Renan, Switzerland
Renan is a municipality in the administrative district in the canton of Bern Bernese Jura in Switzerland. The former German race name is no longer used today.
Geography
Renan is on 907 m above sea level. M., 8 km east-northeast of La Chaux -de-Fonds (air line). The village is located in the western part of the upper Jura latitudinal Vallon de Saint -Imier, on the left side of Suze ( Suze French ), on the lower southern slopes of the Montagne du Droit.
The area of 12.6 km ² large municipality territory comprises the uppermost portion of the Vallon de Saint- Imier, which is drained by the Schüss. The central part takes the one to the west narrowing basin. In the north, the area extends to the anticline of the Montagne du Droit ( on the floor of Renan to 1,080 m above sea level. M. ). To the south the municipal area extends to the northernmost ridge of broken down into several sub- combs chain of Mont d'Amin. On this chain lies with 1'265 m above sea level. M. the highest point of Renan. In the northern flank of a small stream has dug through the rocky valley erosion L' Embossu. On the west, the municipality extends to the slopes north of the pass traversal Vue des Alpes. On the crests of the Montagne du Droit and the Mont d'Amin chain is extended Jura high grazing pastures with the typical tall spruce trees that are either individually or in groups. From the municipality surface 1997 6 % came from settlements, 34 % of forest and woody plants and 60% for agriculture.
To Renan belong to the scattered settlements Les Convers, which includes numerous farmhouses along the road from Renan to the Vue des Alpes, as well as many individual farms, which are widely scattered in the valley and the Jura mountains. Neighboring communities of La Ferrière and Renan are Sonvilier in the canton of Bern and Val -de- Ruz and La Chaux -de-Fonds in the canton of Neuchatel.
Population
With 875 inhabitants ( 31 December 2012) Renan belongs to the medium-sized towns in the Bernese Jura. Of the 70.6 % inhabitants are French-speaking, 25.8 % and 1.1 % German-speaking Italian-speaking (as of 2000). The population of Renan peaked already in 1860. Thereafter, they decreased to 1940 due to strong migration by more than 50 %. After a period of stagnation, a sharp decrease in the 1970s due to the economic crisis again. Since then, only minor variations are still observed.
Policy
The voter shares of the parties at the national elections of 2011 were: SVP 30.2 %, SP 22.0 %, GPS 10.7 %, FDP 10.5 %, BDP 7.3 %, EDU 7.0 %, glp 3.2 %, CVP 3.0 % EPP 1.6 %, AL 1.2 %, pirates 1.2 %.
Economy
Renan was marked up in the first half of the 19th century mainly by agriculture. Then with the introduction of the watch industry began a rapid economic recovery. The crisis in watch manufacturing Renan has suffered greatly. Today, there are jobs in the field of watchmaking, the local industry, and agriculture still plays a significant role, with livestock and dairy farming predominate. Many working population commuters and work in La Chaux -de-Fonds or in Saint -Imier.
Traffic
The community is conveniently comparatively quite well developed. It lies on the busy main road traffic 30 from Biel to La Chaux -de-Fonds, the Vallon de Saint -Imier leaves in Renan and rises to the height of La Cibourg. On April 30, 1874, the railway line from Biel was opened with a station in Renan after Convers.
History
The first written mention of the village was carried out in 1178 under the name Runens. The chapter Saint-Imier had land in Renan. During the Thirty Years' War, the village was looted and burned. The village belonged until 1797 to rule Erguel, which was under the Bishopric of Basel, where the town Biel from time to time exercised greater influence. From 1797 to 1815 Renan 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 Courtelary.
Attractions
The Reformed village church was built in 1627-30, 1885, neo-Gothic bell tower was added. The site with chessboard floor plan and cubic three -to four- storey buildings of 1820-50 shows the typical character of the villages of the upper Vallon de Saint- Imier and the northern part of the Val de Ruz. Some villas come from the period around 1900. Located in Les Convers there are many old farmhouses from the 17th and 18th centuries.