Courchapoix

The village seen from the church here

Courchapoix is a municipality in the district Delémont the canton of Jura in Switzerland. The former German name Gebsdorf is no longer used today.

Geography

Courchapoix is located on 496 m above sea level. M., 9 km east from the cantonal capital Delémont ( straight line ). The village extends along the scolding Bach (French Schelten ) in the wide opening of the Val Terbi, the easternmost part of the Dels Berger basin.

The area of ​​6.4 km ² large municipality area includes a portion of the east of the intensively farmed valley of the Dels Berger basin. The municipal area of Bach Ruisseau de Montsevelier empties into the scolding stream that flows through a wide Talniederung west to the Birs. In the north of the municipal area over the crest of Le Bambois reaches to the crest of the Jura Fringelikette. The highest elevation of Courchapoix is located 940 m above sea level. M. on this densely forested ridge. To the south, the municipality's territory extends up to the level of plain Fayen ( 759 m above sea level. M. ), which forms an edge fold of the Mont- Raimeux chain. In this fold of Bach Gabiare has eroded a typical Jura transverse valley, the Tiergarten gorge created. The eastern side of the valley this canyon is also one of Courchapoix. From the municipality surface 1997 3 % was attributable to settlements, 45 % of forest and woody plants and 52% to agriculture.

To Courchapoix include several individual farms. Neighboring communities of Courchapoix are Vicques, Vermes and Corban in the Canton of Jura and Bärschwil in the canton of Solothurn.

Population

With 421 inhabitants ( 31 December 2012) Courchapoix one of the smaller municipalities in the canton of Jura. Of the 98.5 % inhabitants are French-speaking, German-speaking 1.3 % and 0.2 % Italian-speaking (as of 2000). The population of Courchapoix amounted in 1850 to 271 residents in 1900 to 260 inhabitants. Since the mid-20th century, a clearly increasing trend was recorded.

Economy

Agriculture has in the community is still a high priority. The village has, however, developed in the second half of the 20th century to the living village. Many workers ( about 55 %) are therefore commuters and work mainly in the region Delémont.

Traffic

Courchapoix is located on the main road of Delémont over the Scheltenpass after Mümliswil. It is served by a bus line that runs from the cantonal capital after Montsevelier, to the train station in Delémont.

History

Compared to other municipalities in the district Delémont Courchapoix appears relatively late in the documents. 1453 the village was first mentioned as Curchappoix. But finds of graves from the 10th century indicate a much earlier settlement. The village belonged to the provost Courchapoix Moutier- Grandval and retained even after the Reformation, the Catholic faith at. From 1797 to 1815 it 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, the place came in 1815 to the canton of Bern to the district of Moutier. The residents of Courchapoix voted in the Juraplebisziten always for the creation of the Canton of Jura. As a border town in the district Moutier Courchapoix decided in the referendum of September 7, 1975 for the Canton of Jura, came in 1976 in the District Delémont over and came up with this on 1 January 1979 at the newly founded Canton Jura.

Currently planning the municipalities of Val Terbi (that is Corban, Courchapoix, Courroux, Mervelier, Montsevelier, Vermes and Vicques ) a merger, which is scheduled for the end of 2012 about.

Attractions

On the slope south of the town center is the Parish Church of Saint- Imier, which was built in the 19th century on the foundations of an earlier Romanesque church. Courchapoix belonged until 1781 to the parish Vicques, after which it formed a separate parish, before it came into the dependence of the parish Corban 1874-1935. The village has preserved some beautiful old farmhouses from the 18th and 19th centuries.

Pictures

Interior of the church

Scolding Bach in Courchapoix