Valbirse is a

municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having municipal corporation, corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality ...

in the Jura bernois administrative district in the canton of Bern in Switzerland. It is located in the French-speaking

Bernese Jura Bernese Jura (french: Jura bernois, ) is the name for the French-speaking area of the Swiss canton of Bern, and from 2010 one of ten administrative divisions of the canton. Comprising the three French-speaking districts in the northern part of th ...

(''Jura Bernois''). On 1 January 2015 the former municipalities of Bévilard,

Malleray Malleray is a municipality in the Jura bernois administrative district in the canton of Bern in Switzerland. It is located in the French-speaking Bernese Jura (''Jura Bernois''). On 1 January 2015 the former municipalities of Bévilard, Mall ...

and Pontenet merged to form the new municipality of Valbirse.Amtliches Gemeindeverzeichnis der Schweiz
published by the Swiss Federal Statistical Office accessed 2 January 2013

History

Bévilard

Bévilard is first mentioned in 1182 as ''Bevilar''. In German it was known as ''Bewiler'' though this is not used currently. Very little is known about the early history of the village. During the 13th and 14th centuries the noble Bévilard family appear in a few records. Throughout much of its existence, it was owned by the Provost of

Moutier-Grandval Abbey Moutier-Grandval Abbey was a Benedictine abbey near the villages of Moutier and Grandval in today's Jura bernois administrative district in the canton of Bern in Switzerland. It was founded around 640, when Grandval already existed; Moutier gre ...

. After the 1797 French victory and the

Treaty of Campo Formio The Treaty of Campo Formio (today Campoformido) was signed on 17 October 1797 (26 Vendémiaire VI) by Napoleon Bonaparte and Count Philipp von Cobenzl as representatives of the French Republic and the Austrian monarchy, respectively. The trea ...

, Bévilard became part of the French

Département In the administrative divisions of France, the department (french: département, ) is one of the three levels of government under the national level ("territorial collectivities"), between the administrative regions and the communes. Ninety- ...

Haut-Rhin Haut-Rhin (, ; Alsatian: ''Owerelsàss'' or '; german: Oberelsass, ) is a department in the Grand Est region of France, bordering both Germany and Switzerland. It is named after the river Rhine. Its name means ''Upper Rhine''. Haut-Rhin is th ...

. After Napoleon's defeat and the

Congress of Vienna The Congress of Vienna (, ) of 1814–1815 was a series of international diplomatic meetings to discuss and agree upon a possible new layout of the European political and constitutional order after the downfall of the French Emperor Napoleon B ...

, Bévilard was assigned to the Canton of Bern in 1815. The village

parish church A parish church (or parochial church) in Christianity is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish. In many parts of the world, especially in rural areas, the parish church may play a significant role in community activitie ...

of Saint-Georges was first mentioned in 1263. The current church building is from 1716. In 1531 the

Protestant Reformation The Reformation (alternatively named the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation) was a major movement within Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the Catholic Church and in ...

entered the village and the new faith was adopted. The church was the center of a

parish A parish is a territorial entity in many Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest, often termed a parish priest, who might be assisted by one or ...

that originally included Bévilard,

and Pontenet. In the 18th century the municipality of

Champoz Champoz () is a municipality in the Jura bernois administrative district in the canton of Bern in Switzerland. It is located in the French-speaking part of the canton in the Jura mountains. History Champoz was first mentioned in 1365 as ''Champ ...

joined the parish. In 1746 a

filial church A filial church, in the Roman Catholic Church, is a church to which is annexed the cure of souls, but which remains dependent on another church. The term comes from the Latin ''filialis'', from ''filia'', “daughter”. Description The term ''fil ...

of the parish was established in

Sornetan Sornetan is a former municipality in the Jura bernois administrative district in the canton of Bern in Switzerland. It is located in the French-speaking Bernese Jura (''Jura Bernois''). On 1 January 2015 the former municipalities of Châtelat ...

. The village was generally agrarian until the

Basel , french: link=no, Bâlois(e), it, Basilese , neighboring_municipalities= Allschwil (BL), Hégenheim (FR-68), Binningen (BL), Birsfelden (BL), Bottmingen (BL), Huningue (FR-68), Münchenstein (BL), Muttenz (BL), Reinach (BL), Riehen (BS) ...

Delémont Delémont (; fc, D'lémont; german: Delsberg, ) is the capital of the Swiss canton of Jura. The city has approximately 12,000 inhabitants . History The area of the municipality was already settled in the middle Bronze Age. Fifteen urn buri ...

Biel Biel/Bienne (official bilingual wording; , ) is a town and a municipality in the Biel/Bienne administrative district in the canton of Bern in Switzerland. Biel/Bienne lies on the language boundary between the French-speaking and German-spea ...

railroad built a station between Bévilard and Malleray in 1877. The convenient link to the transportation network encouraged several precision machining and watch making factories to set up in the municipality. In 1882 the Hélios gear factory opened and was followed in 1915 Schäublin machining factory. The watch industry was a major source of income and led to a growing population in the municipality until the 1970s. Beginning in the 1970s, competition from cheaper electronic watches forced many Swiss watchmakers out of business and the population in Bévilard dropped.

