Map - Kirchleerau

Kirchleerau is a municipality in the district of Zofingen in the canton of Aargau in Switzerland.

Kirchleerau is first mentioned in 1248 as Lerowe. Finds of bricks and wall remains indicate that the area was already inhabited by the Romans. The first documented mention of Lerowe is for the year 1248, the name Kylchleren appeared for the first time in 1306 in the Habsburg Urbar. The name comes from the Old High German lewirouwo, which means "by the land of the graves near the water".[3] In the Middle Ages the village was in the domain of the Counts of Lenzburg, later the Counts of Kyburg. After these had died out, the Habsburgs took over the sovereignty and the blood jurisdiction in 1273.

In 1415 the Confederates conquered Aargau. Kirchleerau now belonged to the subject territory of the city of Bern, the so-called Bernese Aargau. From the 15th century on, the village was part of the Lordship of Rued, a judicial district within the Office of Lenzburg. The owners of the lordship exercised the lower jurisdiction and were the most important landowners. After various noble families from the surrounding area had been in possession of the manor, it was acquired in 1520 by the Lords of May, who originally came from Italy. Their residence was Rued Castle in the neighboring Rued Valley. In 1528 the Bernese introduced the Reformation.

In March 1798, the French invaded Switzerland, deprived the "Gracious Lords" of Bern of their power and proclaimed the Helvetic Republic. Since then Kirchleerau has belonged to the canton of Aargau. It was not until 1834 that the May sold their last remaining rights to the canton. Until well into the 20th century, agriculture shaped the life of the community. Since the beginning of the 1960s, the population has increased by more than half due to increased building activity.