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Estavayer

Town Merger 2017 Canton of Fribourg · District: Broye · 10'812 inhabitants (31.12.2025)
Origin of the name Founding Historical timeline Population over time Must-see historical sites Sources and references Nearby villages

Origin of the name Estavayer

The municipality bears the name of its main town, Estavayer-le-Lac, recorded in 1156 as « Stavaiel ». The cantonal nomenclature commission and swisstopo gave their opinion on the name. The logo of the new municipality, designed by Anne Meyer Loetscher, shows a stylised rose, symbol of the Broye.[1][6][8]

Founding of Estavayer

Since 1 January 2017 Estavayer has united seven municipalities: Bussy, Estavayer-le-Lac, Morens, Murist, Rueyres-les-Prés, Vernay and Vuissens. Several were already the product of mergers, Murist in 1981 and 1992, Vernay in 2006, Estavayer-le-Lac with Font in 2012. First studied by ten municipalities, the project is pursued by seven from 2014, approved at the ballot box on 14 June 2015 and enacted by a Grand Council law in October 2015. The Council of State's message sees it as a step towards the wider merger of the prefect's plan. The municipality has thirteen villages and a few hamlets over 40.42 km², and ranks fourth in the canton by population.[1][2][5][6]

History of Estavayer

1981. Montborget and La Vounaise join Murist on 1 January, under a decree of 20 November 1980.[6][7]

1992. Franex is joined to Murist, under a decree of 21 May 1992.[6][7]

2006. Autavaux, Forel and Montbrelloz form Vernay on 1 January. The new name avoided taking that of one of the three villages.[6]

2012. Estavayer-le-Lac takes in Font on 1 January, under a law of 4 November 2011. In July ten municipalities of the enclave start studying a wider merger, without Châtillon and Lully.[1][6][7]

2013. On 28 May the Council of State approves the Broye prefect's merger plan. Its project « Enclave d'Estavayer-le-Lac (Nord) et enclave de Vuissens » brings together twelve municipalities.[1]

2014. Cheyres, Châbles and Sévaz withdraw. The other seven municipalities carry on with the project from the summer.[1]

2015. The merger agreement is signed on 30 March. On 14 June the seven municipalities accept it, Estavayer-le-Lac by 1'181 votes to 492, Vernay by 305 to 194 and Morens by 66 to 15.[1][6]

2015. The Council of State sends its message to the Grand Council on 25 August. The parliamentary committee unanimously recommends the law on 2 October, and the Grand Council adopts it at its October session. Cantonal merger aid amounts to 778'800 francs.[1][2][3][4]

2016. The authorities of the future municipality are elected in September and sworn in before the prefect on 28 November.[6]

2017. Estavayer comes into being on 1 January. Its administration reopens to the public on 9 January.[5][6]

Population of Estavayer

Sources and references: [1][9][10]

Population of Estavayer
20108'150
20138'950
20209'988
202510'812

Historic sites in Estavayer

La Grenette. The municipal administration is based in the Grenette building, Rue de l'Hôtel de Ville 11, in Estavayer-le-Lac, capital of the Broye district.[5][6]

Sources

  1. Conseil d'État du canton de Fribourg, message 2015-DIAF-73 du 25 août 2015 accompagnant le projet de loi relatif à la fusion des communes de Bussy, Estavayer-le-Lac, Morens, Murist, Rueyres-les-Prés, Vernay et Vuissens
  2. Grand Conseil du canton de Fribourg, Parlinfo, objet 2015-DIAF-73 « Fusion des communes de Bussy, Estavayer-le-Lac, Morens, Murist, Rueyres-les-Prés, Vernay et Vuissens »
  3. Grand Conseil du canton de Fribourg, propositions de la commission parlementaire du 2 octobre 2015 (objet 2015-DIAF-73)
  4. Projet de loi relative à la fusion des communes de Bussy, Estavayer-le-Lac, Morens, Murist, Rueyres-les-Prés, Vernay et Vuissens (objet 2015-DIAF-73)
  5. Commune d'Estavayer, « Portrait »
  6. Commune d'Estavayer, « Journal d'Estavayer » n° 0
  7. État de Fribourg, Recueil systématique (RSF 141.1.2), « Liste chronologique des fusions, divisions et changements de nom des communes »
  8. Dictionnaire historique de la Suisse, « Estavayer-le-Lac » (Denis Ramseyer, Stefan Jäggi, version du 05.05.2017)
  9. Inventaire fédéral des sites construits d'importance nationale (ISOS), « Estavayer-le-Lac » (n° 1484)
  10. 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

Localities of the municipality with a page

Other villages near Estavayer

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