Saint-Brais
Saint- Brais
Saint- Brais is a municipality in the district Franches- Montagnes in the canton of Jura in Switzerland. The former German name Sankt Brix is no longer used today.
Geography
Saint- Brais is at 967 m above sea level. Level, 10 km north-east of the district municipal seat Saignelégier (air line). The village extends to a promising Jura crest of the northeastern mountains free (French Freiberge ), at the edge of the deep valley of the Doubs.
The area of 15.2 km ² large municipality area includes part of the northern ridge of the Jura mountains free, which merges into the Mont- Russelin chain to the northeast. This ridge is characterized by extensive pastures of the Jura with standing individually or in groups large spruce and intervening forest areas. At the height of Le Plain west of the village is 1,057 m above sea level with. M. the highest point of Saint- Brais achieved. To the south, the municipality's territory extends into the erosion valley of the brook Tabeillon, a left-hand side of Bach's Sorne. In this valley the nature reserve pond of Bolle Mont is located. To the north, the area extends as far as the river Doubs, and includes a 500- m-high right side of the valley with extensive forests, which are crossed by several rock bands. Saint- Brais is thus located on the watershed between the basins of the Rhine and the Rhone. From the municipality surface 1997 3 % was attributable to settlements, 45 % of forest and woody plants, 50 % in agriculture and somewhat less than 2% was unproductive land.
At Saint- Brais include the district of Le Péquie ( 995 m above sea level. M. ) on the eastern edge of the Plain, the hamlet of Le Chesal (940 m above sea level. M. ) east of the village and remote farms on the mountain pastures of numerous farmsteads. Neighboring municipalities of Saint- Brais are Lajoux, Montfaucon, Clos du Doubs, Glovelier and Saulcy.
Population
With 232 inhabitants ( 31 December 2012) Saint- Brais is one of the small communities of the Canton of Jura. Of the 88.7 % inhabitants are French-speaking, German-speaking 8.5 % and 1.9 % speak Dutch ( as of 2000). The population of Saint- Brais amounted in 1870 to 562 residents in 1900 to 394 inhabitants. During the 20th century a further decline by more than 40 % was recorded as a result of high levels of emigration.
Economy
Saint- Brais is a still strong dominantly agricultural village with dairy farming and cattle breeding. Outside the primary sector there are in the village, only relatively few jobs in the local small businesses. Many workers are therefore commuters and work abroad, either in Saignelégier or in the region Delémont.
Traffic
The municipality is situated on the main street of Delémont to La Chaux -de-Fonds, on the upside the bus route from Glovelier to Saignelégier. On 21 May 1904, the railway line of the Chemins de fer du Jura Glovelier was opened to Saignelégier with a station in the valley of Tabeillon. Actually, it is not a train station, but merely a stop. Her name is Bollement.
History
The discovery of a bone from the Paleolithic and an incisor of a Neanderthal in the caves of Saint- Brais below the striking rock wall 1 km northeast of Saint- Brais evidence of a settlement of the area in prehistoric times.
The village is first mentioned in 1275 as Sem Bris. Subsequent designations are Saint- Brey ( 1318 ) and de Sancto Brixio ( 1380 ). The origin of the place name is disputed, Saint- Brais goes back either to Saint Brice, a companion of St. Imier, or Brictius, the bishop of Tours. Saint- Brais belonged to the manor free mountains covered by the prince-bishops of Basel. Between 1793 and 1815 the village belonged to 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 came Saint- Brais 1815 to the canton of Bern and on 1 January 1979 at the newly founded Canton Jura.
Attractions
The parish church of Saint -Brice was built in 1656, it has a significant interiors of the Baroque period.