Saint-Imier
Origin of the name Saint-Imier
The town bears the name of Saint Imier. In 884 it is called « cella de sancti Himerii ». The old German name is « Sankt Immer ».[1]
Founding of Saint-Imier
Saint-Imier lies in the valley crossed by the Suze, on the route linking Biel/Bienne to La Chaux-de-Fonds. Legend places the settlement of the hermit Imier here at the end of the 6th or the beginning of the 7th century. The cella bearing his name belonged in 884 to the abbey of Moutier-Grandval, and a chapel is recorded in 968. Through the donation of Rudolph III, King of Burgundy, the place passed to the Bishop of Basel in 999. The town grew around two churches, the Romanesque collegiate church and the parish church of Saint-Martin. At the end of the 15th century the mairie of Saint-Imier also covered Villeret, Sonvilier, Renan and La Ferrière. In the 19th century watchmaking turned this small town of 900 inhabitants in 1810 into an industrial town of more than 7'000 inhabitants in 1880.[1]
History of Saint-Imier
884. The cella of Saint Imier is part of the property of the abbey of Moutier-Grandval.[1]
968. A chapel is recorded.[1]
999. Through the donation of Rudolph III, King of Burgundy, the place passes to the Bishop of Basel.[1]
1228. The parish church of Saint-Martin appears in the records.[1]
1264. Otto of Arguel returns his office of advocate to the bishop. The Erguël, to which Saint-Imier belongs, becomes an episcopal lordship.[1]
Late 15th century. The mairie of Saint-Imier extends to Villeret, Sonvilier, Renan and La Ferrière.[1]
1530. Saint-Imier adopts the Reformation.[1]
1792. The mayor Théodore Frédéric Louis Liomin takes part in the revolutionary unrest.[1]
1798-1813. Under French rule the town belongs to the department of Mont-Terrible, then to that of Haut-Rhin.[1]
1815. Saint-Imier joins the canton of Bern.[1]
1828. The church of Saint-Martin is demolished. Only its tower is left standing.[1]
1839-1856. Three fires devastate the town, in 1839, 1843 and 1856.[1]
1857. Catholic worship is restored.[1]
1858. The municipality (commune municipale) is created.[1]
1866. The neo-Gothic Catholic church of Saint-Martin is completed. A watchmaking school opens the same year.[1]
1867. The Longines factory starts production.[1]
1872. The congress of the Fédération jurassienne held at Saint-Imier gives birth to the anti-authoritarian International.[1]
1874. The railway links Saint-Imier to the Swiss network.[1]
1912. A Christ Catholic church is built.[1]
1930 and 1970. Two watchmaking crises hit the town.[1]
1961. A technical college opens, followed in 1976 by an engineering school.[1]
Population of Saint-Imier
Sources and references: [1][2]
| 1810 | 900 |
| 1839 | 1'800 |
| 1850 | 2'632 |
| 1880 | 7'033 |
| 1900 | 7'455 |
| 1950 | 5'972 |
| 1970 | 6'740 |
| 1980 | 5'430 |
| 2000 | 4'807 |
| 2025 | 5'144 |
Historic sites in Saint-Imier
Collegiate church. Romanesque church, probably from the 11th century, which became the parish church after the Reformation.[1]
Tour Saint-Martin. Bell tower from the late 15th or early 16th century, also called the Tower of Queen Bertha. It is the last remnant of the old parish church of Saint-Martin.[1]
Catholic church of Saint-Martin. Neo-Gothic church completed in 1866.[1]
Christ Catholic church. Built in 1912.[1]
Hospital and Longines factory. The hospital dates from 1856, the Longines factory from 1867.[1]
Museum, Mémoires d'Ici and Espace Noir. The museum, founded in 1886, reopened in 2002. Mémoires d'Ici has existed since 2000, Espace Noir since 1984 and the Relais culturel d'Erguël since 1992.[1]
Remains in Saint-Imier
Former church of Saint-Martin. The church demolished in 1828 left its tower. Its site, now occupied by the Relais culturel d'Erguël, was excavated in 1986-1987 and 1990.[1]
Legends of Saint-Imier
The hermit Imier. Legend has it that Saint Imier settled in the Suze valley at the end of the 6th or the beginning of the 7th century. The town bears his name.[1]
Sources
- Dictionnaire historique de la Suisse, « Saint-Imier (commune) » (Christine Gagnebin-Diacon), version du 12.07.2017
- Office fédéral de la statistique (OFS), STATPOP, population résidante permanente au 31.12.2025
Localities of the municipality with a page
Other villages near Saint-Imier
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