Aarberg
Encyclopedia
Aarberg is a municipality
in the Seeland administrative district
in the canton
of Bern in Switzerland
.
Aarberg lies 20 kilometers from Bern above the Aar River. With an area
of 7.93 km² (3.1 sq mi), Aarberg borders Bargen, Kappelen
, Lyss
, Radelfingen
and Seedorf.
Aarberg is not to be confused with Aarburg
in Aargau
or with Aarbergen
in Germany.
The city was once located on an island with the Aar River and Little Aar River flowing around it. The old city grew up around the edge of the island with a large open plaza in the middle. In addition to the old city, Aarberg also includes the new outer quarter, and the villages of Spins, Mühletal and Grafenmoos.
Where Aarberg now stands was once an island surrounded by the Aar River and the Little Aar River. By 1138 there was a small pilgrim
home and hospital with a bridge, the Bargenbrügg, over the Aar river. This bridge was a key river crossing from Bern to Büren an der Aare
.
The city itself was founded between 1220 and 1225 by count Ulrich III of Neuchâtel. The count had recently acquired the rulership over this region and needed a central location from which to rule. The island and the key bridge was a natural location for a town. By the 14th century, Aarberg lay along the most important of the three trade roads in the region. The old roman road
s that connected Solothurn
, Aarberg and Murten
as well as southern Germany
with Lyon
and Rome
all passed near Aarberg.
The oldest official seal of citizenship in the town dates from 1249. Ulrich IV reaffirmed the town privileges
in 1271. Initially the town was unwalled with two rows of wooden houses around a central narrow plaza. Following fires in 1419 and 1477 the city was rebuilt in stone and set back about 10m creating the current, impressive central lens shaped plaza.
The city was besieged
in 1339, 1382 and 1386 but not taken. In 1358 the Graf
(or Count
) Peter von Aarberg was in financial difficulties and began looking for someone to buy the city. After years of unsuccessful attempts, in 1377-79 he was able to sell the city and his rights as ruler to Bern. In 1414, the toll
on the bridges over the Aar as well as the expensive construction and repair on the bridges, was given to Bern. The bridges were rebuilt following floods in 1414, 1443, 1490, 1557 and the current bridge dates from 1567-68.
The church at Aarberg, which is on the western border of the Bishopric of Constance
, was built in 1484. The church was rebuilt in 1575 on the site of the former castle of Aarberg. The tower of the church, built in 1526, is from stone salvaged from the demolished Pilgrim Hospital Church. The cemetery was located next to the new church. In 1418, Bern placed the church under the patronage of the Münster of Bern, however following the Protestant Reformation
(1528) the patronage was withdrawn.
The government of the city was a mayor
or Schultheiß
and a 24-member council (12 nobles and 12 citizens) under a vogt
who lived in the Amthaus (built in 1608-10) and had the rights of high justice.
Aarberg has always been in a unique position for trade. Its location over the Aar and near major trade roads made the business of the city revolve around trade. The large central market plaza in the city was one of the largest trans-shipment centers in Switzerland. Many transport companies and inns, including the Tavernen Krone (Crown) and Tavernen Falken (Falcon), grew up around the plaza. The yearly market (1271 mentioned, 1507 two per year, 1681 three per year, 1759 quarterly), by 1478 was an important market that drew salt, iron, steel and cloth merchants from the entire region. The city also tried to expand into farming by purchasing Alp Chuffort ob Lignières, Spins and Mühletal.
The Napoleonic
invasion
of Switzerland in 1798 severely damaged the city. Under the Helvetic Republic
Aarberg was included in the Zollikofen
District, though this only lasted until 1803. After this Aarberg became the capital of the Bezirk or county of Aarberg. During the Paris July Revolution
, in 1830, the commanders of the Swiss Army moved to Aarberg. The fortified city was a key strong point on the western border between Geneva
and Basel
.
With the invention of the railroad
and alterations to Jura
rivers, everything changed for Aarberg. The Bern-Lyss-Biel
rail line bypassed Aarberg completely, reducing the amount of trade flowing through the city. Neither the Broye Valley
line (from Lyss to Lausanne
, built in 1876) or the creation of paved roads made a major change. At the same time, the Hagneck
canal
diverted a portion of the Aar and prevented the periodic flooding of the city. The little Aar was dammed and Aarberg island became a hill.
