Bogis-Bossey
Origin of the name Bogis-Bossey
The municipality takes its name from its two localities: Bogis, the main village near the border with the Pays de Gex, and Bossey, a hamlet comprising the château, the Hostellerie, Petit-Bossey and Belle-Ferme. The etymology of these names is not explained in the sources consulted.
Founding of Bogis-Bossey
No founder is known. In 1125 the estate of Bossey was given to the Cistercian abbey of Bonmont by Humbert de Grammont, bishop of Geneva. From the 12th century Bogis was a « grange » (farm estate) of Bonmont Abbey; its lands were later granted in abergement, that is, conceded to settlers who worked them. Bossey also belonged to the abbey before Bern made it a lordship in 1542.
History of Bogis-Bossey
1125. Humbert de Grammont, bishop of Geneva, gives the estate of Bossey to Bonmont Abbey.
12th century. Bogis is a « grange » of Bonmont Abbey; the lands are later granted in abergement to settlers.
1542. Bern makes Bossey a lordship for the preacher Antoine Saunier.
1711. The lordship becomes a castellany of the bailiwick of Bonmont.
1722. The Geneva family Turrettini builds the Château de Bossey.
1764. The municipality has 89 inhabitants.
1798. Bogis-Bossey is attached to the district of Nyon.
1809. Madame de Staël buys the Bossey estate for her son Auguste, who sells it two years later.
1931-1938. The château houses the Institut Juillerat du Petit-Bossey, a school applying the methods of the École active.
1940. Polish soldiers who had come from France are interned at the château.
1946. Founding at the château of the Ecumenical Institute of Bossey, linked to the World Council of Churches.
1985. The municipality has only five farmers left.
1990. Bogis-Bossey has become residential: 87% of the working population are commuters.
2000. The municipality has 847 inhabitants.
2025. The municipality has 961 inhabitants on 31 December.
Population of Bogis-Bossey
| 1764 | 89 |
| 1850 | 131 |
| 1900 | 147 |
| 1950 | 123 |
| 2000 | 847 |
| 2025 | 961 |
Historic sites in Bogis-Bossey
Château de Bossey. Manor house built in 1722 by the Geneva family Turrettini, incorporating a medieval tower (to be cross-checked). The great salon keeps carved panelling attributed to Jean Jaquet. The estate passed through many hands, including those of Madame de Staël in 1809. It housed a school in the 1930s, interned Polish soldiers in 1940 and, from 1946, the Ecumenical Institute of Bossey of the World Council of Churches.
Hamlet of Bossey. Hamlet comprising the Château de Bossey, the Hostellerie, Petit-Bossey and Belle-Ferme.
Sources
- Dictionnaire historique de la Suisse, « Bogis-Bossey »
- Wikipédia, « Bogis-Bossey »
- Wikipédia, « Château de Bossey »
- Statistique Vaud, « Population résidante permanente au 31 décembre 2025 »
Other villages near Bogis-Bossey
Missing information, or do you have a source? Suggest a correction or addition. Every submission is checked before it's published.
Suggest a change