Valangin

Valangin is a place that used to be its own small town in Switzerland. It was located in the district of Val-de-Ruz, within the canton of Neuchâtel. Like many small towns, Valangin had its own identity and history.

In 2021, Valangin joined together with two other nearby places, Corcelles-Cormondrèche and Peseux, to become part of the larger town of Neuchâtel. This kind of joining helps smaller towns share resources and services while becoming part of a bigger community. Today, Valangin is one of the areas that make up the beautiful and historic town of Neuchâtel.

History

Valangin was first mentioned in the year 1241, under the name de Valengiz. This shows that people have lived in the area for many years.

Geography

Valangin had an area of 3.8 square kilometers. About 39.4% of this land was used for farming, and 49.7% was covered with trees. A small part, 9.0%, had buildings or roads.

The area included the village of Valangin, a small settlement called La Borcaderie, and some farms. The Valanginian Age, a time period from long ago, is named after Valangin.

Coat of arms

The coat of arms for Valangin has a special design. It shows a red background with a golden stripe down the middle. On that stripe, there are three black angles. This design is called a blazon.

Demographics

Valangin had a population of 507 people in 2019. In 2008, about 22% of the people living there were from other countries. Over the past ten years, the number of people changed a little, with some moving away and some being born.

Most people in Valangin speak French. Some also speak Portuguese, German, and a few speak Italian. In 2008, half of the people were male and half were female. Many people were born in Valangin, while others were born in different parts of Switzerland or other countries.

Children and teenagers make up a part of the population, along with many adults and some older people. There were many married people, some who were single, and a few who had lost a spouse or were divorced.

There were many homes in Valangin, most of which were lived in all year round. A few were only used for part of the year, and some were empty.

Notable people

Valangin was the birthplace of several interesting people. Rosa Ramseyer, born in 1841, was the wife of a missionary who worked in Ghana. Robert Comtesse, born in 1847, was a Swiss politician who served in an important government group from 1899 to 1912. Edmond Bille, born in 1878, was a talented Swiss artist known for his paintings, writing, and politics. Jean-François Balmer, born in 1946, became a well-known actor in French movies, TV shows, and theater.

Heritage sites of national significance

Valangin Castle and the Collegiate church are important places listed as special heritage sites in Switzerland. The city of Valangin, along with the Bussy/Le Sorgereux area and the La Borcarderie area, are all part of Switzerland's list of important historic places.

Politics

In the 2007 federal election, the most popular party in Valangin was the SP, which got 25.45% of the votes. The next three popular parties were the FDP with 19.77%, the SVP with 16.8%, and the LPS Party with 16.02%. In that election, 158 people voted, and 58.3% of voters took part.

Economy

As of 2010, Valangin had an unemployment rate of 5.1%. In 2008, about 14 people worked in the primary economic sector with around 4 businesses. Twelve people worked in the secondary sector with 3 businesses. Forty-nine people were employed in the tertiary sector with 12 businesses. There were 204 people from the town who had jobs, and women made up about 41.7% of the workers.

In 2008, there were 58 full-time jobs in total. Eleven jobs were in the primary sector, all in farming. Eleven jobs were in the secondary sector, all in making things. Thirty-six jobs were in the tertiary sector. In this sector, many jobs were in selling things or fixing cars, some were in moving goods, and others were in schools or hospitals.

Religion

From a survey in the year 2000, many people in Valangin had different beliefs. About 27% of the people, or 108 individuals, were Roman Catholic. A larger group, about 41% or 164 people, followed the Swiss Reformed Church. Some others, about 6%, belonged to different Christian churches. There was also 1 person who was Islamic, and a few others who followed different beliefs. About 23% of the people, or 93 individuals, did not follow any church and described themselves as agnostic or atheist. Additionally, 20 people did not answer the question about their beliefs.

Education

In Valangin, about 39.5% of the people finished a type of school after their basic education, and 15.3% went to a university or a special school. Of those who went to university or a special school, most were Swiss men.

In the area around Valangin, children usually go to a special class for two years before starting primary school, which lasts five years. Then they go to a bigger school for four more years. In the school year of 2010–11, Valangin had one class for young children with 15 students and two classes for primary school with 37 students.

As of the year 2000, some students from Valangin went to schools in other places, and some students from other places came to learn in Valangin.