During the 19th century business slowed in Aarberg, though the city grew. New quarters grew up in areas that had been covered by the Aar: Brückfeld, Leimernacher, Sunnmatt und Mühlau. Business shifted from transportation to farming, concrete construction and precision parts manufacturing.
.
. It is described as "one of the greatest and most atmospheric flea-markets in Switzerland." Started in 1977, the Puce now has about 250 vendors selling a variety of products. The Puce takes place on the last weekend in April and August.
church was built in 1526 and promptly burned down. It was rebuilt in 1576 and is used by the Swiss Reformed Church
. The bell tower is one of the tallest buildings in Aarberg. The church is built on a single nave
plan with a choir. Both the pulpit
and the organ
are worth seeing.
Of the built up area, industrial buildings made up 5.8% of the total area while housing and buildings made up 10.0% and transportation infrastructure made up 4.4%. Power and water infrastructure as well as other special developed areas made up 1.1% of the area while parks, green belts and sports fields made up 2.1%. 27.9% of the total land area is heavily forested and 1.6% is covered with orchards or small clusters of trees. Of the agricultural land, 36.3% is used for growing crops and 6.7% is pastures, while 1.4% is used for orchards or vine crops. All the water in the municipality is in rivers and streams.
In the 2007 election the most popular party was SVP
which received 35.9% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the SPS
(21.9%), the FDP
(18.4%) and the Green
(8.8%).
The age distribution of the population is children and teenagers (0–19 years old) make up 23.6% of the population, while adults (20–64 years old) make up 62% and the seniors (over 64 years old) make up 14.4%. In Aarberg about 76.3% of the population (between age 25-64) have completed either non-mandatory upper secondary education or additional higher education (either University or a Fachhochschule
).
Aarberg has an unemployment rate of 1.16%. , there were 104 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 23 businesses involved in this agricultural sector. 769 people are employed in the secondary sector and there are 49 businesses in this manufacturing sector. 1603 people are employed in the tertiary sector, with 178 businesses in the services sector.
The historic population growth is given by the following table:
Municipalities of Switzerland
Communes , also known as municipalities, are the smallest government division in Switzerland, numbering 2,596 . While many have a population of a few hundred citizens, the largest cities such as Zürich or Geneva also have the legal status of municipalities...
in the Seeland administrative district
Seeland (administrative district)
Seeland District in the Canton of Bern was created on 1 January 2010. It is part of the Seeland administrative region. It contains 46 municipalities with an area of and a population of 67,209....
in the canton
Cantons of Switzerland
The 26 cantons of Switzerland are the member states of the federal state of Switzerland. Each canton was a fully sovereign state with its own borders, army and currency from the Treaty of Westphalia until the establishment of the Swiss federal state in 1848...
of Bern in Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
.
Aarberg lies 20 kilometers from Bern above the Aar River. With an area
Area
Area is a quantity that expresses the extent of a two-dimensional surface or shape in the plane. Area can be understood as the amount of material with a given thickness that would be necessary to fashion a model of the shape, or the amount of paint necessary to cover the surface with a single coat...
of 7.93 km² (3.1 sq mi), Aarberg borders Bargen, Kappelen
Kappelen
Kappelen is a municipality in the Seeland administrative district in the canton of Bern in Switzerland.-Geography:Kappelen has an area, , of . Of this area, or 73.4% is used for agricultural purposes, while or 14.2% is forested...
, Lyss
Lyss
Lyss is a municipality in the Seeland administrative district in the canton of Bern in Switzerland. On 1 January 2011, the former municipality of Busswil bei Büren was merged with Lyss.-Geography:...
, Radelfingen
Radelfingen
Radelfingen is a municipality in the Seeland administrative district in the canton of Bern in Switzerland.-Geography:Radelfingen has an area of . Of this area, 58.5% is used for agricultural purposes, while 31.5% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 6.3% is settled and the remainder is...
and Seedorf.
Aarberg is not to be confused with Aarburg
Aarburg
Aarburg is a municipality in the district of Zofingen in the canton of Aargau in Switzerland.The small town lies in the southwest Aargau at an Engnis Aare in the lower Wiggertal. It lies in the intersection of the most important traffic routes of Switzerland...
in Aargau
Aargau
Aargau is one of the more northerly cantons of Switzerland. It comprises the lower course of the river Aare, which is why the canton is called Aar-gau .-History:...
or with Aarbergen
Aarbergen
Aarbergen is a community in the Rheingau-Taunus-Kreis in the Regierungsbezirk of Darmstadt in Hesse, Germany.- Location :Aarbergen lies on the river Aar south of Limburg an der Lahn and between the Taunus ridge and the river Lahn in the Lower Taunus, or western Hintertaunus .The community is found...
in Germany.
