Ueberstorf
Origin of the name Ueberstorf
The name appears in 1226 as «Jeberinsdorf» and in 1228 as «Ibristorf». It is said to come from the farm of an Alemannic man named Iburin and to have passed through the forms Iburins-Dorf, Jeberinsdorf, Ibristorf and Übristorf before becoming Ueberstorf.[1][2]
Founding of Ueberstorf
Ueberstorf, in the north-east of the canton on the road from Flamatt to Schwarzenburg, borders the canton of Bern along two thirds of its boundary. Place and field names point to Alemannic settlement between the 7th and 9th centuries (or the 10th). The village clusters round the church and in the Unterdorf, among numerous hamlets. The lords of Mettlen, vassals of the Kyburgs, the Habsburgs and then the Thiersteins, probably had their castle at Obermettlen.[1][2]
History of Ueberstorf
1143. Hugo von Mettlen is named, the earliest written record from the municipal area.[2]
1226. The patronage of the church of Saint John the Baptist passes to the Teutonic Order commandery of Köniz.[1]
1442. With many Thierstein fiefs, rights and possessions, Ueberstorf passes to the city of Fribourg. It remains part of the Old Territories until 1798.[1]
XVe siècle. The line of the lords of Mettlen dies out.[2]
1476. Men from Ueberstorf fight at Murten alongside the Confederates.[2]
1485. The church patronage is transferred to the chapter of Saint Vincent in Bern.[1]
1505. Dietrich von Englisberg has his castle built in Renaissance style.[1]
1528. After the chapter is dissolved, the city of Bern takes over the patronage.[1]
Fin du XVIIe siècle. The Ratzé castle is built.[1][2]
Milieu du XVIIIe siècle. The Techtermann house completes the village's set of three manor houses.[1][2]
1831. Ueberstorf becomes a political municipality.[1]
1834. The first Protestant school in the Sense district opens at Obermettlen.[1]
Vers 1880. After Bernese settlers arrive in the 19th century, nearly half the inhabitants are Protestant.[1]
1889. A Federal Supreme Court ruling gives the canton of Fribourg the patronage of the parish church.[1]
Début du XXe siècle. The old coat of arms is combined with the Mettlen arms.[2]
Années 1950-1960. For lack of jobs, the population falls as people move away.[1]
Années 1970. The population grows again, thanks to good transport links, the nearness of Bern and the quiet setting.[1]
Population of Ueberstorf
Sources and references: [1][3]
| 1445 | 196 |
| 1668 | 483 |
| 1811 | 801 |
| 1850 | 1'163 |
| 1900 | 1'515 |
| 1950 | 1'721 |
| 2000 | 2'115 |
| 2025 | 2'417 |
Historic sites in Ueberstorf
Englisberg castle. Built in 1505 by Dietrich von Englisberg in Renaissance style, it is the oldest surviving castle in the canton.[1]
Ratzé castle. Late 17th-century residence, one of three manor houses built by noble Fribourg families between the 16th and 18th centuries.[1][2]
Techtermann house. Mid-18th-century manor house.[1]
Church of Saint John the Baptist. Parish church whose patronage passed from the Köniz commandery (1226) to Bern, then to the canton of Fribourg in 1889.[1]
Remains in Ueberstorf
Mettlen castle. The castle of the lords of Mettlen, recorded from 1143 and extinct in the 15th century, probably stood at Obermettlen.[2]
Legends of Ueberstorf
The lion in the coat of arms. Ueberstorf's coat of arms shows a red rampant lion on a field barry of silver and blue. Two origins are given for it. In one, the lion comes from the Englisberg arms. In the other, Murten is said to have allowed the village to bear its red lion, without a crown, after the battle of 1476.[2]
Sources
- Dictionnaire historique de la Suisse, « Ueberstorf » (Moritz Boschung, version du 09.07.2012)
- Commune d'Ueberstorf, « Geschichte »
- Service de la statistique du canton de Fribourg (SStat), « Population des communes, de 1900 à 2025 » (T01-02-03), population résidante permanente au 31.12.2025
Other villages near Ueberstorf
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