Sorvilier

The river Birs and the railroad station in Sorvilier

Coat of arms

Sorvilier

Location of Sorvilier

Coordinates: 47°14′N 7°18′E / 47.233°N 7.300°ECoordinates: 47°14′N 7°18′E / 47.233°N 7.300°E

Country

Government

• Mayor

Maire

Area

• Total

6.89 km² (2.66 sq mi)

Elevation

681 m (2,234 ft)

Population (Dec 2015)

• Total

280

• Density

41/km² (110/sq mi)

Postal code

2736

SFOS number

0711

Surrounded by

Bévilard, Champoz, Court BE, Romont, Péry

Website

www.sorvilier.ch
SFSO statistics

Sorvilier is a municipality in the Jura bernois administrative district in the canton of Bern in Switzerland. It is located in the French-speaking Bernese Jura (Jura Bernois).

Sorvilier is first mentioned in 1148 as Sorurvilier, though this comes from a 12th-century forgery. In 1179 it was mentioned as Sororviler. The municipality was formerly known by its German name Surbelen, however, that name is no longer used.

For most of its history Sorvilier was part of the district of Orval under the provost of Moutier-Grandval Abbey, which was part of the lands of the Prince-Bishop of Basel. In 1531, Sorvilier accepted the new faith of the Protestant Reformation. In 1773 a stone bridge was built over the river, connecting the village core with the left bank of the Birs river. After the 1797 French victory and the Treaty of Campo Formio, Sorvilier became part of the French Département of Mont-Terrible. Three years later, in 1800 it became part of the Département of Haut-Rhin. After Napoleon's defeat and the Congress of Vienna, Sorvilier was assigned to the Canton of Bern in 1815. The mid-19th century saw the establishment of the watch industry in the village. In 1877 the Delémont-Sonceboz-Biel railroad opened a station in Sorvilier and connected the growing watch industry with additional suppliers and customers. By 1900 about 100 workers produced watches and watch parts, while the village's population was only 438.

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Wikipedia