Courfaivre

Courfaivre was a municipality in the district Delémont the canton of Jura in Switzerland. On January 1, 2013, it merged with the municipalities of Lower Court, Glovelier, Soulce and Undervelier the new community Haute- Sorne.

Geography

Courfaivre is located on 460 m above sea level. Level, 6 km south-west from the cantonal capital Delémont ( straight line ). The elongated village is located south of the Sorne, in the western part of the basin Dels Berger, a broad valley in the Jura folds.

The area of ​​12.4 km ² large municipality area includes a section to the west of intensively farmed level of Dels Berger basin. The central part of its territory is occupied by the vast lowlands of Sorne, which drains the area to the Birs. In the north, the area extends up the hill Sur Chaux (up to 589 m above sea level. M. ), an isolated elevation in Delémont. To the south Courfaivre extends to the crest of the Jura chain Le Mont (up to 1,026 m above sea level. M. ). Your steep northern slope is densely forested ( Forêt de l' Aimery ) and has several small erosion valleys in the hard layer of limestone. From the municipality surface 1997 9 % came from settlements, 40 % of forest and woody plants and 51% to agriculture.

To Courfaivre include several individual farms. Neighboring communities of Courfaivre are Lower Court, Develier, Courtetelle, Soulce and Undervelier.

Population

With 1600 inhabitants (as of 31 December 2012) Courfaivre one of the larger municipalities in the canton of Jura. Of the 91.9 % inhabitants are French-speaking, German-speaking 3.1 % and 1.8 % Italian-speaking (as of 2000). The population of Courfaivre has increased significantly especially in the first half of the 20th century and during the 1990s.

Economy

Courfaivre decided at the end of the 19th century developed into an industrial village. The most important employer in the village is the bicycle, motorcycle and machine factory Condor, which was founded in 1893 and has been particularly successful in the period between the two world wars. More jobs are available in the areas of metal and mechanical industry. Because of the fertile soil of the region has also agriculture still a certain value.

Traffic

The community is conveniently moderately well developed. It lies on the main road from Delémont to La Chaux- de-Fonds and had until the opening of the section Delémont - Porrentruy the A16 rain through traffic. On October 15, 1876, the railway Delémont - Glovelier opened with a station in Courfaivre.

History

Traces of settlements from the Late Bronze and Iron Age indicate a very early settlement of the municipality of Courfaivre. A Münzdepot from the 1st century AD is the presence of the Romans. In several other cemeteries were discovered in the early Middle Ages.

First mention is the village in 1147 as Curfavro in a deed of the Cistercian monastery Lucelle. As one of the 13 villages of the free reign Delsberg came Courfaivre 1271 to Prince-Bishopric of Basel. During the Thirty Years' War, the town was devastated. Between 1793 and 1815 he was one of France and was initially part of the Département du Mont- Terrible, associated from 1800 with the Department of Haut -Rhin. By the decision of the Congress of Vienna Courfaivre came in 1815 to the canton of Bern and on 1 January 1979 at the newly founded Canton Jura.

Attractions

The present parish church, dedicated to Saint Germain of Auxerre, was built in 1701. 1953-54 it was renovated and expanded. It has significant modern art, namely glass window ( 1954) by Fernand Léger, in the choir tapestries ( 1957) by Jean Lurçat and a tabernacle (1953 ) by Remo Rossi. Courfaivre was a separate parish since the first mention of 1327.