Gänsbrunnen

Gänsbrunnen, overlooking the church

Gänsbrunnen is a municipality in the district of Thal in the canton of Solothurn in Switzerland. The French name of the village is Saint -Joseph.

Geography

Gänsbrunnen is located at 732 m above sea level. M., 8 km north- west of the main town Canton of Solothurn (air line). The scattered settlement municipality extends in a basin of Bantlibachs, in the extreme west of the Jura latitudinal Balsthal, at the northern foot of the white stone chain in the Jura Mountains.

The area of ​​11.4 km ² large municipality area includes a strong in relief section of the Solothurn Jura. The central part forms the basin of Gänsbrunnen, which brought together the Bantlibach and frilly stream and flow as La version northwest through the Klus Gänsbrunnen to Birs. To the west of this basin is one of a large part of the catchment area of the Bantlibachs with the Binzberg ( pass crossing the Vallée de Tavannes ) to Gänsbrunnen. The northern border forms the upper villages mountain ( 1,297 m above sea level. M. ) on the anticlines of Graitery, in the south the boundary is not on the main ridge of the first Jura chain, but on the north of it rocky ridge with steeply upturned layers of Malmkalk. The vault of the white stone anticlines is broken here and by the progressive erosion resulting in several half Klusen.

East of the basin ranges from Gänsbrunnen the community area over a low pass into the headwaters of the Dünnern. This is flanked ( the highest elevation of 1,333 m above sea level with Gänsbrunnen. M. ), which belongs to the white stone, in the north of the whales Matt ( 1'239 m above sea level. M. ) to the south by Dilitschkopf. Their slopes are densely forested and partially crossed by rock bands. In a long narrow tip, which is only about 50 feet wide at its thinnest point, the communal land of the whales Matt (M. 1'144 m above sea level. ) Extends northeast across the mountain pastures times Mountain and Harzer up in the Harzergraben above Welschenrohr. From the municipality surface 1997 2 % came from settlements, 67 % of forest and woody plants and 31% to agriculture.

To Gänsbrunnen include various individual farms in the valley and Mountain farms of the Jura heights. Neighboring communities of Gänsbrunnen are Herbetswil, Welsh pipe, Oberndorf and Selzach in the canton of Solothurn and Court, Eschert, Grandval Crémines, Corcelles and Seehof in the Canton of Bern.

Population

With 99 inhabitants ( 31 December 2012) Gänsbrunnen is one of the smallest municipalities in the canton of Solothurn. Of the residents 95.2 % are German and 4.8 % French-speaking (as of 2000). The population of Gänsbrunnen amounted in 1850 to 176 residents in 1900 to 153 inhabitants. With the construction and opening of the railway line Moutier- Gänsbrunnen -Solothurn and the population rose to 1910 on 214 people. Since 1950 (193 inhabitants), a population decline of more than 50 % was recorded by strong emigration.

Economy

Gänsbrunnen since the 16th century was mainly coined by the mining and ironworking village. Today in the town dominates the agriculture, especially dairy farming and livestock have an important place in the economic structure of the population. Some other jobs are in the local retail industry and the services available. North of the village, a large quarry is being exploited.

Traffic

The community is conveniently moderately well developed. It lies on the main road from Oensingen to Moutier. On August 1, 1908, the railway line in the Solothurn -Münster -Bahn of Solothurn was taken by the 3.8 km long white stone tunnel to Moutier in operation. The Gänsbrunnen station at the north portal of the tunnel is located in the narrow valley below the village, already in the municipality of Crémines. By Postbus course which serves the route of Balsthal to Gänsbrunnen, the scattered settlement community is connected to the network of public transport.

History

The first written mention of the village was carried out in 1400 under the name Gensprunnen; 1423, the term gene is well preserved. Gänsbrunnen belonged in the Middle Ages to the provost Moutier- Grandval. In 1569 the village was transferred by purchase of Solothurn and the bailiwick of Falkenstein was incorporated. Ore mining and iron processing on a small scale already existed in the 16th century. The first iron melt in Gänsbrunnen was founded in 1693. In addition, there was a glazier and several mills. Because of its location on the border of Prince-Bishopric of Basel and in 1797 on the border to France ( département du Mont- Terrible respectively Haut-Rhin from 1800 to 1815 ) Gänsbrunnen was once an important border station with the customs office.

After the collapse of the ancien régime (1798 ) Gänsbrunnen was assigned to the district Balsthal Valley. From 1805 to 1845 by the company Ludwig Von Roll & Cie. a blast furnace operated, which was later moved to Choindez because the iron ore mining was no longer profitable. The mining industry was thus abandoned; However, a limestone quarry exploited since 1908.

Attractions

The Catholic Church of Saint Joseph in 1627 was built in the late Gothic style to the village of Gänsbrunnen. It has an impressive high altar and together with the presbytery ( 1720) a unit. The petrol pumps museum was opened in 2003.

Pictures

Saw St Joseph's Church and rectory from the west

Quarry and La version before Klus

Hotel and Restaurant St Joseph

Coat of arms

Blazon