Oberaargau

The Upper Aargau (French Haute- Argovie, Italian Alta Argovia berndt. Oberaargou ) is the northeast part of the Swiss canton of Bern. It is bordered by the cantons of Solothurn, Aargau and Lucerne. Just to the south it is connected with the Canton of Bern. The south adjacent region is the Emmental, where the limit is not always defined. After the political division of the Upper Aargau corresponds to the Oberaargau. By 2009, it consisted of the two administrative districts cheeks and Aarwangen, said today the Oberaargau belonging communities Eriswil, Huttwil, Walterswil and Wyssachen time still belonged to the district of Trachsel forest. The municipality is located north Durrenroth the watershed between the Aare and Emme and is therefore geographically part of the Upper Aargau; but politically it belongs to the administrative district of Emmental.

Geography

The Upper Aargau is part of the Swiss Plateau. It lies between the major urban centers and is therefore a passage region. Not only the eponymous river Aare runs through it from west to east, but also the A1 motorway and the railway line from Bern to Zurich, the two main east -west traffic arteries of Switzerland.

Centers of the Oberaargau are on the railway line the city Langenthal and the village Herzogenbuchsee and on the Aare River, the historic town of Wangen and Aarwangen. Since the construction of the highway has become the focus of economic development to the north, relocated to the foot of the Jura where the town and the village Wiedlisbach Niederbipp are.

The area traversed by the Aare River and the major arteries valley is bounded on the north by the Jura and south of the hills, which merges seamlessly into the Emmental.

The highest point of the Upper Aargau is with 1231 meters, the Höllchöpfli (municipality Rumisberg ) and the lowest point at 405 meters above sea level is located on the Aare at Wynau.

History

Already in the early Middle Ages, the term "Upper Aargau " (superior pagus Aragauginsis, 861 ) was used. However, this was the entire region southeast of the Aare and also meant the Emmental.

In the High Middle Ages, the Upper Aargau was, based on the current size, divided into different spheres of domination. The part north of the river Aare to the Counts of Frohnburg. South of the Aare included many areas for personal property of the Dukes of Zahringen. There were old possession of the monasteries of St. Gallen and St. Blaise in the Black Forest and several leisure gentlemen, most significantly those in the eastern part of the barons of Long Stone, who came as an inheritance in large parts to the barons of Green Mountain. After the extinction of Zaehringen the western part came at the Graf House New Kyburg, which came with its growing debt under Habsburg and finally Bernese influence. In the late Middle Ages the Upper Aargau to the land County of Burgundy, which was managed by the Counts of Buchegg, later of New Kyburgs belonged.

With the expansion policy of Bern in the late Middle Ages and the Upper Aargau came under Bernese influence. In the 15th century acquired and captured Bern the entire upper and lower Aargau (Bernese Aargau ), so that these regions were united for several centuries. With the takeover of the country Comté of new Kyburg also the country's sovereignty came to the city of Bern.

With the downfall of the Old Bern 1798 of the Aargau was separated as its own canton ( which was 1802/ 03 combined with the Frick Valley, Baden and the outdoor offices for the modern canton of Aargau ). The boundary between the lower and upper Aargau was taken in 1798 along the Wigger, 1802 but was moved to the west on the Murg. This zoning was confirmed by the Mediation Act of 1803 and the Vienna Congress in 1815, so since then the Upper Aargau Canton Aargau is separated from.