Orbe

Aerial view of Orbe

Orbe is a municipality in the district of Jura-Nord Vaudois in the canton of Vaud in Switzerland. The former German name Orbach is no longer used today.

Geography

Orbe is at 479 m above sea level. M., 10 km southwest of the district capital Yverdon- les- Bains ( straight line ). The historic town extends on a meanders of the river Orbe on three sides spur on the foot of the Jura, in the Vaud Mittelland. Orbe is about 40 m above the intensively farmed Orbeebene (French Plaine de l' Orbe ).

The area of ​​12.0 km ² large municipality area includes a portion of the Vaud Mittelland. The main part of the territory occupied by the wide Orbeebene, a previously marshy and often flooded area that is drained today and crossed by the constrained channel beds in rivers Nozon, talent and Orbe. The municipal area of Nozon flows into the talent, and this somewhat further north in the Orbe. There is also the Entrerocheskanal, further called in the northeast Canal Oriental and forms in parts of the eastern boundary of the municipality, and the Grand Occidental. To the west of the municipality floor extends to the adjacent plateaus of the Jura plateau and reached at the height of 560 m above Les Saugettes. M. the highest point of Orbe. Part of this plateau is also the headland on which the old town. Below the town enters the river Orbe, who has cut over the course of millions of years by erosion a deep cut into the plateau, out into the Orbeebene. From the municipality surface 1997 17 % came from settlements, 3% forest and shrubs, 77% to agriculture and about 3% was unproductive land.

At Orbe include extensive new residential and residential quarters, the ever-expanding eastward commercial and industrial zones Granges -Saint -Martin and Saint- Germain - Granges (442 m above sea level. M. ) in the Orbeebene as well as some individual farms. Neighboring communities of Orbe are Chavornay, Arnex -sur -Orbe, Agiez, Montcherand, Valeyres -sous- Rances, mathod, Ependes and Essert- Pittet.

Population

With 6507 inhabitants ( 31 December 2012) Orbe one of the larger municipalities in the canton of Vaud. Of the 82.3% inhabitants are French-speaking, 5.0 % and 3.1 % portugiesischsprachig in German (as of 2000). The population of Orbe rose particularly in the first decade of the 20th century greatly. After a further continuous increase was recorded until 1970. As a result of the economic crisis in the 1970s, it came in that decade to a brain drain. Since then, the population has increased significantly again. New residential areas are mainly arose on the eastern slope north of the historic old town and on the edge of the Jura plateau.

Economy

Orbe is now a regionally important center of commerce, industry, trade and administrative functions as well as tourist facilities.

Due to the large agricultural area in the outskirts of Orbe of the primary sector plays a certain role in the occupational structure of the population today. Agriculture still united around 7 % of the workforce in coming. Of importance are the agriculture and especially vegetable crops. Some small wine-growing areas are in the area of the town as well as a larger Rebhang above the farm La Vaux Vully. In the Orbeebene left of Channeled Orbe, the cantonal prison Bochuz was founded in 1899 ( pénitencier de Bochuz ), which manages the largest agricultural material of the canton of Vaud.

With the improved transport connections Orbe developed in the 19th century into an industrial site. Initially, the mill works Rod SA settled, later followed by a chocolate factory and the film Apparatefabrik Paillard, which until 1971 was from 1958. In 1974, the brewery finished Frères lay silent to operate.

Today, at the foot of the town hill and in the Orbeebene an extensive industrial and commercial district has developed. The most important operation is the Nestlé coffee factory, and there are several other companies in the food industry. The numerous small and medium-sized enterprises in Orbe specializing in the areas of agricultural machinery, metal construction, precision engineering, horticulture, computer science, telecommunications and construction. There are also several shopping centers in the plane.

Orbe also has a district hospital and several recreational facilities, including tennis courts, a swimming pool and a camping site. Culturally, Orbe has a theater, a cinema and the Musée du Vieil -Orbe founded in 1878 to offer.

Traffic

The community is an important transportation hub. It is located at the intersection of roads from Cossonay to Yverdon and Chavornay to Vallorbe, another road leads to Romainmôtier. Since the 1980s, Orbe is also connected to the Swiss motorway network. In 1981 the section Lausanne -Yverdon opened the A1. From the branching Essert- Pittet since 1989 leads the A9 north of Orbe past until after Ballaigues and then as a main road on either to France via the Col de Jura Jougne to Pontarlier or via Vallorbe in the Vallée de Joux.

The direct connection to the railway network took place on April 17, 1894 with the inauguration of the branch line from Chavornay station to Orbe by the Chemin de fer Orbe Chavornay. For the dispersion in public transport buses from Orbe provide to Yverdon, Baulmes, Vallorbe, Croy and Arnex -sur -Orbe.

