Stocken-Höfen
Stocken-Höfen is a municipality in the administrative district of Thun in the canton of Bern in Switzerland. On 1 January 2014 the former municipalities of Niederstocken, Oberstocken and Höfen merged into the municipality of Stocken-Höfen.
History
Höfen
The oldest trace of a settlement in the area is a single Neolithic artifact which was found in the Hofallmend. During the Middle Ages a small hunting estate, known as the Turm zu Stocken or Friedberg, was built above the Amsoldingersee. Very little is known of its early history, but in 1308 the Duke of Austria granted it to the knightly Amsoldingen family. The village of Höfen grew up around the estate and was part of the Amsoldingen lands and Amsoldingen parish. By the 15th century disputes over village farming land established the borders of the village. The Amsoldingens held the estate for almost two centuries, but gave it up in 1492. It passed through several other owners until it became part of the Blumenstein Herrschaft in 1642. Later the estate was abandoned and fell into ruins.Traditionally the villagers raised livestock which they took to Thun to sell. In the 20th century, many of the residents began commuting to jobs in Thun or neighboring cities. Beginning in the 1980s the population began to grow and the Schindlern-Kistlern neighborhood was built.
Niederstocken
Niederstocken is first mentioned in 1351 as Stogken.The oldest trace of a settlement in the area is a Stone Age tool production site on the Stockenfluh mountain. During the Middle Ages the village was part of the lands and parish of the college of canons at Amsoldingen. In 1485 the office of canon was abolished and the Amsoldingen lands were acquired by Bern. In 1505, it was incorporated into the Bernese district of Thun, where it remained until 1803. At that time it joined the Niedersimmental District. Between 1898 and 1926 the Stockentalbahn railroad company unsuccessfully attempted to build a railroad through the Stockental valley including Niederstocken. In 1921 a road was built to the municipality. There were several unsuccessful attempts to combine the villages of Oberstocken and Niederstocken, the most recent was in 1988. Today the municipality remains generally isolated and has retained its agrarian character.
The village was part of the parish of Amsoldingen until 1485, when it joined the Reutigen parish. In 1481, Hans Schütz, built a chapel in the village. By 1556 Niederstocken accepted the new faith of the Protestant Reformation and the village chapel was demolished.
Oberstocken
Oberstocken is first mentioned in 1351 as Stogken.During the Middle Ages the village was part of the lands and parish of the college of canons at Amsoldingen. In 1485 the office of canon was abolished and the Amsoldingen lands were acquired by Bern. In 1505, it was incorporated into the Bernese district of Thun, where it remained until 1803. At that time it joined the Niedersimmental District. Between 1898 and 1926 the Stockentalbahn railroad company unsuccessfully attempted to build a railroad through the Stockental valley to Oberstocken. There were several unsuccessful attempts to combine the villages of Oberstocken and Niederstocken, the most recent was in 1988. "
Geography
The former municipalities that now make up Stocken-Höfen have a total combined area of.Demographics
The total population of Stocken-Höfen is.Historic population
The historical population is given in the following chart:Colors=
id:lightgrey value:gray
id:darkgrey value:gray
ImageSize = width: auto height:500 barincrement:45
PlotArea = top:20 left:35 bottom:90 right:35
Legend = columns:3 left:20 top:70 columnwidth:160
AlignBars = justify
DateFormat = x.y
Period = from:0 till:1000
TimeAxis = orientation:vertical
AlignBars = justify
ScaleMajor = gridcolor:darkgrey increment:100 start:0
ScaleMinor = gridcolor:lightgrey increment:20 start:0
Colors=
id:HO value:yellowgreen legend:Höfen
id:NI value:green legend:Niederstocken
id:OB value:blue legend:Oberstocken
PlotData=
color:yellowgreen width:30 mark: align:center
bar:1850 from: 0 till:456 text:"456" color:HO
bar:1860 from: 0 till:427 text:"427" color:HO
bar:1870 from: 0 till:436 text:"436" color:HO
bar:1880 from: 0 till:396 text:"396" color:HO
bar:1890 from: 0 till:366 text:"366" color:HO
bar:1900 from: 0 till:342 text:"342" color:HO
bar:1910 from: 0 till:358 text:"358" color:HO
bar:1920 from: 0 till:295 text:"295" color:HO
bar:1930 from: 0 till:291 text:"291" color:HO
bar:1940 from: 0 till:323 text:"323" color:HO
bar:1950 from: 0 till:341 text:"341" color:HO
bar:1960 from: 0 till:354 text:"354" color:HO
bar:1970 from: 0 till:374 text:"374" color:HO
bar:1980 from: 0 till:385 text:"385" color:HO
bar:1990 from: 0 till:394 text:"394" color:HO
bar:2000 from: 0 till:398 text:"398" color:HO
bar:1850 from: 456 till:696 text:"240" color:NI
bar:1860 from: 427 till:678 text:"251" color:NI
bar:1870 from: 436 till:692 text:"256" color:NI
bar:1880 from: 396 till:641 text:"245" color:NI
bar:1890 from: 366 till:589 text:"223" color:NI
bar:1900 from: 342 till:538 text:"196" color:NI
bar:1910 from: 358 till:555 text:"197" color:NI
bar:1920 from: 295 till:501 text:"206" color:NI
bar:1930 from: 291 till:506 text:"215" color:NI
bar:1940 from: 323 till:537 text:"214" color:NI
bar:1950 from: 341 till:600 text:"259" color:NI
bar:1960 from: 354 till:571 text:"217" color:NI
bar:1970 from: 374 till:588 text:"214" color:NI
bar:1980 from: 385 till:612 text:"227" color:NI
bar:1990 from: 394 till:666 text:"272" color:NI
bar:2000 from: 398 till:689 text:"291" color:NI
bar:1850 from: 696 till:919 text:"223" color:OB
bar:1860 from: 678 till:910 text:"232" color:OB
bar:1870 from: 692 till:926 text:"234" color:OB
bar:1880 from: 641 till:869 text:"228" color:OB
bar:1890 from: 589 till:781 text:"192" color:OB
bar:1900 from: 538 till:717 text:"179" color:OB
bar:1910 from: 555 till:734 text:"179" color:OB
bar:1920 from: 501 till:704 text:"203" color:OB
bar:1930 from: 506 till:702 text:"196" color:OB
bar:1940 from: 537 till:765 text:"228" color:OB
bar:1950 from: 600 till:843 text:"243" color:OB
bar:1960 from: 571 till:830 text:"259" color:OB
bar:1970 from: 588 till:814 text:"226" color:OB
bar:1980 from: 612 till:821 text:"209" color:OB
bar:1990 from: 666 till:882 text:"216" color:OB
bar:2000 from: 689 till:952 text:"263" color:OB