Valbirse facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Valbirse
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Valbirse main road
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 Valbirse
Location in Switzerland
Valbirse
Location in Canton of Bern
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| Country | Switzerland | |
| Canton | Bern | |
| District | Jura bernois | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 18.68 km2 (7.21 sq mi) | |
| Elevation | 699 m (2,293 ft) | |
| Population
(Dec 2020 )
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| • Total | 3,971 | |
| • Density | 212.58/km2 (550.58/sq mi) | |
| Postal code |
2733/2735
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| Surrounded by | Reconvilier, Loveresse, Champoz, Péry-La Heutte | |
| Twin towns | Tar (Hungary) | |
Valbirse is a town, also called a municipality, located in the Jura bernois administrative district. This area is in the canton of Bern in Switzerland. It's known for being in the French-speaking part of the Bernese Jura.
Valbirse was formed on January 1, 2015. It was created when three smaller towns, Bévilard, Malleray, and Pontenet, decided to join together.
Contents
A Look Back in Time: Valbirse's History
Valbirse is a new town, but its parts have a long history. Let's explore the stories of Bévilard, Malleray, and Pontenet.
Bévilard: A Village Transformed
Bévilard was first mentioned in old records in 1182. It was known as Bevilar back then. Not much is known about its very early days. For a long time, a powerful religious leader called the Provost of Moutier-Grandval Abbey owned most of the land.
In 1797, France won a war and took control of Bévilard. After Napoleon was defeated, a big meeting called the Congress of Vienna happened in 1815. At this meeting, Bévilard became part of the Canton of Bern.
The village church, Saint-Georges, was first mentioned in 1263. The church you see today was built in 1716. In 1531, the village adopted the Protestant Reformation, a new type of Christian faith. This church was important for several nearby villages, including Malleray and Pontenet.
Bévilard was mostly a farming village until 1877. That year, a train station was built nearby. This made it easy to transport goods and encouraged factories to open. Soon, companies making precision parts and watches moved in. The watch industry brought many jobs and people to Bévilard until the 1970s. After that, cheaper electronic watches became popular, and the population in Bévilard decreased.
Malleray: From Farms to Factories
Malleray was first mentioned in 1179 as Malareia. Its early history is also a bit of a mystery. In 1367, there was a small battle near Malleray. Troops from Basel tried to stop Biel from making a treaty with Bern. But an army from Solothurn came to help Bern and defeated the Basel troops.
Over many years, the Provost of Moutier-Grandval Abbey slowly gained control of most of Malleray. Later, in the late 1500s, it became part of a larger administrative area under the diocese of Basel. Like Bévilard, Malleray also became part of France in 1797. Then, after Napoleon's defeat, it joined the Canton of Bern in 1815.
The watchmaking industry started in Malleray in 1846. This changed the village from a farming community into an industrial town. The railway, built between 1874 and 1877, sped up this change. Many people moved to Malleray for factory jobs. Even today, about half of all jobs in Malleray are in precision industries.
Pontenet: A Small Village's Journey
Pontenet was first mentioned in 1359 as Pontenat. By 1371, a religious house called Bellelay Abbey owned much of the land here. Later, a leader from Moutier-Grandval Abbey managed the village for the Prince-Bishop of Basel.
In 1750, the Birs river flooded. It destroyed the village's mill, sawmill, and bridge. Like the other towns, Pontenet became part of France in 1797 and then joined the Canton of Bern in 1815. Pontenet was always part of the same church parish as Bévilard.
A train line was built near Pontenet in 1876. However, it wasn't until 1918 that trains actually started stopping in the village. A few small workshops grew up along the road and railway.
Geography of Valbirse
The town of Valbirse gets its name from the Birs River. This river flows right through the town, from the southwest to the northeast.
The combined area of the former towns that now make up Valbirse is about 18.67 square kilometers.
Population of Valbirse
The total population of Valbirse is 3,971 people. This number is updated regularly.
Getting Around: Transportation
Valbirse has two railway stations: Malleray-Bévilard and Pontenet. Both stations are on the Sonceboz-Sombeval–Moutier railway line. You can catch regular trains from these stations to Biel/Bienne and Moutier.
Historic Population Trends
This chart shows how the populations of Bévilard, Malleray, and Pontenet changed over time before they merged into Valbirse.
