Riggisberg is first mentioned in 1239 as
Ricasperc. In 1270 it was mentioned as
Riggesberg. The oldest trace of a settlement in the area are several
Iron Age graves at Kreuzbühlhölzli. During the
Roman era there was a settlement at Muriboden. During the
Middle Ages the
Fribourg noble family of Riggisberg was established with a seat in Riggisberg. However, the family soon lost or sold all their rights and land in the village and by the 13th century other nobles and monasteries owned parts of the village. It passed through several noble landowners until it was acquired by Petermann von Wichtrach when he married Agnes von Burgistein in 1354. In 1358 Rudolph of
Neuchâtel-
Nidau acquired the
high court and rulership over the
Herrschaft of Riggisberg that included the castle of Uf Gsteig, the village of Riggisberg, scattered farms and the courts of Riggisberg and Ruti. In 1387 the powerful Erlach family of
Bern acquired the village and
Herrschaft. In 1700 the Erlachs built a new and more comfortable castle near the
old castle. Historically, Riggisberg and Rüti both belonged to the large
parish of Thurnen. They split off to form their own parish in 1874 and became fully independent in 1935. The local St. Sebastian Chapel was probably built in the 12th century, but was first mentioned in 1343. The late-
Romanesque choir tower was probably built during the second half of the 12th century. The current
nave was built in 1687 but expanded in 1939 and again in 1977-79. The oldest trace of a settlement in the area is a
cache of Early-
Bronze Age axes. During the
High Middle Ages the
Freiherr von Rümligen owned a vast swathe of land between the
Gürbe and
Sense rivers. They donated some of their estates to found and support
Rüeggisberg and
Röthenbach Priories. In 1380 the Sommerau-Rümligen family inherited the land when Alisa von Rümligen married into the Sommerau family. In 1388 the Freiherren came under
Bernese control, though they continued to own the estates for another century and a half. In 1515 the Sommerau-Rümligen lost the
Herrschaft and by the 17th century a series of Bernese
patrician families owned Rümligen. In 1709 Samuel Frisching, built the modern
Rümligen Castle around the core of the medieval castle. The village has always been part of the large
parish of Thurnen. The local farmers raised crops on the valley floor and pastured cattle in
seasonal alpine camps. Today a large minority (43%) of the local jobs are still in agriculture. About two-thirds of the work force commutes to jobs in nearby cities. The municipal association runs a small school in the village. ==Geography==