Delémont

Delémont , capital of the Republic and Canton of the Swiss Jura , located at the center of the quadrilateral formed by the cities close to Basle, Bienne, La Chaux-de-Fonds and Belfort, is to 90 km of Bern, 120 km of Zurich and 210 km of Geneva. Served well by the rail and soon by the highway 16 (Transjurane), already partially open, Delémont A - with its 11392 inhabitants - offers to the visitors the advantages of a modern city in a well preserved natural environment.

Around the Old city, admirably restored historical center, developed the commercial district of the station, several zones of complementary activities, the residential zones and spaces of relaxation and sport. Sit of the Parliament and Government of the canton.

Political organization

The municipal authorities consist of two capacities: the legislature and the executive.

The legislature, named the Council of city, is composed of 51 members elected every four years according to the system proportional. The Council of city exerts the monitoring of the whole of the municipal authorities and takes the necessary measures for this purpose.

The executive, called Town council , is composed of six advisers and the Maire, which is the president. The vice-president (assistant) is elected by the Town council for one one year duration, by rotation. The members of the Council are elected for four years according to the majority system with two turns for the mayor and according to the system proportional for the communal advisers. The function of mayor represents an occupancy rate of 60%, that of advising a rate of 30%. The executive exerts in the administration all the powers which are not allotted to another body by regulations of federal right, cantonal or communal. It represents the municipal Commune towards the thirds.

Successive mayors

Henri Parrat, 1953-1960, PS
Georges Scherrer, 1960-1980, PS
Jacques Stadelmann, 1981-1993, PS
Pierre-Alain Gentil, 1994-2004, PS
Gilles Froidevaux, 2005-, PS

Successive presidents of the legislature

Francoise Doriot (2004) PLR
Francesco Careful (2005) PCSI
Giuseppe Native (2006) CS-POP

History

In the area of Delémont, the first traces of settlement go back to the Bronze Age (Rock of Ire). The area was populated during the Gallo-Roman period (trace of an important Gallo-Roman habitat in Communance). As of 6th and 7th century of the Forgeron S would have worked the ore of Fer in the valley of Delémont, as the low hearths of Boécourt attest some.

The primitive urban core, located in the southern part of the current old city, was established - probably towards 1200 - on a buttress, near to the confluence of the Sorne and Birse and of a crossing of roads.

In 1289 the Charte of franknesses granted by the bishop from Basle Pierre Reich de Reichenstein founds the communal autonomy and defines the urban and political framework for several centuries. In 1815 Delémont becomes Suisse by the meeting of old évêché of Basle to the canton of Bern.

In 1875 the construction of the Gare gives an impulse decisive to the economic development and demographic of the city, which overflows of the medieval enclosure and becomes more the big city of the Jura. The vote of self-determination of the Jurassic people in 1974 creates the Republic and Canton of the Jura, whose Delémont becomes the capital as of on January 1st, 1979.

Origin of the name

The locality would be quoted for the first time ( in figo Delomonte ) in an act of 736; one finds Laimunt in 1181 and Deleymunt in 1225; the German name - Telsperg - appears as of the 12th century, as patronym of the noble family which will hold the castle of Vorbourg in the North-East of the city.

Personalities

Louis Vautrey (1829-1886), cleaned senior of Delémont, especially known as historian.
Charles Albert Gobat (1843-1914), Nobel Prize of Peace in 1902
Arthur Daucourt (1849-1926), priest and Jurassic historian, founds the Jurassic Museum.
Joseph Constantin Kaiser, (1886-1955), sculptor, one owes him the creation and the restorations of many works with Delémont and in the Jura.
Joseph Robert Kaiser, (1920 -), sculptor, one owes him the creation and the restorations of several works in the Jura.
Alfred Count, (1895-1965), pioneer of aviation.
Albert Schnyder (1898-1989), painter and Jurassic artist.
Henri Parrat (1909-1980), mayor and prefect of Delémont.
Jeanne Bueche (1912-2000), architect.
Meret Oppenheim, (1913-1985) surrealist painter, grand-daughter of Dye stick and Théo Wenger, founder of the cutlery éponyme. It remained in Delémont of 1914 to 1918. A street of the city is dedicated to him.
Pierre-Alain Meier, film producer
Jean-Paul Pellaton (10.08.1920-21.04.2000), writer.
Andre Bréchet (1921-1993), painter and sculptor, him the stained glasses of many churches of the Jura are owed.
Paul Bovée (1931-1961), painter, Master of drawing at the secondary school of Delémont, since 1952.

Media

the Jurassic Daily newspaper , daily newspaper of information resulting from fusion enters the Country and the Democrat.
Arc Hebdo , free weekly magazine.
RFJ (Radio Jura Frequency), local radio.
the Free Jura , weekly magazine.
Of lem Information , free monthly magazine published by the Municipality.
the Jura First Radio of the Jurassic arc

Monuments

the Castle
the Castle of Domont
L´Église St-Marcel
L´Hôtel-of-City
monumental fountains: Fountain of the Virgin (or Notre Dame), Fountain of St-Maurice (or the Roman Warrior), Fountain of the Savage, Fountain of the Lion, Fountain of the Ball

Museums

the Jurassic Museum of art and history is the guard of the memory of the areas of the Jura which formed the episcopal Principality of Basle. Since its foundation in 1909, the Jurassic Museum is in the middle of the old city of Delémont. The museum proposes to present the Jurassic history, in priority under its aspects cultural, but also social, political and economic.

Obligatory teaching

Elementary schools and childish
the College

Higher education and research

The High school specialized of Western Switzerland (HES-SO) has several sites in Delémont, among which the High school of health Arc divided with Neuchâtel and the High school of economy Arc , offering decentralized courses of the school of Neuchâtel.

The city also lays out d´une school of general culture.

Tourism

Delémont belongs to the country of the precision :

Watch Valley is a new tourist destination which uses the set of themes of the clock industry to be different from the other Swiss areas.
It is a stage city of the “Road of the Clock industry” which of Geneva, through the Swiss Jura leads us to Basle

Stages delémontaines:

Jurassic Museum of art and history
the church of Vorbourg
the Castle of Domont
the Castle (in Old city)
monumental fountains
the Town hall
Place of the Station

Lodgings:

Inn of Youth (at the exit of the city Basle direction)
Camp-site TCS (at the exit of the city Porrentruy direction)
Country cottage of the Friends of Nature (High-Limits)

Fermes inns

Restoring of Restoring Vorbourg
High-Limits

Distinctions

It obtains the Prix Wakker in 2006.

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