BIEL

( (German), ) French Bienne, town, Bern canton, northwestern Switzerland. It lies at the northeastern end of Lake Biel (Bieler See), northwest of Bern city. Of Celtic origin (Belenus) and inhabited in Roman times, the town dates from the 11th century and was chartered in 1275. It was for centuries under the jurisdiction of the prince-bishops of Basel. In 1279 (permanently in 1352) it made alliance with Bern. Seized by the French in 1798, it became part of Bern canton in 1815. Situated on the language boundary, Biel's population is two-thirds German-speaking and one-third French-speaking. It is the only officially bilingual town in Switzerland. Biel's medieval landmarks include the late Gothic town church of St. Benedict (1451; restored 1775), with fine 15th-century stained glass, and the town hall (1534). The Schwab Museum has a collection of artifacts from the lake pile dwellings of the La Tne (Iron Age) period. The town's chief industries are watchmaking and the manufacture of chains and machinery. Pop. (1994 est.) 51,823.