Reconvilier

Reconvilier is a municipality in the administrative district in the canton of Bern Bernese Jura in Switzerland. The former German name Reconvilier is no longer used today.

Geography

Reconvilier lies on 731 m above sea level. M., 13 km west-southwest of the town Moutier ( straight line ) and 11 km north of Biel / Bienne. The village extends into the Talniederung Birs, in the broad basin of the Jura latitudinal Vallée de Tavannes.

The area of 8.2 km ² large municipality area includes a portion of the western part of the Vallée de Tavannes, which has a width of 3 km at Reconvilier. Between the rivers of the Birs and the left tributary Trame there are several small hills, including the skin de Spont (828 m above sea level. M. ) and the Châtillon ( 822 m above sea level. M. ). On the west, the area extends in a narrow corner in the Forêt de Chaindon. South of the Birsniederung extends the municipality to the Jura mountains of Montoz, which flanked the entire Vallée de Tavannes on its south side. At the height of 1,312 m above sea level with Montoz is. M. reached the highest point of Reconvilier. From the municipality surface 1997 12 % came from settlements, 42 % of forest and woody plants and 46% to agriculture.

To Reconvilier the hamlet Chaindon include ( 769 m above sea level. M. ) on a spur of the Haut de Spont west of the village as well as several individual farms. Neighboring communities of Reconvilier are Tavannes, Saicourt, Saules, Loveresse, Malleray, Pery and La Heutte.

Population

With 2217 inhabitants ( 31 December 2012) Reconvilier is one of the major towns in the Bernese Jura. Of the 82.7 % inhabitants are French-speaking, German-speaking 6.9 % and 3.0 % Italian-speaking (as of 2000). The population of Reconvilier increased especially in the second half of the 19th century significantly. After peaking in 1970, a decline of 13 % was recorded in the following decade as a result of the economic crisis. Since 1980 the number of inhabitants lies in the range of 2400 people.

Economy

Reconvilier was up to the mid-19th century, a dominantly agricultural village, then it has rapidly developed into the industrial community. Today, only 3% of the workforce are employed in agriculture. With industrialization machine and watch factories settled in the village. Since 1855, the foundry Boillat plays an important role, which is now for non-ferrous Metal Group Baoshida Swiss AG's plant provides around 400 jobs. In February 2006 Reconvilier was the center of Swiss standards extraordinarily violent industrial action over the planned closure of the foundry.

In Reconvilier an important agricultural market is held on the first Monday of September, called the Foire de Chaindon.

Traffic

The community is conveniently moderately well developed. It lies on the busy busy main road Delémont to Tavannes. By 2015, the A16 motorway to be built in the Vallée de Tavannes, which will connect the Swiss motorway network with the French motorway network. The avoidance of Reconvilier and Tavannes is expected to already opened at 2012. On December 16, 1876, the railway line was inaugurated by Court to Tavannes, with a railway station in Reconvilier. In addition, the village is also served by bus line from Tavannes via Bellelay after Lajoux and Les Genevez.

History

In Roman times it introduced an important road from Aventicum ( Avenches ) through the pass of Pierre Pertuis to Augusta Raurica who also crossed the municipality of Reconvilier. The village is one of the oldest in the Vallée de Tavannes. It is already 884 first mentioned under the name Roconis villare as a possession of the Abbey Moutier- Grandval. Later, the names Roconovillare ( 962) and Reconwilier ( 1181 ) appear; there are also handed down several German name forms: stretching Wiler, Reconvilier and Rogwiler. The place name probably derives from the Germanic personal name Roca.

Through a donation Reconvilier came in 1225 to the monastery Bellelay. On April 12, 1777 destroyed a village fire many houses. From 1797 to 1815 Reconvilier belonged to France and was initially part of the Département du Mont- Terrible, which was connected to the 1800 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.

Attractions

The present building of the Reformed church of Chaindon was built in 1739. He stands on the foundations of a previous medieval building of the already mentioned 962 Chapel Saint- Léonard. Renovated 1924-26 church has a valuable organ from 1850 and a bell from the Abbey Bellelay. Until 1928 Tavannes formed with Reconvilier together the parish Tavannes - Chaindon, since then called the parish Reconvilier Chaindon. The schoolhouse with a bell tower was built in 1912 in traditional styles.

Personalities

Georges Louis Ruedin

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