The city was once located on an island with the Aar River and Little Aar River flowing around it. The old city grew up around the edge of the island with a large open plaza in the middle. In addition to the old city, Aarberg also includes the new outer quarter, and the villages of Spins, Mühletal and Grafenmoos.
History
Pilgrim
A pilgrim is a traveler who is on a journey to a holy place. Typically, this is a physical journeying to some place of special significance to the adherent of a particular religious belief system...
home and hospital with a bridge, the Bargenbrügg, over the Aar river. This bridge was a key river crossing from Bern to Büren an der Aare
Büren an der Aare
Büren an der Aare is a municipality in the Seeland administrative district in the canton of Bern in Switzerland.-Geography:...
.
The city itself was founded between 1220 and 1225 by count Ulrich III of Neuchâtel. The count had recently acquired the rulership over this region and needed a central location from which to rule. The island and the key bridge was a natural location for a town. By the 14th century, Aarberg lay along the most important of the three trade roads in the region. The old roman road
Roman road
The Roman roads were a vital part of the development of the Roman state, from about 500 BC through the expansion during the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire. Roman roads enabled the Romans to move armies and trade goods and to communicate. The Roman road system spanned more than 400,000 km...
s that connected Solothurn
Solothurn
The city of Solothurn is the capital of the Canton of Solothurn in Switzerland. The city also comprises the only municipality of the district of the same name.-Pre-roman settlement:...
, Aarberg and Murten
Murten
Murten is a municipality in the See district of the canton of Fribourg in Switzerland.It is located on the southern shores of Lake Morat. Morat is situated between Bern and Lausanne and is the capital of the Lake District of the canton of Fribourg....
as well as southern Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
with Lyon
Lyon
Lyon , is a city in east-central France in the Rhône-Alpes region, situated between Paris and Marseille. Lyon is located at from Paris, from Marseille, from Geneva, from Turin, and from Barcelona. The residents of the city are called Lyonnais....
and Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
all passed near Aarberg.
The oldest official seal of citizenship in the town dates from 1249. Ulrich IV reaffirmed the town privileges
German town law
German town law or German municipal concerns concerns town privileges used by many cities, towns, and villages throughout Central and Eastern Europe during the Middle Ages.- Town law in Germany :...
in 1271. Initially the town was unwalled with two rows of wooden houses around a central narrow plaza. Following fires in 1419 and 1477 the city was rebuilt in stone and set back about 10m creating the current, impressive central lens shaped plaza.
The city was besieged
Siege
A siege is a military blockade of a city or fortress with the intent of conquering by attrition or assault. The term derives from sedere, Latin for "to sit". Generally speaking, siege warfare is a form of constant, low intensity conflict characterized by one party holding a strong, static...
in 1339, 1382 and 1386 but not taken. In 1358 the Graf
Graf
Graf is a historical German noble title equal in rank to a count or a British earl...
(or Count
Count
A count or countess is an aristocratic nobleman in European countries. The word count came into English from the French comte, itself from Latin comes—in its accusative comitem—meaning "companion", and later "companion of the emperor, delegate of the emperor". The adjective form of the word is...
) Peter von Aarberg was in financial difficulties and began looking for someone to buy the city. After years of unsuccessful attempts, in 1377-79 he was able to sell the city and his rights as ruler to Bern. In 1414, the toll
Toll bridge
A toll bridge is a bridge over which traffic may pass upon payment of a toll, or fee.- History :The practice of collecting tolls on bridges probably harks back to the days of ferry crossings where people paid a fee to be ferried across stretches of water. As boats became impractical to carry large...
on the bridges over the Aar as well as the expensive construction and repair on the bridges, was given to Bern. The bridges were rebuilt following floods in 1414, 1443, 1490, 1557 and the current bridge dates from 1567-68.
The church at Aarberg, which is on the western border of the Bishopric of Constance
Bishopric of Constance
The Bishopric of Constance was a diocese of the Roman Catholic Church and ecclesiastical state of the Holy Roman Empire that existed from about 585 until 1821. Its seat was Konstanz at the western end of Lake Constance in the south-west corner of Germany...
