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Villages / Bern / Former Courtelary district / Sauge

Sauge

Merger 2014 Canton of Bern · Former district: Courtelary · 829 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 Sauge

Sauge is a new name chosen for the merger. It comes from a forest path linking Plagne and Vauffelin, and the municipal flag bears three sage leaves.[1][2]

Founding of Sauge

Sauge unites the municipalities of Plagne and Vauffelin, the latter with Frinvillier, that is the three villages of the Bas-Vallon. Smaller than the 1'000 inhabitants required by the canton of Bern, the new municipality needed an exemption. Together with Plateau de Diesse, it was the first in the Bernese Jura to receive the cantonal merger grant. Its council has five members, and the municipal assembly meets in each of the two villages in turn.[1][2][4][5]

History of Sauge

2002. On 30 October Péry, La Heutte, Orvin, Vauffelin, Plagne and Romont signed a preliminary agreement to draw closer.[9]

2008. On 1 June the six-municipality Rondchâtel plan failed, rejected by Péry and Orvin. Plagne had approved it by 180 votes to 3.[1][8][9]

2010. A steering committee relaunched the plan with Romont, Vauffelin, Plagne and La Heutte.[9]

2012. In June La Heutte chose to turn to Péry. In August the steering committee dropped the four-way plan.[1][3]

2012. In October Plagne and Vauffelin-Frinvillier relaunched the merger on their own, under the name Sauge, and asked the canton for an exemption.[4]

2013. On 28 February both municipal assemblies approved the merger contract and the organisational rules: 85 yes, 15 no and 1 abstention in Plagne, 66 yes, 2 no and 2 abstentions in Vauffelin-Frinvillier.[6][8]

2013. On 6 June the Bernese Executive Council approved the merger.[1][7]

2013. The first municipal elections took place on 26 August. Pierre-Alain Grosjean, former mayor of Plagne, became Sauge's first mayor.[1]

2014. On 1 January the municipality of Sauge replaced Plagne and Vauffelin.[1][8]

2026. In June Romont (BE) and Sauge decided to study a merger, aimed for 1 January 2029. The final decision remains open.[8]

Population of Sauge

Sources and references: [10]

Population of Sauge
2025829

Historic sites in Sauge

Municipal administration. Sauge's administrative offices are in Plagne.[2][5]

Sources

  1. Dictionnaire du Jura (DIJU), « Sauge » (Kiki Lutz, 2016)
  2. Commune de Sauge, « Sauge - Les pionniers de la fusion de communes » (2014)
  3. RJB, « Pas d'atomes crochus dans le Bas-Vallon » (22 août 2012)
  4. RJB, « Un mariage main dans la main » (9 octobre 2012)
  5. RJB, « Soirée décisive pour Sauge » (28 février 2013)
  6. RJB, « Vauffelin-Frinvillier et Plagne se marient » (1er mars 2013)
  7. RJB, « Sauge verra bel et bien le jour » (6 juin 2013)
  8. Canton de Berne, Direction de l'intérieur et de la justice, « Laufende Fusionsprojekte im Kanton Bern » (juin 2026)
  9. Chronologie jurassienne, « Plagne »
  10. Office fédéral de la statistique (OFS), STATPOP, population résidante permanente au 31.12.2025

Localities of the municipality with a page

Other villages near Sauge

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