Courfaivre
Origin of the name Courfaivre
Name origin: the Historical Dictionary of Switzerland gives the form « Curfavro » in 1147. Wikipedia reports an older mention, « Curtifavra » in 968 (to be cross-checked), and explains the name by the Romance « corte » (farm estate, from Latin « cohors ») probably followed by the Latin personal name « Faber » (to be cross-checked). The inhabitants are nicknamed the « Mergats », tomcats in the local dialect (to be cross-checked).
Founding of Courfaivre
Neither the founder of Courfaivre nor the circumstances of its creation are known. The area has been occupied since the Late Bronze Age and the Iron Age, then in Roman times and the early Middle Ages, as several archaeological sites show. In 1147 the Cistercian abbey of Lucelle held property there. Until 1792 Courfaivre was one of the thirteen free villages of the Delémont valley, a lordship of the Prince-Bishopric of Basel. Agricultural until the late 19th century, the village industrialised with the Condor factory founded in 1893. It is today in the municipality of Haute-Sorne (merger of 1 January 2013).
History of Courfaivre
Late Bronze Age and Iron Age. Pottery sherds attest occupation of the area.
1st century AD. Roman coin hoard; a glass cinerary urn also dates from Roman times.
Early Middle Ages. Cemeteries; Wikipedia reports Merovingian graves at the place called Courtes Méchielles (to be cross-checked).
968. Mention « Curtifavra » reported by Wikipedia (to be cross-checked).
1147. Mention « Curfavro »; the Cistercian abbey of Lucelle holds property in Courfaivre.
1271. Like the other free villages of the Delémont valley, Courfaivre passes to the Prince-Bishopric of Basel.
1327. First mention of the parish.
1675. 240 communicants are counted.
1701-1702. Rebuilding of the church of Saint-Germain d'Auxerre.
1793-1813. Courfaivre belongs to the French departments of Mont-Terrible (1793-1800), then Haut-Rhin (1800-1813).
1815. Attachment to the canton of Bern, in the bailiwick and then the district of Delémont, until 1978.
1853. Courfaivre becomes a mixed municipality.
1876. Opening of the station on the Delémont-Porrentruy line.
1893. Founding of the Condor bicycle, motorcycle and machine factory, which boomed between the wars.
1950. From this date, mechanical, watch-case and metal construction workshops set up.
1953-1954. Renovation of the church, with a tabernacle by Remo Rossi (1953) and stained glass by Fernand Léger (1954).
1957. Choir tapestry by Jean Lurçat.
1979. Courfaivre becomes part of the new canton of Jura.
2000. Condor remains the village's main company (about 60 workers); the secondary sector provides more than a third of jobs.
2013. Merger with Bassecourt, Glovelier, Soulce and Undervelier into the municipality of Haute-Sorne (1 January).
Population of Courfaivre
| 1675 | 240 communicants |
| 1818 | 554 |
| 1850 | 668 |
| 1870 | 595 |
| 1900 | 659 |
| 1910 | 777 |
| 1950 | 1'214 |
| 2000 | 1'537 |
| 2010 | 1'609 |
| 2012 | 1'600 |
Historic sites in Courfaivre
Church of Saint-Germain d'Auxerre. Parish mentioned since 1327. The church, rebuilt in 1701-1702 and renovated in 1953-1954, houses a tabernacle by Remo Rossi (1953), stained glass by Fernand Léger (1954) and a choir tapestry by Jean Lurçat (1957). Wikipedia also reports a statue of Saint Germanus (1706-1707) by Johannes Schneider (to be cross-checked).
Former Condor factory. Founded in 1893, the Condor bicycle, motorcycle and machine factory made Courfaivre an industrial village; it was still the village's main company in 2000.
Remains in Courfaivre
Protohistoric sites. Several sites have yielded Late Bronze Age and Iron Age sherds.
Roman finds. Coin hoard of the 1st century AD and a glass cinerary urn.
Early medieval cemeteries. Early medieval cemeteries; Merovingian graves are reported at the place called Courtes Méchielles (to be cross-checked).
Sources
- Dictionnaire historique de la Suisse, « Courfaivre » (François Kohler)
- Wikipédia (fr), « Courfaivre »
- geo.admin.ch (swisstopo), recherche de lieux « Courfaivre »
Other villages near Courfaivre
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