Malleray

Malleray is first mentioned in 1179 as ''Malareia''. The municipality was formerly known by its German name ''Mallaraya'', however, that name is no longer used. Very little is known about the early history of the village. In 1367, the

Prince-Bishop of Basel The Prince-Bishopric of Basel (german: Hochstift Basel, Fürstbistum Basel, Bistum Basel) was an ecclesiastical principality within the Holy Roman Empire, ruled from 1032 by prince-bishops with their seat at Basel, and from 1528 until 1792 at P ...

, Johann von Vienne, sent troops to try to force

to break a

burgrecht A Burgrecht (''ius burgense, ius civile'') was a medieval agreement, most commonly in southern Germany and northern German-speaking Switzerland. It came to refer to an agreement between a town and surrounding settlements or to include the specific ...

treaty that they had entered into with the city of Bern. At Malleray, the Basel troops encountered and were defeated by an army from

Solothurn , neighboring_municipalities = Bellach, Biberist, Feldbrunnen-Sankt Niklaus, Langendorf, Rüttenen, Zuchwil , twintowns = Heilbronn (Germany), Kraków (Poland), Le Landeron (Switzerland) Solothurn ( , ; french: Soleure ; it, Soletta ; ...

that was marching to support Bern against Basel. The noble de Malleray family appear in historic records during the 14th and 15th centuries. They may have been a

cadet line In history and heraldry, a cadet branch consists of the male-line descendants of a monarch's or patriarch's younger sons ( cadets). In the ruling dynasties and noble families of much of Europe and Asia, the family's major assets—realm, titles, ...

of the local Tavannes family. Over the following centuries, the provost of

gradually acquired most of the rights and lands in the village. After the secularization of the Abbey following the adoption of the

in Bern, during the end of the 16th century Malleray became part of a

bailiwick A bailiwick () is usually the area of jurisdiction of a bailiff, and once also applied to territories in which a privately appointed bailiff exercised the sheriff's functions under a royal or imperial writ. The bailiwick is probably modelled on t ...

under the diocese of Basel. After the 1797 French victory and the

, Malleray became part of the French

Mont-Terrible Mont-Terrible was a department of the First French Republic, with its seat at Porrentruy. The Mont Terrible for which the department was named is now known as , a peak of 804 metres near Courgenay (now in the canton of Jura, Switzerland). The ...

. Three years later, in 1800 it became part of the Département of

. After Napoleon's defeat and the

, Malleray was assigned to the Canton of Bern in 1815. The watch making industry started in the village in 1846 and began to change it from an agrarian village into an industrial town. The construction of the

Tavannes Tavannes is a municipality in the Jura bernois administrative district in the canton of Bern in Switzerland. It is located in the French-speaking part of the canton in the Jura mountains. History The area around Tavannes was traversed by t ...

Moutier Moutier () is a municipality in Switzerland. Currently, the town belongs to the Jura bernois administrative district of the canton of Bern. On 28 March 2021, the population voted to secede from the canton of Bern and join the Canton of Jura; th ...

railroad in 1874-77 increased the rate of change. The population grew rapidly as watch factory jobs brought new residents. Even today, about half of all jobs in Malleray are in precision industries.

Pontenet

Pontenet is first mentioned in 1359 as ''Pontenat''. By 1371

Bellelay Abbey Bellelay Abbey is a former Premonstratensian monastery in the Bernese Jura in Switzerland, now a psychiatric clinic. It is a heritage site of national significance and the entire former Abbey complex is part of the Inventory of Swiss Heritag ...

was one of the major landholders in the village. In 1515 they granted their lands in the village to Grosjean Girod de Loveresse. During the Early Modern era it was administered by the provost of

Moutier-Grandval Moutier-Grandval Abbey was a Benedictine abbey near the villages of Moutier and Grandval in today's Jura bernois administrative district in the canton of Bern in Switzerland. It was founded around 640, when Grandval already existed; Moutier gre ...

for the Prince-Bishop of

. In 1750 the

Birs The Birs (French: ''Birse'') is a long river in Switzerland that flows through the Jura region and ends as a tributary to the Rhine between Basel and Birsfelden. It is the most important river of the Swiss Jura. Course The Birs has its source ...

river flooded and destroyed the village mill, sawmill and bridge over the river. After the 1797 French victory and the

, Pontenet became part of the French

Department Department may refer to: * Departmentalization, division of a larger organization into parts with specific responsibility Government and military *Department (administrative division), a geographical and administrative division within a country, ...

