Porrentruy

Porrentruy is a common Suisse of the Canton of the Jura. It is the chief town of the district of Porrentruy. It is the second city of the canton of the Jura by its population. It is located at the center of Ajoie, with the intersection of the roads Delémont - Belfort - Basle - Besancon.

Geography

The city is located at 423m alt., it counts 1480 hectares, 6906 inhabitants in 1987. It is crossed by Allaine, a river tributary of Doubs. It connected by the train: line CF Delle-Delémont-Basle or Delle-Delémont-Bienne. It is terminus of the Railroads of the Jura (CJ) Porrentruy-Bonfol.

Political organization

The municipal authorities are consisted of both to be able: the legislature and the executive.

The legislature is called Conseil of city. It is composed of 41 members, elected officials 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 eight advisers and the mayor, who is the president. The vice-president (assistant) is elected by the Town council, for one one year duration, by rotation. The mayor is elected for four years according to the majority system with two turns and the members of the Council (= communal advisers) are elected according to the system proportional for four. 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.

Executive, distribution of the seats for the legislature 2005-2008: - PDC: 3; PLR: 2; PS: 2; PCSI: 1

Mayors : Jean-Georges Quiquerez; Joseph Trouillat, 1848-1860, Paul Billieux (PLR) 1940-1950; Charles Parietti, (PLR)? -? ; Gabriel Theubet (PDC) 1972-1984; Robert Salvadé (PDC) 1985-1988; Jean-Marie Voirol (PLR) 1988-1995; Hubert Theurillat (PDC) 1996-2004; Gerard GUENAT (PDC) 2005-2008;

Legislature, ratable distribution for the legislature 2005-2008: PDC: 14; PLR: 11; PS: 9; PCSI: 6; UDC: 1

President of the council city: Handbook Will prick, PLR (2007);

Economy

Sit of the Jurassic Cantonal Bank.

History

The site is inhabited as of the Roman epoch (in 1983, a fanum (Gallo-Roman temple), was updated, close to the current cemetery " In Solier"), but the first historical mentions range between 968 and 1148. The documents reveal the existence of a small village, with a parish church dedicated to Saint-Germain and, after 1233, with a vault located on the southern hill, with the site of the current St-Pierre church.

After having belonged to the counts d' Alsace, the urban core became property of the abbey of Moutier-Grandval, from where the church of Saint-Germain, while the southern hill, which saw to set up the church of Saint-Pierre, depended on the convent of Bellelay. In North, the counts de Ferrette had the area of the Castle. In 999, the king of Burgundy transjurane, Rodolphe III, gave to the bishop of Basle the abbey of Moutier-Grandval and all the grounds of the religious institution. This gift made of the prelate of the Rhenish city a prince, in addition to the bishop who it was. Starting from this date and until 1270, the prince-bishops of Basle proceeded to various purchases and Ajoie became integral part of their grounds, of which they mainly remained the Masters until the French revolution. In 1283, Porrentruy receives its charter of franknesses from the Emperor Rodolphe II of Habsbourg. But in XIIIe century, the situation is complicated; engaged under condition with the count de Montbéliard in 1236, the city must make return to Ferrette, but those, meanwhile, yielded their rights to the bishop of Basle. The new count de Montbéliard, Renaud of Burgundy (brother of Othon IV, count de Bourgogne), does not make a point of still increasing the power of his neighbor. He enters in open war against évêché of Basle and seizes castle of Porrentruy. The same year, to finance its countryside, Renaud grants franknesses, immunities and privileges similar to the middle-class men of the city of Montbeliard, with the help of 1.000 Books estevenantes (currency of Besancon). But at the end of the day, the prince-bishops of Basle, supported by the Emperor, will be right of Renaud of Burgundy. In 1386, the bishop Inder de Ramstein had to sell all Ajoie, Porrentruy and his castle, with the count Etienne of Montbeliard (house of Montfaucon) for 11.000 guilders. To its death, in 1397, the heritage fell into the basket from its grand-daughter, Henriette d' Orbe, who Maria 10 years later, Eberhard IV, count de Wurtemberg. In 1409, Eberhard IV confirmed the Franknesses from the city to the middle-class men of Porrentruy (like with those of Montbeliard). Become widowed, and controlling only Wurtemberg, the Henriette countess will reign on the city of Porrentruy; she was to still acquire of the bishop of Basle, for 3.000 gold guilders, the Western part of Ajoie. The middle-class men of Porrentruy had besides only to rent administration of Wurtemberg, which had granted privileges and benefits to them. The princes wurtembergeois will still reign on Porrentruy until 1461, date where they reassigned all Ajoie with the bishop Jean de Venningen, with the help of a considerable sum.

Monuments

the castle

Distinctions

It obtains the Prix Wakker in 1988

Personalities

Antoine Guillaume of Coste, known as Delmas, 1766-1813. General of Napoleon, exiled with Porrentruy of 1802 to 1813.
Antoine Lumière, 1840-1911. Father of the brothers Light. Exerted as travelling photographer with Porrentruy in 1868-69.
Robert Caze, 1853-1886. Poet and novelist. Taken refuge of the Commune, it was exiled in Porrentruy where it taught with the College of Porrentruy of 1875 to 1880. President of the Jurassic Company of Emulation.
Auguste Quiquerez, 1801-1882. Historian, archeologist, prefect. One of the founding fathers of the Jurassic history.
Gustave Amweg, 1874-1944. Master of French and history to the progymnase of the cantonal School of Porrentruy, then president of the Jurassic Company of Emulation
Albert Perronne, 1891-1982. Scientist, photographer, collaborated in particular with Frederic-Edouard Koby.
Denise Perronne, girl of the precedent. Actress and actress. Played in particular in " My oncle" of Jacques Tati, " Funny of paroissien" of Jean-Pierre Mocky, " The soupirant" of Pierre Etaix, " Adventures of Rabbi Jacob" of Gerard Oury, " Blanche" of Walerian Borowczyk, etc
Jean Cuttat. 1916-1992. Poet. Founder of the Editions of the Doors of France. Author of the " Songs of the Nausea " and of " Christmas d' Ajoie" , in particular.
Tristan Solier, of its true name Paul-Albert Cuttat. 1918-1998. Poet, painter, photographer, galerist and editor. Brother of the precedent. Founder of the Editions of the Pre-Square.
Alexandre Voisard, poet and writer. Member of the Mallarmé Academy.
Angi, painter, architect, photographer and sculptor.
Charles Beuchat, man of letters
François Schaller, economist and professor of university
Auguste Viatte, writer, critic and literary man with the University Laval. Specialist in the francophonie.
Jean-François How, 1919-2002. Painter
Bernard How, writer and novelist, wire of the precedent. Born in 1969. Today directing with France-Culture.
Pierre-Olivier Walzer, writer and critical. Professor of university. Specialist in Lautréamont, Charles Cros and Tristan Corbière - it signs the edition of complete works in the Library of the Pleiad. Founder of the Editions of the Doors of France.
Christophe Moreau, racing cyclist French in activity born in 1971 resides at it.

Higher education and research

cantonal College and national college of business
High specialized school of Western Switzerland (HES-SO), school of engineers Arc divided with Saint-Imier, Locle (Microtechniques, mechanical Engineering, Data-processing Electronic engineering and )

Transport

Railway line CF Delémont - Porrentruy
Railway line Porrentruy- Bonfol of the Railroads of the Jura
A16, Left 5 (Porrentruy East), like Western Porrentruy

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