From TheBestLinks.com
Central place in Biel/Bienne
Biel/Bienne is a town in the Canton of Bern in Switzerland. It is located on the language boundary and is throughout bilingual. Biel is the German name for the town, Bienne its French counterpart. The town is often referred to in both languages simultaneously.
The town is located in the north eastern shores of Lake Biel (Bielersee). The city of Bern lies southeast of Biel/Bienne. The origin of the town has been traced to the times when Celts settled in the region. At the time it was called Belenus. The Romans later inhabited the area. The town itself was built in the 11th century, and in 1275 it was chartered.
Biel/Bienne was under the jurisdiction of the bishop of Basel for hundreds of years. In 1279 the town entered an alliance with Bern which was made permanent in 1352. In 1798 Biel/Bienne was invaded by French troops. After Napoleon's collapse, the town became a part of the Canton of Bern in 1815.
About two thirds of the population speak German, about one third French. The town is officially bilingual, an attribute only shared with a handful small villages. In recent years the town has used its bilingualism as an an economic advantage. Many call centres are located in or around Biel to make use of the two languages. The main industries of the town, however, are watchmaking and the manufacture of machinery.
The town centre of Biel/Bienne features a Gothic church which dates from 1451. The town hall dates from 1534. The population is an estimated 51,900.
External link
Biel is a municipality (pop. 244) in the Spanish province of Zaragoza, in the autonomous community of Aragon.
de:Biel
fr:Bienne
ro:Biel/Bienne
Related links
Top visited
0 of
0 links
[no links posted yet]
>> place link >>
Discussion
Last posted
0 of
0 messages
[no messages posted yet]
>> post message >>
Watch
You can
add this article to your own "watchlist" and receive e-mail notification about all changes in this page.
