Welschenrohr

Welsch tube with its rock face

Welsch tube is a municipality in the district of Thal in the canton of Solothurn in Switzerland. The French name of the municipality is Rosières.

Geography

Welsch pipe is located at 680 m above sea level. M., 13 km west-southwest of the district town Balsthal and 8 km north of the capital of the canton of Solothurn (air line). The former street line village extends on the northern side of the Dünnern in a wide valley at the northern foot of the white stone chain in the Jura Mountains.

The area of ​​13.0 km ² large municipality area includes a portion of the western part of Balsthalertal or Dünnerntal, a valley in the Solothurn Jura. The central part of the area is the wide valley of the Dünnern, which originates on the slopes west of Jura Welsch tube. While the western boundary is arbitrarily drawn across the valley, the eastern boundary runs in the area of the hammer Rains, a Talriegels which separates the basin of Nova pipe from about 150 m deeper main part of the Balsthalertals. From the north, leads the Wolf's Glen at this bar.

To the north of the municipality extends over a first floor gently sloping grassy slope, the above about 800 m above sea level. M. goes into a steep forested slope, up to the anticline of Harzerkette. The border is not here on the watershed, but on the distinctive ridge of Malmkalk represented by the Harzerschlucht into a western part ( in the exuberance 1'239 m above sea level. M. ) and an eastern part ( in the bovine mountain 1,186 m above sea level. M. ) is divided. As the symbol of Welschenrohr applies the rock face, an elongated craggy rock wall on the southern slope of the mountain cattle between the Harzergraben and the Wolf's Glen.

Also on the white stone chain is not the southern boundary of Welschenrohr on the ridge but on the Malmkalkkrete. The municipal ban include the Schitterwald on the northern slope of the Hächlers on which to 1,283 m above sea level. M. the highest point of Welschenrohr is achieved, and the Solmattwald on the northern slope of the Chamben. In between are the erosion valleys of Schofbach and Chrütlibach (both open at Welschenrohr in the Dünnern ), which have sunk over time, deep trenches in the Jura mountains. From the municipality surface 1997 accounted for 5% on settlements, 59 % of forest and shrubs, 35 % to agriculture and slightly more than 1% was unproductive land.

To Welschenrohr include numerous farmsteads in the valley and on the sunny slope above the village. Neighboring communities of Welschenrohr are Herbetswil, Balm bei Günsberg, Rüttenen, Oberndorf and Gänsbrunnen.

Population

With 1154 inhabitants (2007 ) Welschenrohr belongs to the medium-sized municipalities in the canton of Solothurn. Of the residents 94.4 % are German, 1.5 % and 0.9 % albanischsprachig speak French ( as of 2000). The population of Welschenrohr amounted in 1850 to 721 inhabitants, 1900 to 893 inhabitants. During the 20th century, the population increased steadily until 1960 at 1,476 persons. Due to the economic crisis, there was during the 1970s to a substantial out-migration, the population increased to 1980 by 22% to 1114 persons. Since then, only minor variations in the population were recorded.

Economy

Welsch tube was formerly a predominantly coined by agriculture village, but already in the 17th century developed iron smelting and later a glazier. The water power of the Schofbachs and Dünnern was formerly used for the operation of several mills. Towards the end of the 19th century summed up the watchmaking foot in the village, which until the closure of the watch factories "tourist" during the watchmaking crisis in the late 60s and " Technos " ( Brothers Gunzinger ) in 1980, dominated the economic structure. Welsch tube was so long time one of the centers of the Solothurn watch industry.

Even today, the farming and fruit growing have ( at lower altitudes ) and the dairy farming and cattle breeding a certain role in the occupational structure of the population. Many other jobs are in the manufacturing and services available. Through the actions of the local Economic Development Commission, the industry has diversified in the 1980s. Making past today operations of the electronic industry and precision engineering as well as in construction, wood processing, mechanical engineering, the pharmaceutical industry and printing are represented ( including a Textile printing ). Compared to other communities Welsch tube has relatively few commuters thanks to the commercial and industrial enterprises.

Traffic

The community is conveniently comparatively quite well developed. It lies on the main road from Oensingen to Moutier. By Postbus course which operates direct flight from Balsthal to Gänsbrunnen, Welsch tube is connected to the network of public transport.

History

The first written mention of the village was carried out in 1179 under the name Rore. 1439 appeared the name Italians Ror. From 1444 the French name Rosières is preserved. According to an older conception of the place name comes from the Latin word rosaria which designates an area growing in the reeds and rushes. The adjective welsch (Romanesque ) was added relatively late to clarify a distinction from other towns of the same name. In the opinion of the researcher's name Rolf Max Kully is the name of German origin " za DEMU rore " and mean the reeds.

Since the first mention of Welschenrohr was owned by the Abbey Moutier- Grandval. As a fief of the Bishop of Basel reached the village in 1427 as a function of Solothurn, which exercised from now on the high court. By buying Welschenrohr 1569 came with all privileges (church tax, tithes, lower courts ) to Solothurn and the bailiwick of Falkenstein has been assigned. The next of trial was matzo village.

After the collapse of the Ancien Régime (1798 ) Welschenrohr was assigned to the district Balsthal Valley. With the founding of the Société d' horlogerie à Rosières SA in 1891, the village developed into a center of Solothurn watch industry. Especially after the Second World War, flourished on the watch industry. At the time of economic boom more than 600 workers were employed in the watch works. The crisis of the 1970s led to the closure of the former but then eight factories and to a significant population loss. In 1980, the last watch factory closed its doors. Since then, the industry has focused on modern technologies in electronics and precision mechanics.

Attractions

The Catholic Church of St. Theodule was built from 1673 to 1677 and 1928 expanded. It stands on the site of the former St. Nicholas chapel, which belonged to the monastery of Moutier - Grandval. Since 1604 Welsch tube also forms an independent parish. The Reformed Church is a modern building, which was inaugurated in 1962. In the center some characteristic farmhouses from the 18th and 19th centuries have been preserved. At the Dünnern is the hole mill, which has now been restored and can be visited. A natural interest is the bear hole, a cave in the rock face above Welschenrohr, which is spanned by two natural bridges.

East of the village is the entrance to Wolf Canyon. The area along the trail is a cantonal nature reserve. Most of the paths, steps and stream crossings were created over several years by Wilhelm Allemann ( 1913-2002 ).

Pictures

The rock face, the symbol of Welschenrohr

Wastewater treatment plant

Gasthaus Kreuz

Coat of arms

Angular links shared by red and white, topped with lying Flösser - collar hook in reversed colors.