Cottens
Origin of the name Cottens
The village is recorded in 1138 in the form « Cotens ». In German it was once called Cottingen. The name has not been explained further.[1]
Founding of Cottens
Cottens lies on the road and rail axis linking Romont with Fribourg. A noble family of the same name is recorded here from the 12th century. The village seems to have belonged to the lordship of Arconciel, which passed from the lords of Glâne to the counts of Neuchâtel. Hauterive abbey held many properties here, acquired from the Glâne, Englisberg and Estavayer families. Long part of the parish of Autigny, Cottens remained rural until the 1970s, before becoming a residential commune.[1][2]
History of Cottens
1138. First mention of the village, in the form « Cotens ».[1]
12th century. A noble family of Cottens is recorded.[1]
1218. When the estates of the house of Neuchâtel are divided, the lands of Conon de Cottens go to Berthold de Neuchâtel.[1]
1423. The chapel of Saint-Martin appears in the records.[1]
1442. Cottens belongs to the Old Lands of Fribourg, in the banner of the Neuveville.[1]
1550. The chapel of Saint-Martin is rebuilt.[1]
1798-1848. The village belongs to the district of Fribourg.[1]
1841. A school is built.[1]
1862. The station opens on the Lausanne-Bern line.[1]
1930. Cottens leaves the parish of Autigny and becomes a parish of its own.[1][2]
1956. A modern church replaces the old chapel.[1]
1970s. The commune, rural until then, becomes residential.[1]
1986. A natural sewage plant with artificial aeration, presented as unique in Switzerland, goes into service.[1]
1991. A nursing home opens.[1]
Population of Cottens
Sources and references: [1][3]
| 1811 | 162 |
| 1850 | 268 |
| 1900 | 403 |
| 1950 | 517 |
| 1970 | 465 |
| 2000 | 963 |
| 2025 | 1'605 |
Historic sites in Cottens
Parish church. A modern church built in 1956, after the parish was created in 1930. It took the place of the chapel of Saint-Martin.[1]
Remains in Cottens
Mesolithic settlement and fortification. A Mesolithic settlement and a fortified work, neither dated more precisely, have been identified in the commune.[1]
Chapel of Saint-Martin. Recorded in 1423 and rebuilt in 1550, it was replaced in 1956 by the present church.[1]
Sources
- Dictionnaire historique de la Suisse, « Cottens (FR) » (Marianne Rolle, version du 11.08.2005)
- Dictionnaire historique de la Suisse, « Autigny » (Marianne Rolle, version du 12.06.2014)
- Service de la statistique du canton de Fribourg (SStat), « Population des communes, de 1900 à 2025 » (T01-02-03), population résidante permanente au 31.12.2025
Other villages near Cottens
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