History

The earliest traces of settlement in the municipality date from the Neolithic period. The actual history of Orbe begins in Roman times. The Romans founded probably about 150 AD, at the edge of Orbeebene at the outlet of the river Orbe from the foot of the Jura plateau settlement Urba at a branch of the coming of Lausanne military road. One branch led by Urba over the Jura ( Col de Jougne ) to Besancon, the then Vesontio, the other road followed the edge of the Orbeebene to Yverdon ( Eburodunum ) and Avenches ( Aventicum ). The settlement has at times been referred to during the Roman period as Orba Villa Orbacum and Urbigenum. The word comes Urba not - as is often assumed - from the Latin urbs (city), but has its origins in Celtic, may exist even pre-Celtic roots. The root word orobis or baskets, the only river Orbe referred to in Celtic times, simply means river. Unlike Aventicum and Colonia Iulia Equestris ( Nyon ) Urba obtained as urban settlement never very great importance, but in today's Boscéaz possessed an impressive Roman estate, which is considered the largest complex of its kind in Switzerland. The 1986 conducted by the University of Lausanne excavations are indicative of an outer perimeter of 420 x 370 m.

End of the 3rd century, the manor and the settlement was probably abandoned because of the first German incursions. While nothing is known of the early Burgundian, Orbe was later than the 9th century Burgundian royal estate. Below the castle hill, the new settlement, which is first mentioned as a villa Tabernis, 1049 as vicus Urbensis developed in the 10th century. Later on the castle hill was also a settlement. Since 1255 the rule Orbe belonged to the lords of Montfaucon. Between 1270 and 1300 adjacent to the castle settlement was fortified and equipped with the right market. In 1404 the city received Orbe considerable freedom, but was heavily damaged only three years later by a city fire.

During the 15th century the rule was turned over to the House of Chalon Orbe, which originated from the Burgundy region. Therefore, the Confederates captured during the Burgundian Wars, the city and destroyed the castle. The Treaty of Freiburg, the Orbe was put together with the dominion Echallens 1476 joint management of Fribourg, Bern and the seven other places. The Treaty of Bern Beromunster 1484 sparked the rights of these seven places on the joint rule out by a compensation payment. Henceforth, the Bailiwick of Orbe Echallens was under the joint management of Bern and Fribourg. Orbe made ​​it an exclave of dominion, whose center was located in the region Echallens. In the five -year rolling Bern and Fribourg presented the Vogt, who had his seat in Echallens. Due to the initial resistance of the Catholic Freiburg, the Reformation was introduced in 1554 Orbe.

After the collapse of the Ancien Régime Orbe belonged from 1798 to 1803 during the Helvetic Republic to the canton of Geneva, who came up then with the enactment of the Act of Mediation in the canton of Vaud. Since 1798, it is the district capital of the new district of Orbe, which was created from the Orbe and Yverdon from parts of the bailiwicks and Romainmôtier.

Attractions

Orbe has a picturesque medieval town. The historic old town consists of an upper part (Vieux -Bourg ) with three longitudinal and a cross street and a lower part ( Neuf -Bourg ), at the lower end of the Pont du Moulinet, a of 1421 coming bridge is located.

The medieval town once had six different churches; However, only three houses of worship are available. After the fire had destroyed 1407 the former city church, now reformed church of Notre -Dame was built, which is an outstanding structure in flamboyant late-Gothic. The tower was created by reconstruction and enlargement of an old tower in the town ramparts. He also served in the following period as a bell tower and a fortified tower and was therefore equipped with the typical Vaudois churches four Echauguetten ( bay-like guard towers on the main tower). The three-aisled nave was rebuilt from 1521 to 1525, and from 1687 to 1690 the former side chapels were united on the south side to the north, respectively, with each other, so that made ​​two additional aisles. Inside the remains of paintings from the 15th century are preserved. The peculiarity of this church make the partial whimsical characters, and the curve of the ribs stellar vault, which detach from the vaulted ceiling and end in a hanging keystone (especially at the southeast corner of the nave ).

The castle, built in the 13th century was largely destroyed in 1475 by the Confederates. Today, only the round keep (1255-1259) and a square tower of the enclosure are maintained. The former city wall was demolished in the 17th century, in the vicinity of the school or a round tower remained standing.

On the main square ( Place du Marché ), Hôtel de Ville is located (City Hall ), a two-story building on arcades, built 1540. The façade was designed by architect César 1786-1789 Gasquet in the classic French style. Before that, there is a fountain with a standard bearer figure of 1543.

The historic old town with numerous civic and patrician houses from the 16th and 19th centuries has other important buildings. They include the Hôtel des Deux Poissons ( a former Poor Clare Monastery, which was founded in 1426, rebuilt in the 16th century and the Baroque style ), the house Grandjean of 1781, the Priory of 1756-1760 ( formerly a barn of the monastery Romainmôtier ) and the old hospital in 1778.

North of the city at the Boscéaz found in Roman estate mosaics of the public have been made available. The originating from around 200 to 230 AD mosaics are among the largest north of the Alps. The presentations include Roman gods, animals, cars, mazes and geometric decoration.

Personalities

• Pierre Viret (1511-1571), a reformer in Lausanne and Geneva
• Elie Bertrand (1713-1797), Reformed pastor and naturalist
• Edmond Davall (1793-1860), Swiss botanist and forester
• Augusta Gillabert (1869-1940), founder of the first farmers cooperative of Switzerland

Industrial zone

Courtyard of the Castle

Fortification tower