is known about the village in the Middle Ages. In the 14th century Heinrich von Biglen, a citizen of Bern, acquired much of the village. He donated the village to the Niederspital of Bern in 1359. The village was part of several districts before being assigned to the Amtsbezirk Konolfingen in 1803.<ref name=HDS/>
The first village church was probably built in the 11th century and was mentioned in 1236 as the Church of St. Peter. The current church building is from 1521. It was the parish church for a parish that included several near by farms and villages.<ref name=HDS/>
Traditionally the village economy relied on subsistence agriculture. However, in the 18th century local farmers began to raise grass which they could harvest as hay for cattle. By the 19th century, dairy farming had replaced traditional agriculture. The first dairy and cheese maker opened in the area in 1828. A village school opened in 1878. In 1899 the Burgdorf-Thun Railway connected the village to the growing rail network. Easy transportation links allowed industry to flourish in Biglen. By 1990 over half of the jobs in Biglen were in industry and many other workers commuted to Bern or other towns for jobs.<ref name=HDS/>
==Geography== thumb|View over the Walkringer Moos, Biglen and the Bernese Alps.
thumb|Aerial view (1958)
Biglen has an area of {{Swiss area|0603|mi=on}}.{{Swiss area data|0603|QUELLE}}<!--3.59 - 3.58 km2--> Of this area, {{convert|2.6|km2|mi2|abbr=on}} or 72.4% is used for agricultural purposes, while {{convert|0.22|km2|mi2|abbr=on}} or 6.1% is forested. Of the rest of the land, {{convert|0.76|km2|mi2|abbr=on}} or 21.2% is settled (buildings or roads).<ref name=BFS_land>[https://www.bfs.admin.ch/bfs/portal/de/index/themen/02/03/blank/data/gemeindedaten.html Swiss Federal Statistical Office-Land Use Statistics] 2009 data {{in lang|de}} accessed 25 March 2010</ref>
Of the built up area, industrial buildings made up 1.9% of the total area while housing and buildings made up 12.3% and transportation infrastructure made up 6.1%. Out of the forested land, all of the forested land area is covered with heavy forests. Of the agricultural land, 47.6% is used for growing crops and 23.1% is pastures, while 1.7% is used for orchards or vine crops.<ref name=BFS_land/>
The municipality includes the village of Biglen, the hamlet Enetbach and individual farm houses.
On 31 December 2009 Amtsbezirk Konolfingen, the municipality's former district, was dissolved. On the following day, 1 January 2010, it joined the newly created Verwaltungskreis Bern-Mittelland.<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] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151113231755/http://www.bfs.admin.ch/bfs/portal/de/index/infothek/nomenklaturen/blank/blank/gem_liste/02.html |date=2015-11-13 }} {{in lang|de}} accessed 4 April 2011</ref>
==Coat of arms== The blazon of the municipal coat of arms is ''Per fess Gules and Azure a double Cross in bend couped counterchanged.''<ref>[https://www.crwflags.com/fotw/flags/ch-be181.html Flags of the World.com] accessed 15-April-2013</ref>
==Demographics== Biglen has a population ({{as of|{{Swiss populations YM|CH-BE}}|lc=on}}) of {{Swiss populations|CH-BE|0603}}.{{Swiss populations ref|CH-BE}} {{as of|2010}}, 6.7% of the population are resident foreign nationals.<ref name=BE_Stat>[http://www.fin.be.ch/de/index/finanzen/finanzen/publikationen/wohnbevoelkerung.html Statistical office of the Canton of Bern] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120215012157/http://www.fin.be.ch/de/index/finanzen/finanzen/publikationen/wohnbevoelkerung.html |date=2012-02-15 }} {{in lang|de}} accessed 4 January 2012</ref> Over the last 10 years (2000-2010) the population has changed at a rate of -5.5%. Migration accounted for -2.2%, while births and deaths accounted for 0.1%.<ref name=SFSO>[http://www.bfs.admin.ch/bfs/portal/en/index/regionen/02/key.html Swiss Federal Statistical Office] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160105172441/http://www.bfs.admin.ch/bfs/portal/en/index/regionen/02/key.html |date=January 5, 2016 }} accessed 15 April 2013</ref>
Most of the population ({{as of|2000|lc=on}}) speaks German (1,698 or 94.9%) as their first language, Italian is the second most common (26 or 1.5%) and Albanian is the third (23 or 1.3%). There are 9 people who speak French and 5 people who speak Romansh.<ref name=STAT2000/>
