(1919) Archeological evidence suggests that early settlements existed around 4000 B.C. in the Langenthal area. A
Hallstatt necropolis with twelve
grave mounds has been found at Unterhard. Remnants of two Roman villae have also been identified. Langenthal is first mentioned in 861, as
marcha in Langatun, referring to farming estates scattered along the
Langete (a tributary of the
Murg). The Old High German name
Langatun is presumably composed of a hydronym
langa- and the
Gaulish element
dunum "fort" (which had become productive as a suffix in toponyms). The re-interpretation of the name as including the element
-tal "valley" dates to c. the 15th century, during which the name is on record as either
Langaten or
Langental (the same process can be observed in the case of
Murgenthal, earlier
Murgatun). In the 12th century Langenthal (now known as
Langaton) belonged to the territory of the lords of
Langenstein. In 1194 the Freiherr founded the
Abbey of St. Urban and endowed the Abbey with lands in Langenthal. Formerly part of
Thunstetten parish, Langenthal was granted its own parish church in 1197. After the extinction of the Langenstein family in 1212, the Abbey inherited additional lands in the area. The establishment of the Abbey brought agricultural improvements, especially the introduction of an irrigation system to the area. However, the Abbey often came into conflict with the
Kyburg Ministerialis (unfree knights in the service of a feudal overlord) family of Luternau. The Luternau family fought the growing power of the Abbey, until 1273-76 when they were obligated to sell their interest in Langenthal to the Abbey. Just a few years later, in 1279, the Abbey, in turn, was forced to give the
low court and a fortified house in Langenthal to the
Freiherr of Grünenberg to hold as a fief. By the end of the 14th century, the Abbey had regained power and was able to bring the village fully under their control. but the use of a flag with a similar design, "yellow and blue with a triple rivulet" (
Sie führen einen Fahnen ist gälb und blaw / In dreyfachen Bach darinnen) is recorded in a song of c. 1700. Langenthal's location on the road from Bern to Zurich (completed in 1760) and on the Swiss Central Railway line (inaugurated in 1857) spurred industrial development, led by textiles and machines. Municipal water supply was introduced in 1894 and an electric utility began operating in 1896. In 1898, the formerly neighboring municipality of Schoren was incorporated into Langenthal. Langenthal had a population of 1,327 in 1764; population grew to 2,738 by 1850, and to 4,799 by 1900. In the 20th century, Langenthal became known for its porcelain manufacture. Langenthal reached a population of 10,000 in 1957, further growing to 13,000 by 1970. The municipality has been officially referring to itself as a town (
Stadt) since 1997. In 2001, Langenthal was
twinned with the town of
Neviano in southern
Italy and with
Brig-Glis in the upper
Valais. In 2010, the municipality of
Untersteckholz was incorporated into Langenthal.
Obersteckholz Obersteckholz is first mentioned in 1255 as
Stechcholz. Obersteckholz was the property of the
Baron of Langenstein. In 1194, he founded
St. Urban's Abbey and granted the village to the Abbey as part of its endowment. It was part of the Abbey's court of Langenthal until 1406 when it became part of the
Bernese
bailiwick of
Wangen. Following the
1798 French invasion it became part of the district of Langenthal under the
Helvetic Republic. In 1803, after the collapse of the Republic, it became part of the
Aarwangen District. The village became an independent municipality in 1831. Until 1790 and again after 1975 Obersteckholz and
Untersteckholz shared a single school district. ==Geography==