, was built in 1484. The church was rebuilt in 1575 on the site of the former castle of Aarberg. The tower of the church, built in 1526, is from stone salvaged from the demolished Pilgrim Hospital Church. The cemetery was located next to the new church. In 1418, Bern placed the church under the patronage of the Münster of Bern, however following the Protestant Reformation
Protestant Reformation
The Protestant Reformation was a 16th-century split within Western Christianity initiated by Martin Luther, John Calvin and other early Protestants. The efforts of the self-described "reformers", who objected to the doctrines, rituals and ecclesiastical structure of the Roman Catholic Church, led...
(1528) the patronage was withdrawn.
The government of the city was a mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
or Schultheiß
Schultheiß
In medieval Germany, the Schultheiß was the head of a municipality , a Vogt or an executive official of the ruler.As official it was...
and a 24-member council (12 nobles and 12 citizens) under a vogt
Vogt
A Vogt ; plural Vögte; Dutch voogd; Danish foged; ; ultimately from Latin [ad]vocatus) in the Holy Roman Empire was the German title of a reeve or advocate, an overlord exerting guardianship or military protection as well as secular justice...
who lived in the Amthaus (built in 1608-10) and had the rights of high justice.
Aarberg has always been in a unique position for trade. Its location over the Aar and near major trade roads made the business of the city revolve around trade. The large central market plaza in the city was one of the largest trans-shipment centers in Switzerland. Many transport companies and inns, including the Tavernen Krone (Crown) and Tavernen Falken (Falcon), grew up around the plaza. The yearly market (1271 mentioned, 1507 two per year, 1681 three per year, 1759 quarterly), by 1478 was an important market that drew salt, iron, steel and cloth merchants from the entire region. The city also tried to expand into farming by purchasing Alp Chuffort ob Lignières, Spins and Mühletal.
The Napoleonic
Napoleon I of France
Napoleon Bonaparte was a French military and political leader during the latter stages of the French Revolution.As Napoleon I, he was Emperor of the French from 1804 to 1815...
invasion
Switzerland in the Napoleonic era
During the French Revolutionary Wars, the revolutionary armies marched eastward, enveloping Switzerland in their battles against Austria. In 1798 Switzerland was completely overrun by the French and became the Helvetic Republic. The Helvetic Republic encountered severe economic and political problems...
of Switzerland in 1798 severely damaged the city. Under the Helvetic Republic
Helvetic Republic
In Swiss history, the Helvetic Republic represented an early attempt to impose a central authority over Switzerland, which until then consisted mainly of self-governing cantons united by a loose military alliance, and conquered territories such as Vaud...
Aarberg was included in the Zollikofen
Zollikofen
Zollikofen is a municipality in the Bern-Mittelland administrative district in the canton of Bern in Switzerland.It is a suburb of the capital of Bern....
District, though this only lasted until 1803. After this Aarberg became the capital of the Bezirk or county of Aarberg. During the Paris July Revolution
July Revolution
The French Revolution of 1830, also known as the July Revolution or in French, saw the overthrow of King Charles X of France, the French Bourbon monarch, and the ascent of his cousin Louis-Philippe, Duke of Orléans, who himself, after 18 precarious years on the throne, would in turn be overthrown...
, in 1830, the commanders of the Swiss Army moved to Aarberg. The fortified city was a key strong point on the western border between Geneva
Geneva
Geneva In the national languages of Switzerland the city is known as Genf , Ginevra and Genevra is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland and is the most populous city of Romandie, the French-speaking part of Switzerland...
and Basel
Basel
Basel or Basle In the national languages of Switzerland the city is also known as Bâle , Basilea and Basilea is Switzerland's third most populous city with about 166,000 inhabitants. Located where the Swiss, French and German borders meet, Basel also has suburbs in France and Germany...
.