{{as of|2008}}, the population was 49.4% male and 50.6% female. The population was made up of 791 Swiss men (45.9% of the population) and 61 (3.5%) non-Swiss men. There were 817 Swiss women (47.4%) and 55 (3.2%) non-Swiss women.<ref name="BE_Stat"/> Of the population in the municipality, 525 or about 29.3% were born in Biglen and lived there in 2000. There were 887 or 49.6% who were born in the same canton, while 188 or 10.5% were born somewhere else in Switzerland, and 138 or 7.7% were born outside of Switzerland.<ref name=STAT2000/>
{{as of|2010}}, children and teenagers (0–19 years old) make up 21.8% of the population, while adults (20–64 years old) make up 60.4% and seniors (over 64 years old) make up 17.7%.<ref name=SFSO/>
{{as of|2000}}, there were 757 people who were single and never married in the municipality. There were 893 married individuals, 93 widows or widowers and 47 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] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130809142611/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 |date=August 9, 2013 }} {{in lang|de}} accessed 2 February 2011</ref>
{{as of|2000}}, there were 203 households that consist of only one person and 58 households with five or more people. {{as of|2000|alt=In 2000}}, a total of 712 apartments (93.3% of the total) were permanently occupied, while 33 apartments (4.3%) were seasonally occupied and 18 apartments (2.4%) 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] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140907111534/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 |date=September 7, 2014 }} {{in lang|de}} accessed 28 January 2011</ref> {{as of|2010}}, the construction rate of new housing units was 0.6 new units per 1000 residents.<ref name=SFSO/> The vacancy rate for the municipality, {{as of|2011|alt=in 2011}}, was 2.65%.
The historical population is given in the following chart:<ref name=HDS>{{HDS|351|Biglen}}</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] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140930162751/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 |date=September 30, 2014 }} {{in lang|de}} accessed 29 January 2011</ref> <timeline> Colors= id:lightgrey value:gray(0.9) id:darkgrey value:gray(0.8) ImageSize = width: auto height:200 barincrement:45 PlotArea = top:20 left:35 bottom:20 right:35 AlignBars = justify DateFormat = x.y Period = from:0 till:1800 TimeAxis = orientation:vertical AlignBars = justify ScaleMajor = gridcolor:darkgrey increment:400 start:0 ScaleMinor = gridcolor:lightgrey increment:80 start:0 PlotData= color:yellowgreen width: 35 mark:(line,white) align:center bar:1764 from:start till:495 text:"495" bar:1850 from:start till:930 text:"930" bar:1860 from:start till:928 text:"928" bar:1870 from:start till:937 text:"937" bar:1880 from:start till:942 text:"942" bar:1888 from:start till:915 text:"915" bar:1900 from:start till:966 text:"966" bar:1910 from:start till:960 text:"960" bar:1920 from:start till:1097 text:"1,097" bar:1930 from:start till:1117 text:"1,117" bar:1941 from:start till:1251 text:"1,251" bar:1950 from:start till:1299 text:"1,299" bar:1960 from:start till:1359 text:"1,359" bar:1970 from:start till:1542 text:"1,542" bar:1980 from:start till:1437 text:"1,437" bar:1990 from:start till:1638 text:"1,638" bar:2000 from:start till:1790 text:"1,790" </timeline>
==Politics== In the 2011 federal election the most popular party was the Swiss People's Party (SVP) which received 32.6% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the Conservative Democratic Party (BDP) (24%), the Social Democratic Party (SP) (12.2%) and the FDP.The Liberals (7.5%). In the federal election, a total of 670 votes were cast, and the voter turnout was 50.0%.<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] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131114214422/http://www.bfs.admin.ch/bfs/portal/de/index/themen/17/02/blank/data/05/03.html |date=November 14, 2013 }} {{in lang|de}} accessed 8 May 2012</ref>
==Economy== {{as of|2011|In 2011}}, Biglen had an unemployment rate of 1.35%. {{as of|2008}}, there were a total of 658 people employed in the municipality. Of these, there were 54 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 22 businesses involved in this sector. 316 people were employed in the secondary sector and there were 22 businesses in this sector. 288 people were employed in the tertiary sector, with 48 businesses in this sector.<ref name=SFSO/> There were 973 residents of the municipality who were employed in some capacity, of which females made up 43.5% of the workforce.
