Grandfontaine, Switzerland

Grand Fontaine is a municipality in the district of Porrentruy in the canton of Jura in Switzerland. The former German name Langenbrunn is no longer used today.

Geography

Grand Fontaine is located on 529 m above sea level. M., 11 km west of the district municipal seat Porrentruy (air line). The farming village extends in a basin of western Ajoie ( German Elsgau ) on the border with France.

The area of ​​8.9 km ² large municipality territory comprises the central part of the wide hollow Trockentals Grand Fontaine. In the north, the area extends to the gently undulating plateau of the Jura mountains Ajoie which drops steeply to the west ( outside of Switzerland ) in the valley system of England. To the south, the municipality extends to the wooded heights of La Clef ( 644 m above sea level. M. ) and Le Perchet, as well as in a narrow tip on the dry valley of Réclère up to the northern slopes of Roche d' Or, on the 740 m above sea level. M. the highest point of Grand Fontaine is achieved. The area of Grand Fontaine is karstified and has no surface watercourses on. From the municipality surface 1997 accounted for 5% on settlements, 30 % of forest and shrubs and 65 % to agriculture.

At Grand Fontaine include several individual farms. The community is surrounded on two sides by French territory. Neighboring communities of Grand Fontaine Haute- Ajoie, Rocourt and Fahy in the Canton of Jura and Abbévillers, Glay and Danne Marie in France.

Population

With 373 inhabitants ( 31 December 2012) Grand Fontaine is one of the smaller communities of the Canton of Jura. Of the 91.2 % inhabitants are French-speaking and German-speaking 8.5 % (as of 2000). The population of Grand Fontaine amounted in 1850 to 471 residents in 1900 to 424 inhabitants. During the 20th century, the population increased to 1980 by a further 28 % to 306 persons. Since then a slightly increasing trend was recorded again.

Economy

Grand Fontaine is still characterized predominantly agricultural, thanks to the fertile lands in the area. Outside of agriculture, there is the village local small business, a sawmill and manufacture of watch cases. But many of the working commuters and work in the region Porrentruy.

Traffic

The community is located just off the main road from Porrentruy over the border crossing of Damvant to Pont -de- Roide in France. Through the postal car price on the route from Porrentruy to Damvant who makes a trip to Grand Fontaine, the city is connected to the public transport.

History

The area of Grand Fontaine was already inhabited in Roman times, which confirmed the findings of coins. The place is first mentioned in 1136 as Gran Fontana; the name derives from the grande fontaine, a karst spring in the village, from. Grand Fontaine belonged to the rule Roche- d'Or and came towards the end of the 15th century to the Bishopric of Basel. The village was under from the 16th to the 18th century, the Meier office Chevenez. Three village fires (1756, 1765 and 1785), oriented major damage to. Between 1793 and 1815 Grand Fontaine 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 and on 1 January 1979 at the newly founded Canton Jura.

Attractions

The parish church of Saint- Etienne is north of the village center in a slightly elevated location. In the village there are still some characteristic farmhouses of the Haute- Ajoie from the 19th century. Also from this period are a wash-house and a large fountain.

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