Sonvilier is a common Suisse of the Canton of Bern, located in the District of Courtelary. It belongs to the area of the the Bernese Jura, the French-speaking part of the Canton of Bern.
Geography
Sonvilier is to 12 km as the crow flies La Chaux-de-Fonds, in the upper part of the Small valley of Saint-Imier, along the course of the Suze. The culminating point of the communal territory is to 1269 m on the Mount-D' Amin and to 1220 m on the Mountain of the Right.The communal territory is occupied at a rate of 4% per the habitat, 35% per the forest, 60% per the agricultural zones and 1% of unproductive ground.
The plate of Lime-with Abel (1040 m of altitude), formed of disseminated farms and forming part geographically of the Frank-Mountains, is located on the communal territory of Sonvilier.
History
From 1797 to 1815, Sonvilier 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 territory of old the évêché of Basle was allotted to the Canton of Bern, in 1815.The village is known to have briefly accommodated the anarchist Mikhaïl Aleksandrovitch Bakounine in 1871.
Two young men of the village, Commercial Fritz and Jules-César Wille, founded the philanthropic Company Union Site of the company.
Economy
With the arrival of the Clock industry in the small valley of Saint-Imier, agriculture was replaced by industry. Several important companies developed in the locality: IGA (boxes of watches), Chronolite (stones of clock industry), Gränicher (springs of clock industry). The clock making crisis of the years 1970 involved the closing of all these companies.
Historic sites
- the Château of Erguel is located at the south-east of the locality, on the mountainside of Back.
- the Large Coronelle , firm built in 1621, having an arched kitchen with powerful circular pillars.
Personalities
- Ferdinand Gonseth, philosopher.
- Pierre-Andre Marchand, chansonnier and satirical journalist Article of the Dictionary of the Jura
- Adhémar Richard, painter Article of the Dictionary of the Jura
- Jean Rossel, professor of university
- Adhémar Schwitzguebel, anarchist
Museums
- Museum of weapons and old objects. Opened Saturday of 9:00 to 12:00 and 13:00 to 17:00 and on request (Tel. +41 32.941 57 17).
External bonds
- Site of the commune
- Lime-to Abel is a cheese of mountain pasture produced since of the generations. Site of the cheese dairy
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