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Villages / Bern / Former Moutier district / Châtelat

Châtelat

Canton of Bern · Former district: Moutier · 119 inhabitants (2001, former municipality of Châtelat, last figure before the merger)
Part of the municipality of Petit-Val
Origin of the name Founding Historical timeline Population over time Must-see historical sites Sources and references Nearby villages

Origin of the name Châtelat

The name appears in 1335 as «Schestellat» or «Schellestellat», then «Chestelet» in 1337 and «Chételat» in 1434. Its origin has not been established. The inhabitants bear the nickname «Tschêtrepas».[1][2]

Founding of Châtelat

Châtelat is a village of the Petit-Val, crossed by the Pichoux road. Its territory also includes Fornet-Dessous, not to be confused with Fornet-Dessus (municipality of Lajoux), and the Moron, at 1'020 metres at the end of the chain of the same name, where an Anabaptist refuge settlement grew up. Until 1797 Châtelat lay on the edge of the provostry of Moutier-Grandval and belonged to the mayoralty and parish of Sornetan. The abbey of Bellelay owned a mill, tithes and various rights here, above all at Fornet. The village lives from livestock, farming and cheese, and most inhabitants are Mennonites. Châtelat has been part of the municipality of Petit-Val since the 2015 merger.[1][2]

History of Châtelat

1335. First mention of Châtelat.[1][2]

1797-1815. The village is French, in the département of Mont-Terrible and, from 1800, in that of Haut-Rhin. The Congress of Vienna then assigns it to the canton of Bern.[2]

1829. Fornet-Dessous, which had become a municipality in its own right in the French period, is entirely destroyed by fire.[1][2]

1869. The burghers' municipality and the residents' municipality merge into a mixed municipality.[1][2]

1897. An orphanage and old people's home for the district of Moutier is founded in the village. This first old people's home of the district is later moved to Reconvilier as «La Ruche», now «La Colline».[1][2]

1949. Théo Loosli-Habegger, born on the Moron in 1924, becomes preacher of the Mennonite church of Moron. From 1957 to 1981 he also teaches the Moron single-class school.[2]

2009. The Tête de Moine of the Fornet-Dessous dairy, the last of the municipality's three dairies still working, wins the top title at the Cheese Olympics.[2]

2013. On 24 November 72 % of voters choose to remain in the canton of Bern.[2]

2014. On 16 March Châtelat accepts the merger with Monible, Sornetan and Souboz by 60.6 % yes.[2][3]

2015. On 1 January Châtelat becomes part of the new municipality of Petit-Val.[1][2]

Population of Châtelat

Sources and references: [1][2]

Population of Châtelat
1850153
1890220
1900173
1910213
1950192
2000122
2001119

Historic sites in Châtelat

Mennonite chapel on the Moron. Place of worship of the Mennonites of the area, on the Moron.[1][2]

Granaries and fountain. Plank-built granaries and the village fountain survive, together with well-preserved houses built around 1700 or in the early 19th century.[2]

Fornet-Dessous dairy. The only one of the three former dairies still working, it makes Tête de Moine.[2]

Former village dairy. Jean-Louis Fleury, a racing driver like his son Frédéric, runs a small museum here.[2]

Sources

  1. Dictionnaire historique de la Suisse, « Châtelat » (André Bandelier, version du 14.09.2016)
  2. Commune de Petit-Val, « Châtelat autrefois »
  3. Dictionnaire du Jura (DIJU), « Petit-Val » (Kiki Lutz, 2016)

Other villages near Châtelat

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