Sergey
Origin of the name Sergey
The village is first mentioned in 1321 as «Sergeys». None of the sources consulted explains the origin of the name.
Founding of Sergey
The area was frequented long before the village existed: a Hallstatt-period burial mound has been identified there, as well as possible remains of the Roman road from Orbe to Besançon. None of the sources consulted names a founder of the village. From the Middle Ages, Sergey belonged to the lordship of Les Clées. In 1331 it had only three hearths, which depended on the lord of La Mothe, the canon Hugues de Champvent. The village community only becomes clearly visible with the first communal accounts of 1686 and the council mentioned in 1740.
History of Sergey
Hallstatt period. A burial mound is raised on the territory of the future municipality.
Roman period. Some remains may belong to the Roman road from Orbe to Besançon (to be cross-checked).
1321. First mention of the village, as «Sergeys».
1331. The village has three hearths, which depend on the canon Hugues de Champvent, lord of La Mothe.
1348. The plague probably strikes the village hard.
1405. The communal oven is granted again, by Jean Chalvin, commissioner of the Count of Savoy, to Pierre known as Hermiteran and to Amiet of Sergey.
1536. Start of Bernese rule: Sergey belongs to the bailiwick of Yverdon until 1798.
1686. First communal accounts, attesting to the existence of the village community.
1740. A communal council is mentioned.
around 1750. Approximate date of the bread oven and the communal hall.
1798. Sergey becomes part of the district of Orbe.
1803. Founding of the shooting society «Abbaye des Volontaires».
1929. Adoption of the municipal coat of arms, combining a bear, a reference to the inhabitants' nickname, with the colours of the Champvent family.
1976. Restoration of the communal oven.
1998. The municipality's gravel pit receives a label from the Nature and Economy Foundation for protecting biodiversity.
2000. Sergey, until then part of the parish of Rances, joins that of Ballaigues-Lignerolle.
2003. The Abbaye des Volontaires celebrates its 200th anniversary; the converted bell tower now houses the municipal administration.
2005. Despite a small industrial zone and a gravel pit, the primary sector provides 88% of jobs; the village's milk goes to Nestlé.
2008. Sergey becomes part of the new district of Jura-Nord vaudois.
Population of Sergey
| 1331 | 3 hearths (households) |
| 1550 | 3 hearths (households) |
| 1764 | 12 hearths (households) (to be cross-checked) |
| 1803 | 65 |
| 1850 | 119 |
| 1900 | 113 |
| 1950 | 102 |
| 1970 | 71 |
| 2000 | 108 |
| 2025 | 165 |
Historic sites in Sergey
Communal bread oven. Communal oven recorded since the Middle Ages (granted again in 1405). Under Bernese rule, the oven due amounted to two «coupes» of wheat, Yverdon measure, about 100 litres. The present building, said to date from around 1750, was restored in 1976 and still works thanks to the «dames du four».
Communal hall and bell tower. The communal hall dates from around 1750. The village bell tower was converted in 2003 to house the municipal administration.
The village. The hamlet of Sergey is listed in the Federal Inventory of Swiss Heritage Sites of national importance (ISOS) (to be cross-checked).
Remains in Sergey
Hallstatt-period burial mound. Burial mound from the early Iron Age, the oldest known evidence of human presence on the municipal territory.
Roman road Orbe-Besançon. Remains observed on the territory may belong to this Roman road (to be cross-checked). In the Middle Ages the area remained a stage on the Orbe-Besançon road.
Legends of Sergey
The «Ours» nickname. By tradition, the people of Sergey are nicknamed the «Ours» (bears). The nickname is linked to the bears that were numerous in the region around 1600: the archives repeatedly mention a bounty of 5 batz paid by the bailiffs for a bear or wolf skin. The bear has appeared on the municipal coat of arms since 1929.
Sources
- Dictionnaire historique de la Suisse, « Sergey » (version allemande lue)
- Commune de Sergey, « Le village de Sergey »
- Feuille des avis officiels du canton de Vaud, « Alphabet des communes vaudoises : Sergey »
- Wikipédia, « Sergey »
- Wikipedia (en), « Sergey, Switzerland »
- Wikipédia, « Districts du canton de Vaud »
- Statistique Vaud, « Population résidante permanente au 31 décembre 2025 »
Other villages near Sergey
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