Colombier, Neuchâtel facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

This page is about the former Swiss municipality in the Canton of Neuchâtel. For other uses, see Colombiers.

Quick facts for kids

Colombier

Former municipality of Switzerland

Colombier Castle

Coat of arms

Colombier

Location in Switzerland

Colombier

Location in Canton of Neuchâtel

Switzerland

Area

• Total

4.52 km² (1.75 sq mi)

Elevation

457 m (1,499 ft)

Population

(December 2011)

• Total

5,510

• Density

1,219.0/km² (3,157/sq mi)

Postal code

2013

Surrounded by

Auvernier, Bôle, Boudry, Corcelles-Cormondrèche, Neuchâtel, Rochefort

Colombier is a place in Switzerland that used to be its own town, called a municipality. It was located in the canton of Neuchâtel. On January 1, 2013, Colombier joined with two other towns, Auvernier and Bôle, to form a new, bigger municipality called Milvignes.

History of Colombier
Geography of Colombier
Coat of Arms
People of Colombier
- Age Groups
- Homes in Colombier
Important Heritage Sites
Economy and Jobs
Religion
Education
Sport
Images for kids
See also

History of Colombier

Colombier Castle

Aerial view of Colombier in 1954

Colombier was first written about in the year 1228. But people lived here much, much earlier!

Ancient Times in Colombier

Scientists have found four old settlements near the lake. These date back to the Stone Age and the Bronze Age. This shows people lived here thousands of years ago.

A very large Roman villa was found under the castle. It was dug up in the 1840s. This huge house was built between the 1st and 3rd centuries AD. It had fancy courtyards, at least two bath areas with beautiful mosaics, and painted walls. There were even terraced gardens! A very old graveyard from the Merovingian time (around 500-750 AD) was also found nearby.

Colombier Castle's Story

In the 11th or 12th century, a strong tower was built on top of the old Roman villa's ruins. This tower grew bigger in the 1200s. By the 1500s, it looked much like it does today.

During the Middle Ages, the area around Colombier was like a small kingdom. It included Colombier, Areuse, part of Bôle, and some other lands. The noble family of Colombier were loyal to the Count of Neuchâtel. Over time, they gained more lands through marriages. In 1488, the de Chauvirey family took over. Then, in 1513, Johann Jakob von Watteville from Bern bought the lands. He helped spread the Protestant Reformation in the town. In 1564, the Counts of Neuchâtel bought the land for a lot of money.

Town Life and Changes

The borders of the village were first written down in 1346. In 1357, Colombier, Bôle, and Areuse were given a forest to share. For a long time, people in Colombier had to pay taxes and fees to their lords. But in the 16th and 17th centuries, many were freed from these payments. The very last of these old taxes ended in the 1800s.

In the mid-1600s, the town almost went bankrupt (ran out of money). But a loan from bankers saved it. In 1657, the Prince of Neuchatel, Henri II d'Orléans, helped the town pay off its debts. In return, the town promised to plant trees along the road to the castle.

A small church is first mentioned in Colombier in 1177. It became a main church for the area before 1228.

Modern Developments

In 1734, the first spinning factory (for making thread) was built in Colombier. By 1739, it had about 80 workers. This factory brought wealth to the town. It led to the building of many grand country houses nearby.

In 1806, Colombier Castle became a military hospital. Later, in 1824, it was used by the Swiss army for training. It became a barracks (a place for soldiers to live) and had a bigger weapons storage. In 1877, it became the official barracks for a large army division. Today, it is an infantry training center for soldiers.

In the 1800s, Colombier became an important local center. It had a gas plant and a bank. The first train station was built in 1859–60. In 1892, a tram line connected it to Neuchâtel. An airfield (small airport) was built in 1927. A regional high school was built in 1969. Today, Colombier is mostly a place where people live. Many jobs in the town are connected to the army barracks.

Geography of Colombier

Near the ancient settlement at Baie d'Auvernier on Lake Neuchatel

Colombier covers an area of about 4.5 square kilometers (1.7 square miles).

About 39% of the land is used for farming.
About 19% is covered by forests.
About 41% has buildings or roads.
A very small part (less than 1%) is rivers or lakes.

The former town is located on a small hill. It sits above Lake Neuchâtel.

Coat of Arms

The coat of arms for Colombier shows two doves walking on a silver cross. The background is red. Doves are often a symbol of peace.

People of Colombier

In 2011, Colombier had about 5,510 people living there. About 20% of the people were from other countries. Over the past 10 years (2000–2010), the population grew by about 16%.

Most people in Colombier (about 86%) speak French as their main language. German is the second most common language (about 4.5%), followed by Italian (about 2.7%).

In 2008, about 49% of the people were male and 51% were female. About 18% of the people living in Colombier in 2000 were also born there.

Age Groups

In 2000, the population was made up of:

Children and teenagers (0–19 years old): 24.2%
Adults (20–64 years old): 61.1%
Seniors (over 64 years old): 14.7%

Homes in Colombier

In 2000, there were about 2,032 homes in Colombier. On average, about 2.3 people lived in each home. About one-third of the homes (639) had only one person living in them.

The number of people living in Colombier has changed over time:

Important Heritage Sites

Several places in Colombier are very important to Switzerland's history and culture. They are listed as Swiss heritage sites of national significance. These include:

The Arsenal (a military building)
The ancient lake shore settlement at Baie d‘Auvernier
Colombier Castle with its museum, Roman villa, and old defenses
The Domaine de Vaudijon (a large estate)
The House de maître du Bied (a grand house)
The Manoir Le Pontet (another historic house)

The entire old village of Colombier and the Areuse region are also part of the Inventory of Swiss Heritage Sites. This means they are protected for their historical value.

Economy and Jobs

In 2010, the unemployment rate in Colombier was 5.8%. This means about 5.8% of people looking for work could not find a job.

In 2008, there were many jobs in Colombier:

Agriculture: 43 people worked in farming.
Industry: 270 people worked in factories and construction.
Services: 1,306 people worked in jobs like shops, schools, and healthcare.

Many people who live in Colombier travel to other towns for work. In 2000, about 1,826 people left Colombier for work, while 947 came into Colombier for work. This means more people leave for work than come in. About 17.6% of workers used public transport, and 62.2% used a private car to get to work.

Religion

Based on a 2000 survey:

About 34% of people were Roman Catholic.
About 38% belonged to the Swiss Reformed Church (a type of Protestant church).
Smaller numbers of people belonged to other Christian churches, or were Jewish or Islamic.
About 18% of the people said they did not belong to any church.

Education

In Colombier, many people have a good education:

About 36.5% of adults have finished high school.
About 14.5% have gone on to higher education, like university.

In the canton of Neuchâtel, children usually go to kindergarten for two years. Then they have five years of primary school. After that, they go to a larger secondary school for four more years.

In the 2010–11 school year, Colombier had: