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La Chaux-de-Fonds
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La Chaux-de-Fonds is the capital city of the district of La Chaux-de-Fonds in the canton of Neuchâtel in Switzerland.
It is located in the Jura mountains at an altitude of 1000 m, a few kilometers from the French border. After Geneva and Lausanne, it is the third largest city in the French-speaking part of the country.
With its neighbour Le Locle, the cities are candidates for the UNESCO World Heritage.
region was first inhabited around 10,000 years ago (Epipaleolithic).
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Encyclopedia
La Chaux-de-Fonds is the capital city of the district of La Chaux-de-Fonds in the canton of Neuchâtel in Switzerland.
It is located in the Jura mountains at an altitude of 1000 m, a few kilometers from the French border. After Geneva and Lausanne, it is the third largest city in the French-speaking part of the country.
With its neighbour Le Locle, the cities are candidates for the UNESCO World Heritage.
History
The region was first inhabited around 10,000 years ago (Epipaleolithic). A skull and other traces have been found in caves nearby.
In the middle of the 14th century, the forests found there have been colonised from the south. The region was under the authority of the lords of Valangin. Agriculture was the main activity. The first church was built in 1528. The city became at the end of the 16th century an important crossroad between Neuchâtel and Franche-Comté.
The community grew during the Thirty Years' War, mainly because of its strategic position for trade. But economic activity really begins in the 18th century with the development of lace and watchmaking industry. Pierre Jacquet-Droz and his family is one of the most famous watchmakers of this time. He is best known for his automata.
In 1794, the city was devastated by fire. Charles-Henri Junod created the new city's plan in 1835, and the city is now known for its "modern," grid-like plan, in comparison with most European cities' meandering streets. The central avenue is named the Avenue Léopold Robert.
Culture
(Maison Blanche) by Le Corbusier]]
La Chaux-de-Fonds is the home of the Musee International d'Horlogerie (International Watchmaking Museum), originally constructed with funds donated by the Gallet watchmaking family in 1899. The Museum is considered as an important showcase for the history of the timekeeping arts.
Art Nouveau had a great influence on architecture and culture in the city during the late 19th century.
The daily newspaper L'Impartial has been published in La Chaux-de-Fonds since 1880.
The Wakker Prize was granted to La-Chaux-de-Fonds in 1994.
Economy
The city's economy is based on industry and watch manufacturers. Famous watchmaking manufacturers include Cartier, Girard-Perregaux founded in Geneva in 1791, TAG Heuer, Corum, Breitling, Juvenia, the Marathon Watch Company, Movado, Ulysse Nardin, Invicta, Gallet and others.
Transport
The city is served by Les Eplatures Airport and has a trolleybus transport system.
Notable people
Its most famous native sons are the architect Le Corbusier, born here as Charles-Edouard Jeanneret in 1887 (his first independent project as an architect, the Villa Jeanneret-Perret, is open to the public), Louis Chevrolet, born in 1878, founder of the Chevrolet Motor Car Company and Blaise Cendrars, novelist and poet, born as Frédéric Louis Sauser in 1887.
Other notable people born in La Chaux-de-Fonds include Louis-Leopold Robert, a painter, born in 1794, Numa Droz, a politician, born in 1844, and Adrienne von Speyr, a modern Catholic mystic, born in 1902.
Among the watchmakers, are the Gallet family:
- Julien Gallet (1806-1849), who moved north from Geneva to La Chaux de Fonds in 1826, founded Gallet & Cie;
- Lucien Gallet (1834-1879), son of Julien, who expanded the company into Chicago;
- Léon Gallet (1832-1899), eldest son of Julien and patriarch figure of the growing company.
Watch companies
La Chaux de Fonds has a long history with watch manufacturers. Invicta Watch Group was founded by Raphael Picard in La Chaux-de-Fonds in 1837. Omega SA was founded there in 1848. In 1881, Achilles Ditesheim founded Movado. Hans Wilsdorf registered the trademark name "Rolex" in La Chaux-de-Fonds in 1908. His company, Wilsdorf & Davis, was later renamed Rolex Watch Company. TAG Heuer, founded in 1860 by Edouard Heuer, is also headquartered in the city. Léon Gallet and his family founded the Gallet & Co. watchmaking company.
Bouchet-Lassale SA was also founded in La Chaux-de-Fonds in 1978.
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