. Three years later, in 1800 it became part of the Department of

. After Napoleon's defeat and the

, Pontenet was assigned to the Canton of Bern in 1815. Throughout its history it was part of the

of Bévilard. In 1876, the

Court A court is any person or institution, often as a government institution, with the authority to Adjudication, adjudicate legal disputes between Party (law), parties and carry out the administration of justice in Civil law (common law), civil, C ...

branch line A branch line is a phrase used in railway terminology to denote a secondary railway line which branches off a more important through route, usually a main line. A very short branch line may be called a spur line. Industrial spur An industr ...

was built off the main

Sonceboz Sonceboz-Sombeval is a municipality in the Jura bernois administrative district in the canton of Bern in Switzerland. It is located in the French-speaking Bernese Jura (''Jura Bernois''). History Sonceboz-Sombeval is first mentioned in 866 as ' ...

railroad. However, it was over forty years later, in 1918, that the train finally stopped in Pontenet. A few small workshops developed along the road and railroad into town.

Geography

The commune takes its name from the

River, which flows through it from southwest to northeast. The former municipalities that now make up Valbirse have a total combined area of .

Demographics

The total population of Valbirse () is .

Transportation

The municipality has two railway stations, and . Both are located on the Sonceboz-Sombeval–Moutier line and have regular service to and .

Historic population

The historical population is given in the following chart:Federal Statistical Office STAT-TAB Bevölkerungsentwicklung nach Region, 1850-2000
accessed 29 January 2011 Colors= id:lightgrey value:gray(0.9) id:darkgrey value:gray(0.8) ImageSize = width: auto height:500 barincrement:45 PlotArea = top:20 left:40 bottom:90 right:35 Legend = columns:3 left:20 top:70 columnwidth:160 AlignBars = justify DateFormat = x.y Period = from:0 till:4200 TimeAxis = orientation:vertical AlignBars = justify ScaleMajor = gridcolor:darkgrey increment:800 start:0 ScaleMinor = gridcolor:lightgrey increment:160 start:0 Colors= id:BE value:yellowgreen legend:Bévilard id:MA value:green legend:Malleray id:PO value:blue legend:Pontenet PlotData= color:yellowgreen width:30 mark:(line,white) align:center bar:1850 from: 0 till:294 text:"294" color:BE bar:1860 from: 0 till:310 text:"310" color:BE bar:1870 from: 0 till:364 text:"364" color:BE bar:1880 from: 0 till:401 text:"401" color:BE bar:1890 from: 0 till:448 text:"448" color:BE bar:1900 from: 0 till:652 text:"652" color:BE bar:1910 from: 0 till:808 text:"808" color:BE bar:1920 from: 0 till:851 text:"851" color:BE bar:1930 from: 0 till:933 text:"933" color:BE bar:1940 from: 0 till:995 text:"995" color:BE bar:1950 from: 0 till:1130 text:"1,130" color:BE bar:1960 from: 0 till:1604 text:"1,604" color:BE bar:1970 from: 0 till:1952 text:"1,952" color:BE bar:1980 from: 0 till:1707 text:"1,707" color:BE bar:1990 from: 0 till:1707 text:"1,707" color:BE bar:2000 from: 0 till:1666 text:"1,666" color:BE bar:1850 from: 294 till:765 text:"471" color:MA bar:1860 from: 310 till:1002 text:"692" color:MA bar:1870 from: 364 till:1170 text:"806" color:MA bar:1880 from: 401 till:1341 text:"940" color:MA bar:1890 from: 448 till:1469 text:"1,021" color:MA bar:1900 from: 652 till:1876 text:"1,224" color:MA bar:1910 from: 808 till:2229 text:"1,421" color:MA bar:1920 from: 851 till:2186 text:"1,335" color:MA bar:1930 from: 933 till:2231 text:"1,298" color:MA bar:1940 from: 995 till:2260 text:"1,265" color:MA bar:1950 from: 1130 till:2565 text:"1,435" color:MA bar:1960 from: 1604 till:3442 text:"1,838" color:MA bar:1970 from: 1952 till:3921 text:"1,969" color:MA bar:1980 from: 1707 till:3615 text:"1,908" color:MA bar:1990 from: 1707 till:3652 text:"1,945" color:MA bar:2000 from: 1666 till:3520 text:"1,854" color:MA bar:1850 from: 765 till:886 text:"121" color:PO bar:1860 from: 1002 till:1129 text:"127" color:PO bar:1870 from: 1170 till:1344 text:"174" color:PO bar:1880 from: 1341 till:1549 text:"208" color:PO bar:1890 from: 1469 till:1704 text:"235" color:PO bar:1900 from: 1876 till:2110 text:"234" color:PO bar:1910 from: 2229 till:2475 text:"246" color:PO bar:1920 from: 2186 till:2481 text:"295" color:PO bar:1930 from: 2231 till:2510 text:"279" color:PO bar:1940 from: 2260 till:2515 text:"255" color:PO bar:1950 from: 2565 till:2806 text:"241" color:PO bar:1960 from: 3442 till:3673 text:"231" color:PO bar:1970 from: 3921 till:4124 text:"203" color:PO bar:1980 from: 3615 till:3838 text:"223" color:PO bar:1990 from: 3652 till:3839 text:"187" color:PO bar:2000 from: 3520 till:3710 text:"190" color:PO

References

External links

Official websiteOfficial website
* * {{Authority control Municipalities of the canton of Bern

History

Bévilard

Malleray

Pontenet

Geography

Demographics

Transportation

Historic population

See also

References

External links