Schelten
Origin of the name Schelten
The place is recorded in 1563 as «la Schilt». Its official French name, La Scheulte, was replaced in 1914 by the German form Schelten.[1]
Founding of Schelten
Schelten is a scattered settlement in the upper Val Terbi, at the foot of the Scheulte pass, on the road from Delémont to Balsthal. It belonged to the provostship of Moutier-Grandval, in the Sous-les-Roches part that remained Catholic, and comes under the parish of Mervelier. The mostly German-speaking municipality is the northernmost in the canton of Bern. It has 13 scattered houses and eight farmers. More than 2'000 people have Schelten as their place of origin without living there.[1][2]
History of Schelten
1563. The place appears as «la Schilt». It belongs to the provostship of Moutier-Grandval, in the Sous-les-Roches area, which remained Catholic.[1]
1797-1800. La Scheulte is attached to the French department of Mont-Terrible.[1]
1800-1813. The municipality belongs to the department of Haut-Rhin.[1]
1815. La Scheulte joins the canton of Bern, first the bailiwick, then the district of Moutier.[1]
1853. The municipality becomes a mixed municipality (commune mixte).[1]
1861. The chapel of Saint-Antoine is built in this village, which belongs to the Catholic parish of Mervelier.[1]
1914. La Scheulte takes the name Schelten. The change, encouraged by Bern and linked to the Pan-German movement, is approved by the population.[1]
1967. Sepp Stolz, who came from St. Gallen for one year, starts teaching at the school, where primary and secondary pupils share one class. He stays forty years.[2]
1974-1975. In the Jura plebiscites, Schelten refuses to join the new canton of Jura, unlike the other municipalities of the Val Terbi.[1]
1985-1987. The chapel of Saint-Antoine is restored.[1]
2018. The school has closed. Only three children of school age still live in the municipality, which has 37 inhabitants in 13 scattered houses.[2]
Population of Schelten
Sources and references: [1][3]
| 1850 | 82 |
| 1870 | 110 |
| 1900 | 91 |
| 1950 | 69 |
| 2000 | 52 |
| 2010 | 41 |
| 2020 | 39 |
| 2025 | 37 |
Historic sites in Schelten
Chapel of Saint-Antoine. Catholic chapel built in 1861 and restored from 1985 to 1987. The village belongs to the parish of Mervelier.[1]
Scheulte pass. Pass at the foot of which the municipality lies, on the road from Delémont to Balsthal.[1]
Sources
- Dictionnaire historique de la Suisse, « Schelten » (François Wisard), version du 14.01.2026
- SRF News, Patrick Mülhauser, « 2827 Schelten: Unterwegs in der nördlichsten Gemeinde des Kantons Bern », 05.10.2018
- Office fédéral de la statistique (OFS), STATPOP, population résidante permanente au 31.12.2025
Other villages near Schelten
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