page_title: Münchenbuchsee
section_title: History
hierarchical_section_title: Münchenbuchsee / History
caption_attribution_description: Deutsch: Münchenbuchsee, Kirche, Chor.
context_page_description: Münchenbuchsee is a municipality in the Bern-Mittelland administrative district in the canton of Bern in Switzerland. It is famous as the birthplace of painter Paul Klee.
context_section_description: Münchenbuchsee is first mentioned in a deed of donation in 1180 as Buhse (in Swiss German it is still known as Buchsi).
  The oldest traces of settlements in the area are scattered neolithic and Hallstatt artifacts which were found in the marsh near Moossee Lake. Some Bronze Age items were discovered in Hofwil. Other archeological discoveries include Iron Age and High Medieval earthen fortifications at Schwandenberg, a grave mound and an Early Medieval grave in Hofwilwald.
  The knight Kuno von Buchsee donated his entire possessions to the Order of St. John after having returned for the third time from a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. A commandry of the order was established, which subsequently acquired more land and expanded its influence in the area. In 1210 the order built a hospice for pilgrims as well as an infirmary and a big kitchen. For more than 350 years the members of the order distributed food to the poor twice a week.
  Münchenbuchsee Commandery's seal was first documented in 1264. In 1329, the residents of the Commandery became citizens of Bern. The south side of the courtyard included Kuno's castle, the church and a residential building. The choir of the Commandery Church was built in 1260-80 while the stained glass is from the 13th century. The north side of the courtyard had the "summer house", the guesthouse and workshops. The religious community was small, by 1480 only the commander, the prior and six brothers lived there. Due to close family ties between the noble commanders at Münchenbuchsee and Thunstetten Commandery, the two houses became tied together. At times the prior at Thunstetten would appoint a representative to administer the smaller Commandery at Münchenbuchsee.
  During the Protestant Reformation in 1528, Commander Peter Englisberg supported the secularization of the Commandery and received Bremgarten Castle as a reward. After the Reformation in 1528, the State of Bern (today canton of Bern) dissolved the commandry and established a Landvogtei, which is quite similar with the English office of reeve. Between 1600 and 1620 the Landvogtei's Castle and a tithe barn were built on the north side of the courtyard. The bailiff ruled over the village until the 1798 French invasion and the creation of the Helvetic Republic. With the Act of Mediation in 1803, the village was assigned to the new district of Fraubrunnen.
  Münchenbuchsee was partially destroyed by a fire in 1770. In response, 59 municipalities and 22 private organizations helped to rebuild the village by donating wood, grain and money. Subsequently, the first fire-engine was bought and a night watchman was hired.
  The first project to drain the marshy land around the lake began in 1780. In 1855-56 a construction project dropped the level of the lake and opened up new farm land. Another project in 1917-20 drained much of the remaining marsh near the village.
  Münchenbuchsee had always been tightly connected to the nearby city of Bern. During the 19th and 20th centuries new transportation links tied it even more closely. In 1844-46 the Bern-Lyss cantonal road was built through Münchenbuchsee. This was followed by the Münchenbuchsee-Zollikofen railroad station in 1857 and the Münchenbuchsee station in 1864 as the Bern-Olten and then Bern-Biel rail lines opened. In 1916 the Bern-Solothurn-Zollikofen Railway (now Bern-Solothurn Regional) built a station in Zollikofen which provided another link.
  Münchenbuchsee expanded constantly during the 20th century. In 1953 the Allmend district was built along the border with Zollikofen, followed by the Waldegg district in the 1960s. Both developments were conceived as both residential and commercial zones. The diverse job opportunities and good transportation links caused the population to skyrocket after 1965. The many new residential neighborhoods required the municipality to expand and update the infrastructure. Two new schools opened, the original secondary school (built in 1858) was replaced, the Sports Center Hirzenfeld opened in 1982 followed by the Leisure Center in 1985. The deaf-mute school opened in the c
caption: Choir with stained glass of Münchenbuchsee's Commandery Church
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