La Chaux-de-Fonds

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La Chaux-de-Fonds

Canton	Neuchâtel
District	La Chaux-de-Fonds
Coordinates	47°6′N 6°50′E
Population	37374 (December 2003)
Area	55.66 km²
Elevation	1000 m
Postal code	2300
SFOS number	6421
Mayor	Pierre Hainard
Website	www.chaux-de-fonds.ch
Twin towns	Winterthur (Switzerland), Frameries (Belgium)
La Chaux-de-Fonds

La Chaux-de-Fonds is a city in the Jura mountains in Switzerland. It is located in the Canton of Neuchâtel at an altitude of 1000 m, a few kilometers from the French border. After Geneva and Lausanne, it is the third largest city in the French-speaking part of the country.

1 History
2 Culture
3 Economy
4 Transport
5 Notable people
6 References
7 External links

[edit] History

The region was first inhabited around 10,000 years ago (Epipaleolithic). A skull and other traces have been found in caves nearby.

In the middle of the 14th century, the forests found there have been colonised from the south. The region was under the authority of the lords of Valangin. Agriculture was the main activity. The first church has been built in 1528. The city became at the end of the 16th century an important crossroad between Neuchâtel and Franche-Comté.

City of La Chaux-de-Fonds in winter

The community has grown during the Thirty Years' War, mainly because of its strategic position for trade. But economic activity really begins in the 18th century with the development of lace and watchmaking industry. Pierre Jacquet-Droz and his family is one of the most famous watchmakers of this time. He is best known for his automata.

In 1794, the city was devastated by fire. Charles-Henri Junod created the new city's plan in 1835, as a grid. The central avenue is named the Avenue Léopold Robert.

[edit] Culture

The city holds the international watchmaking museum, showing the history of watches. Watchmaking companies such as Accurist have offices in the city.

Art Nouveau had a great influence on architecture and culture in the city.

The daily newspaper L'Impartial has been published in La Chaux-de-Fonds since 1880.

The Wakker Prize was granted to La-Chaux-de-Fonds in 1994.

[edit] Economy

The city's economy is based on industry and watch manufactories. Famous watchmaking manufactories include Girard-Perregaux founded in Geneva in 1791, Corum, Breitling, Ulysse Nardin, Invicta and others.

[edit] Transport

The city is served by Les Eplatures Airport.

[edit] Notable people

Its most famous native sons are the architect Le Corbusier, born here as Charles-Edouard Jeanneret in 1887, Louis Chevrolet, born in 1878, founder of the Chevrolet Motor Car Company and Blaise Cendrars, novelist and poet, born as Frédéric Louis Sauser in 1887.

Other notable people born in La Chaux-de-Fonds include the painter Louis-Leopold Robert born in 1794, and Numa Droz, a politician, born in 1844.