Evilard

Evilard (in German: Leubringen ) is a common Suisse of the Canton of Bern, located in the District of Bienne. It has been formed by the localities of Evilard and Macolin joined together for a few years already. Evilard is a French/German bilingual commune.

Geography

The locality of Evilard is located at 1 kilometer as the crow flies Bienne, at an average altitude of 698 meters. The locality of Macolin is located at 875 meters of altitude.

Not lower = 620 m s/m in Evilard (Way on Beaumont). Not higher = 1070 m s/m in Macolin (Hohmatt).

It is about a commune in accentuated residential matter.

Per good weather, Evilard and Macolin offer a panoramic sight on the Swiss Plateau, like on the chain of the the Alps, of the Mont Blanc in the Alps glaronaises.

It has of a French school and a German school as well as bilingual class of kindergarten.

History

The first written mention of the commune goes back to the year 1300, under the name of Lomeringen . The name of the village of Macolin is certainly of origin burgonde. It is known since 1305, it sécrivait Macalingen then; in 1342, it became Macoleyn, then Maglingen in 1536 and Mahlingen in 1856.

From 1798 to 1815, Evilard belonged to the France, within the department of Mount-Terrible, then, as from 1800, of the department of the Haut-Rhin, to which the department of Mount-Terrible was attached. By decision of the Congress of Vienna, the Evilard commune was allotted to the Canton of Bern, in 1815 and was incorporated in the District of Nidau. In 1832, the common one joined the bilingual district of Bienne.

In 1902, the inhabitants of Evilard refused a merger plan with the town of Bienne.

Schools

Macolin: federal Office of the sport Macolin

Economy

Watches Delance

Political institutions

The commune of Evilard is represented with the Conseil of the French-speaking businesses of the bilingual district of Bienne, commonly called the CIF. It is about a nonparliamentary political institution which has as a role to exert the particular responsibilities allocate by the Canton of Bern to the French-speaking minority of the bilingual district of Bienne (Town of Bienne and commune of Evilard).

Created by the canton of Bern in 2006 in order to promote bilingualism and to reinforce the role of the French-speaking people in the bilingual district of Bienne, it is the first institution of this type in Switzerland. The CIF also collaborates with the Conseil of the Bernese Jura, a parliamentary body also pioneer in the country.

The CIF is in load of school coordination with the others French cantons as well as granting of subsidies to the French-speaking cultural activities being held in the bilingual district of Bienne. It is composed of 15 members elected for 4 years, that is to say 13 seats for the commune of Bienne and 2 seats for the commune of Evilard. The introduction of the CIF was approved by popular voting on April 9th, 2006. Concerned of the harmonious cohabitation between the French-speaking and German-speaking communities, the CIF guaranteed that at least 10 of its members are French-speaking. The CIF rises from the Law on the particular status of the Bernese Jura and the French-speaking minority of the district bilingual of Bienne of September 14th, 2004 and approved by the Great Bernese Council

Personalities

Henri Dubuis (1906-2003), architect who built the House of the people with Bienne
Ernst Hirt, old federal principal of sport

Transport

Funicular: 1 connecting Evilard to Bienne and 1 connecting Macolin to Bienne. A service of free local bus also connects the localities of Evilard and Macolin.

References

External bonds

Evilard in the DHS
Official site of the tourist bureau of Biel/Bienne-Zeeland

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