Renens
Origin of the name Renens
The place is mentioned between 888 and 896 in the form "in villa Runingis", then in forms such as "Rugnens", "Runens" or "Regnens" before "Renens". The ending "-ens" is common in French-speaking Swiss place names of Burgundian origin, but the precise meaning of the name is not established in the sources consulted (to be cross-checked).
Founding of Renens
Renens has no known founder. Neolithic graves and an early medieval cemetery have been found at Caudrey. In the Middle Ages the village belonged to the cathedral chapter of Lausanne, which set up a prebend there between 1233 and 1303. In 1555 Claude de Praroman obtained the seigneurial rights through a land exchange with Bern. The village became a commune in 1798. It was the railway, and above all the marshalling yard installed in 1876, that turned this small farming village into a town.
History of Renens
Neolithic. Neolithic graves at Caudrey.
early Middle Ages. Cemetery at Caudrey.
888-896. First mention, in the form "in villa Runingis".
963. A chapel of Saint-Sauveur is attested.
1233-1303. The cathedral chapter of Lausanne sets up a prebend in Renens.
1303. First mention of the church of Saint-Jacques (demolished in 1840).
1550. The village has 11 hearths (households).
1555. Claude de Praroman obtains the seigneurial rights through a land exchange with Bern.
1764. The village has 226 inhabitants.
1768-1772. Construction of the Maison des Tilleuls.
1798. Renens becomes a commune.
1832. A brickworks opens (moved to Crissier in 1958).
1855. Arrival of the railway.
1876. The marshalling yard is installed, triggering urbanisation.
1900. The commune has 1'279 inhabitants.
1916. A Catholic parish is created.
1933-1935. Construction of the present Reformed church, inaugurated in 1935.
1940. British bombers returning from Italy mistakenly bomb Renens station, killing two people and injuring eight (exact date to be cross-checked).
1960. The commune passes 10'000 inhabitants (10'698).
2000. The commune has 18'406 inhabitants.
2004. Renens is one of the nine communes in the western Lausanne master plan (Schéma directeur de l'Ouest lausannois).
around 2007. The ECAL art school moves into the former Iril factory.
Population of Renens
| 1550 | 11 hearths (households) |
| 1764 | 226 |
| 1850 | 362 |
| 1888 | 645 |
| 1900 | 1'279 |
| 1950 | 5'698 |
| 1960 | 10'698 |
| 2000 | 18'406 |
| 2025 | 21'827 |
Historic sites in Renens
Maison des Tilleuls. Mansion built in 1768-1772, one of the main witnesses of Renens before industrialisation.
Renens station. Opened with the arrival of the railway in 1855 and completed in 1876 by the marshalling yard, it is at the origin of the town's growth.
Reformed church. Built from 1933 to 1935 for a rapidly growing population.
ECAL. The ECAL art school has occupied the former Iril factory since around 2007, an example of the reuse of industrial heritage.
Remains in Renens
Caudrey graves. Neolithic graves and an early medieval cemetery found at Caudrey are the oldest evidence of human presence in the commune.
Sources
- Dictionnaire historique de la Suisse, « Renens (VD) »
- Wikipédia FR, « Renens »
- Statistique Vaud, « Population résidante permanente au 31 décembre 2025 »
Other villages near Renens
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