With the invention of the railroad
Rail transport
Rail transport is a means of conveyance of passengers and goods by way of wheeled vehicles running on rail tracks. In contrast to road transport, where vehicles merely run on a prepared surface, rail vehicles are also directionally guided by the tracks they run on...
and alterations to Jura
Jura mountains
The Jura Mountains are a small mountain range located north of the Alps, separating the Rhine and Rhone rivers and forming part of the watershed of each...
rivers, everything changed for Aarberg. The Bern-Lyss-Biel
Biel/Bienne
Biel/Bienne is a city in the district of the Biel/Bienne administrative district in the canton of Bern in Switzerland.It is located on the language boundary and is throughout bilingual. Biel is the German name for the town, Bienne its French counterpart. The town is often referred to in both...
rail line bypassed Aarberg completely, reducing the amount of trade flowing through the city. Neither the Broye Valley
Broye
The Broye is a 68 km long river, in the cantons of Fribourg and Vaud, in Switzerland. It has a watershed area of 850 km².-Presentation:...
line (from Lyss to Lausanne
Lausanne
Lausanne is a city in Romandy, the French-speaking part of Switzerland, and is the capital of the canton of Vaud. The seat of the district of Lausanne, the city is situated on the shores of Lake Geneva . It faces the French town of Évian-les-Bains, with the Jura mountains to its north-west...
, built in 1876) or the creation of paved roads made a major change. At the same time, the Hagneck
Hagneck
Hagneck is a municipality in the Seeland administrative district in the canton of Bern in Switzerland.-Geography:Hagneck has an area, , of . Of this area, or 65.6% is used for agricultural purposes, while or 12.6% is forested...
canal
Canal
Canals are man-made channels for water. There are two types of canal:#Waterways: navigable transportation canals used for carrying ships and boats shipping goods and conveying people, further subdivided into two kinds:...
diverted a portion of the Aar and prevented the periodic flooding of the city. The little Aar was dammed and Aarberg island became a hill.
During the 19th century business slowed in Aarberg, though the city grew. New quarters grew up in areas that had been covered by the Aar: Brückfeld, Leimernacher, Sunnmatt und Mühlau. Business shifted from transportation to farming, concrete construction and precision parts manufacturing.
Sights
The entire town and the covered bridge over the Aar are heritage sites of national significanceSwiss Inventory of Cultural Property of National and Regional Significance
The Swiss Inventory of Cultural Property of National and Regional Significance is a register of some 8,300 items of cultural property in Switzerland...
.
Plaza in the Old Town
The large round plaza in Aarberg is used for numerous markets, light shows and open air theatre. One of the most famous markets is the Puce or flea marketFlea market
A flea market or swap meet is a type of bazaar where inexpensive or secondhand goods are sold or bartered. It may be indoors, such as in a warehouse or school gymnasium; or it may be outdoors, such as in a field or under a tent...
. It is described as "one of the greatest and most atmospheric flea-markets in Switzerland." Started in 1977, the Puce now has about 250 vendors selling a variety of products. The Puce takes place on the last weekend in April and August.
Schloss Aarberg
The castle was first built in 1220 with the town. From 1358 (when Aarberg was sold) until 1830 around 100 Vögte occupied the castle. Today it is the town hall, Bezirk (county) seat as well as the police station for the Cantonal police. The Hotel Krone is located on the left side of the castle.Church
The late GothicGothic architecture
Gothic architecture is a style of architecture that flourished during the high and late medieval period. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture....
church was built in 1526 and promptly burned down. It was rebuilt in 1576 and is used by the Swiss Reformed Church
Swiss Reformed Church
The Reformed branch of Protestantism in Switzerland was started in Zürich by Huldrych Zwingli and spread within a few years to Basel , Bern , St...
. The bell tower is one of the tallest buildings in Aarberg. The church is built on a single nave
Nave
In Romanesque and Gothic Christian abbey, cathedral basilica and church architecture, the nave is the central approach to the high altar, the main body of the church. "Nave" was probably suggested by the keel shape of its vaulting...
plan with a choir. Both the pulpit
Pulpit
Pulpit is a speakers' stand in a church. In many Christian churches, there are two speakers' stands at the front of the church. Typically, the one on the left is called the pulpit...
and the organ
Pipe organ
The pipe organ is a musical instrument that produces sound by driving pressurized air through pipes selected via a keyboard. Because each organ pipe produces a single pitch, the pipes are provided in sets called ranks, each of which has a common timbre and volume throughout the keyboard compass...
are worth seeing.
