NEUCHTEL

( (French), ) German Neuenburg, capital (since 1815) of Neuchtel canton, western Switzerland, on the northwestern shore of Lake Neuchtel, at the mouth of the Seyon River, partly on the slopes of the Chaumont (3,566 feet ) and partly on land reclaimed from the lake. A Burgundian town by the 11th century, it was chartered in 1214. It was the centre of the former countship and principality (16481707) of Neuchtel. Historic landmarks include the medieval castle (now the seat of the cantonal administration) and the Collgiale Notre-Dame (12th13th century), now Protestant and containing the monumental tomb of the counts (1372). There are several fine 17th- and 18th-century patrician dwellings, including the Htel du Peyrou (c. 1765) and the town hall (178490), which is in classic style. The town's institutions include the University of Neuchtel (founded as an academy in 1838), the Institute of Physics, the Swiss Laboratory of Horological Research, the commercial school, the conservatory of music, the museum and public library in the Collge Latin, the cantonal observatory, and the fine Muse des Beaux-Arts. The city has an important wine market and its manufactures include watches, chocolate, tobacco, and paper. Pop. (1989 est.) 32,389. ( (French), ) German Neuenburg, canton, western Switzerland, bordering France to the northwest and Lake Neuchtel to the southeast and bounded by the cantons of Bern on the northeast and Vaud on the southwest. Occupying an area of 308 square miles (797 square km), it lies in the central Jura Mountains and is drained by Lake Neuchtel (leading to the Rhine) and Le Doubs River (leading to the Rhne). Its three regions are a low-lying strip along the lake called Le Vignoble (from its vineyards); an intermediate region, Les Valles, comprising the two principal valleys of the canton (the Ruz Valley, watered by the Seyon, and the Travers Valley, watered by L'Areuse), which lie at an elevation of 2,300 feet (700 m); and the highest region, the Neuchteloises Mountains (3,0003,500 feet [9151,065 m]), mainly composed of a long valley in which stand the industrial centres of La Chaux-de-Fonds, Le Locle, La Sagne, Les Ponts-de-Martel, and La Brvine. Neuchtel (q.v.) is the capital. Novum Castellum (Neuchtel) was first mentioned in the will of Rudolf III, the last king of Burgundy, who died in 1032. About 1034 the town and its territories were granted in fief to Count Ulrich von Fenis, whose dynasty gradually increased its dominion, until by 1373 it held practically all the area of the present canton. In 1406 Neuchtel entered into union with Bern. It passed in the early 15th century to the lords of Freiburg im Breisgau in the German Rhineland and in 1504 to the French ducal house of Orlans-Longueville. The Reformation was introduced there in 1530 by Guillaume Farel, the French preacher, and Neuchtel became a principality in 1648. With the extinction of the house of Orlans-Longueville in 1707, the area passed to Frederick I, the first king of Prussia. The nominal role of the Prussian king lasted until 1848, with a brief interval from 1806 to 1814 when the principality was granted by Napoleon to his marshal, Louis-Alexandre Berthier. It was admitted to the Swiss Confederation in 1815 as the 21st canton and the only nonrepublican member, its hereditary rulers the last to maintain their position in Switzerland. A republican form of government was established by a peaceful revolution in 1848, and after long negotiations and several attempts at counter-revolution, including the so-called Neuchtel crisis (1856), the king of Prussia renounced his claims to sovereignty in 1857. The population is mainly French-speaking and about two-thirds Protestant and one-third Roman Catholic. In addition to excellent wineries, some fruit is grown in Le Vignoble, and horses are raised. There are pastures for cattle in the valleys, and some cheese is made. The most valuable mineral product is asphalt, concentrated in the Travers Valley. The most characteristic industry is watchmaking, which has been prominent since the early 18th century in the highland valleys of La Chaux-de-Fonds, Le Locle, and Fleurier. An oil refinery is located at Cressier. Road and rail communications are highly developed. Pop. (1989 est.) 157,436.