{{as of|2008|alt=In 2008}} there were a total of 521 full-time equivalent jobs. The number of jobs in the primary sector was 30, all of which were in agriculture. The number of jobs in the secondary sector was 278 of which 206 or (74.1%) were in manufacturing and 72 (25.9%) were in construction. The number of jobs in the tertiary sector was 213. In the tertiary sector; 66 or 31.0% were in wholesale or retail sales or the repair of motor vehicles, 12 or 5.6% were in the movement and storage of goods, 8 or 3.8% were the insurance or financial industry, 29 or 13.6% were technical professionals or scientists, 28 or 13.1% were in education and 46 or 21.6% 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] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141225013454/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 |date=December 25, 2014 }} {{in lang|de}} accessed 28 January 2011</ref>
{{as of|2000|alt=In 2000}}, there were 394 workers who commuted into the municipality and 677 workers who commuted away. The municipality is a net exporter of workers, with about 1.7 workers leaving the municipality for every one entering.<ref name=commuter>[https://archive.today/20120804043150/http://www.media-stat.admin.ch/stat/pendler/pop.php Swiss Federal Statistical Office - Statweb] {{in lang|de}} accessed 24 June 2010</ref> Of the working population, 18.4% used public transportation to get to work, and 53.1% used a private car.<ref name=SFSO/>
==Religion== From the {{as of|2000|alt=2000 census}}, 159 or 8.9% were Roman Catholic, while 1,401 or 78.3% belonged to the Swiss Reformed Church. Of the rest of the population, there were 3 members of an Orthodox church (or about 0.17% of the population), and there were 135 individuals (or about 7.54% of the population) who belonged to another Christian church. There were 38 (or about 2.12% of the population) who were Islamic. There were 2 individuals who were Buddhist, 8 individuals who were Hindu and 1 individual who belonged to another church. 48 (or about 2.68% of the population) belonged to no church, are agnostic or atheist, and 60 individuals (or about 3.35% of the population) did not answer the question.<ref name=STAT2000/>
==Education== In Biglen about 761 or (42.5%) of the population have completed non-mandatory upper secondary education, and 191 or (10.7%) have completed additional higher education (either university or a ''Fachhochschule''). Of the 191 who completed tertiary schooling, 74.3% were Swiss men, 20.9% were Swiss women, 4.2% were non-Swiss men.<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= https://edudoc.ch/record/35128/files/Schulsystem_alle.pdf |author= EDK/CDIP/IDES |year= 2010 |accessdate= 24 June 2010 }}</ref>
During the 2010–11 school year, there were a total of 262 students attending classes in Biglen. There were 2 kindergarten classes with a total of 24 students in the municipality. Of the kindergarten students, 4.2% have a different mother language than the classroom language. The municipality had 6 primary classes and 110 students. Of the primary students, 11.8% were permanent or temporary residents of Switzerland (not citizens) and 8.2% have a different mother language than the classroom language. During the same year, there were 7 lower secondary classes with a total of 128 students. There were 5.5% who were permanent or temporary residents of Switzerland (not citizens) and 5.5% 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 Schuljahr 2010/11 pdf document] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120602073606/http://www.erz.be.ch/erz/de/index/direktion/organisation/generalsekretariat/statistik/schul-_und_gemeindetabellen.html |date=2012-06-02 }}{{in lang|de}} accessed 4 January 2012</ref>
{{as of|2000}}, there were 63 students in Biglen who came from another municipality, while 45 residents attended schools outside the municipality.<ref name=commuter/>
Biglen is home to the ''Schul- und Gemeindebibliothek Biglen'' (municipal library of Biglen). The library has ({{as of|2008|lc=on}}) 5,259 books or other media, and loaned out 10,699 items in the same year. It was open a total of 162 days with average of 4.5 hours per week during that year.<ref>[http://www.bfs.admin.ch/bfs/portal/de/index/themen/16/02/02/data.html Swiss Federal Statistical Office, list of libraries] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150706231342/http://www.bfs.admin.ch/bfs/portal/de/index/themen/16/02/02/data.html |date=2015-07-06 }} {{in lang|de}} accessed 14 May 2010</ref>
==Transportation== The municipality has a railway station, {{rws|Biglen}}, on the Burgdorf–Thun line. It has regular service to {{rws|Thun}}, {{rws|Konolfingen}}, and {{rws|Solothurn}}.
==References== {{Reflist|colwidth=30em}}
==External links== {{Commons category|Biglen}} * {{HDS|351|Biglen}}
{{Municipalities of the administrative district of Bern-Mittelland}} {{Authority control}}