Geography
Aarberg has an area, , of 7.91 square kilometres (3.1 sq mi). Of this area, 3.51 km² (1.4 sq mi) or 44.4% is used for agricultural purposes, while 2.34 km² (0.903479051106532 sq mi) or 29.6% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 1.86 km² (0.718150014982115 sq mi) or 23.5% is settled (buildings or roads), 0.18 km² (0.0694983885466563 sq mi) or 2.3% is either rivers or lakes and 0.03 km² (7.4 acre) or 0.4% is unproductive land.Of the built up area, industrial buildings made up 5.8% of the total area while housing and buildings made up 10.0% and transportation infrastructure made up 4.4%. Power and water infrastructure as well as other special developed areas made up 1.1% of the area while parks, green belts and sports fields made up 2.1%. 27.9% of the total land area is heavily forested and 1.6% is covered with orchards or small clusters of trees. Of the agricultural land, 36.3% is used for growing crops and 6.7% is pastures, while 1.4% is used for orchards or vine crops. All the water in the municipality is in rivers and streams.
Demographics
Aarberg has a population (as of ) of . In 2007, 11.2% of the population were foreign nationals. Over the last 10 years the population has grown at a rate of 14.3%. Most of the population speaks German (90.5%), with Italian being second most common ( 1.4%) and Turkish being third ( 1.4%).In the 2007 election the most popular party was SVP
Swiss People's Party
The Swiss People's Party , also known as the Democratic Union of the Centre , is a conservative political party in Switzerland. Chaired by Toni Brunner, but spearheaded by Christoph Blocher, the party is the largest party in the Federal Assembly, with 58 members of the National Council and 6 of...
which received 35.9% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the SPS
Social Democratic Party of Switzerland
The Social Democratic Party of Switzerland is the largest centre-left political party in Switzerland....
(21.9%), the FDP
Free Democratic Party of Switzerland
The Free Democratic Party was a classical liberal political party in Switzerland. It was one of the major parties in Switzerland until its merger with the smaller classical liberal Liberal Party, to form FDP.The Liberals on 1 January 2009....
(18.4%) and the Green
Green Party of Switzerland
The Green Party of Switzerland is the fifth-largest party in the National Council of Switzerland, and the largest party that is not represented on the Federal Council.-History:...
(8.8%).
The age distribution of the population is children and teenagers (0–19 years old) make up 23.6% of the population, while adults (20–64 years old) make up 62% and the seniors (over 64 years old) make up 14.4%. In Aarberg about 76.3% of the population (between age 25-64) have completed either non-mandatory upper secondary education or additional higher education (either University or a Fachhochschule
Fachhochschule
A Fachhochschule or University of Applied Sciences is a German type of tertiary education institution, sometimes specialized in certain topical areas . Fachhochschulen were founded in Germany and later adopted by Austria, Liechtenstein, Switzerland and Greece...
).
Aarberg has an unemployment rate of 1.16%. , there were 104 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 23 businesses involved in this agricultural sector. 769 people are employed in the secondary sector and there are 49 businesses in this manufacturing sector. 1603 people are employed in the tertiary sector, with 178 businesses in the services sector.
The historic population growth is given by the following table:
| Year | Inhabitants |
|---|---|
| 1764 | 440 |
| 1850 | 993 |
| 1900 | 1372 |
| 1950 | 2126 |
| 1990 | 3414 |
| 1991 | 3378 |
| 2002 | 3907 |
| 2004 | 3969 |
| 2005 | 3952 |
| 2006 | 3954 |
| 2007 | 3945 |
Notable people from Aarberg
- Theodor Gohl, architect
- Kurt WüthrichKurt WüthrichKurt Wüthrich is a Swiss chemist and Nobel Chemistry laureate.-Biography:Born in Aarberg, Switzerland, Wüthrich was educated in chemistry, physics, and mathematics at the University of Berne before pursuing his Ph.D. under the direction of Silvio Fallab at the University of Basel, awarded in 1964...
, chemist and professor of biophysicsBiophysicsBiophysics is an interdisciplinary science that uses the methods of physical science to study biological systems. Studies included under the branches of biophysics span all levels of biological organization, from the molecular scale to whole organisms and ecosystems... - Martin LacigaMartin LacigaMartin Laciga is a beach volleyball player from Switzerland, who won the silver medal in the men's beach team competition at the 1999 Beach Volleyball World Championships in Marseille, France, partnering his older brother Paul Laciga...
, beach volleyball player - Andreas FuhrerAndreas FuhrerAndreas Fuhrer is a retired Swiss sidecarcross rider and four times World Champion.He has also won the Swiss national sidecarcross championship five times, in 1989 and from 1993 to 1996. After his last world championship in 1996, he retired from the sport.-Biography:Fuhrer grew up in Seedorf and...
, sidecarcross world champion 1993-96 - Diana Schwab, karateka