The castle after which the city is named was built byRudolph III of Burgundy and completed in 1011. Originally part of theKingdom of Burgundy, the city was absorbed into theHoly Roman Empire in 1033. The domain of thecounts of Neuchâtel was first referred to as a city in 1214. The city came underPrussian control from 1707 until 1848, with an interruption during theNapoleonic Wars from 1806 to 1814. In 1848, Neuchâtel became a republic and a canton of Switzerland.
Neuchâtel is a medieval toponym derived from theOld French:neu "new" (Modern Frenchneuf) andchâtel "castle" (nowchâteau) in reference to the 10th centuryNeuchâtel Castle.[a] In French, most adjectives, when used attributively, appear after their nouns; however, the leading position of the adjective is a phenomenon widely attested in the north and east of France, as well as in Belgium and in French-speaking Switzerland (Romandy). As with the various other places namedNeuchâtel,Neufchâtel,Neufchâteau of northern France and Belgium, this reflects the Germanic influence onGallo-Romance languages retained in the toponymy today.[10][11] This contrasts with theOccitanCastelnaus (and the FrenchifiedChâteauneufs) in the south of France.
The German name for the town isNeuenburg, which also translates roughly as "new castle". The longer formNeuenburg am See ("Newcastle bythe lake") is sometimes used to disambiguate it from the numerous otherNeuenburgs, especiallyNeuenburg am Rhein. TheRomansh language uses the FrenchNeuchâtel, and occasionanallyNeuschatel[12] andNeufchâtel; contemporary Italian largely uses the French name as well, but occasionally the historicNeocastello is seen.[13]
Historic French names includedNuefchastel (attested in 1251),[20]Neufchastel (1338),[20] andNeufchatel,[8] with modernNeuchâtel in use by 1750.[20] In theFranche-Comté, the city was also calledNeuchâtel-outre-Joux ("Neuchâtel beyondJoux") to distinguish it from another Neuchâtel in that region, now calledNeuchâtel-Urtière.
German names of the town includedNienburg,[8]Nuvenburch (attested in 1033)[20]Nüwenburg,[8]Welschen Nüwenburg,[12][b]Newenburg am See[12] ("Newcastle by the lake") andWelschneuburg,[12] with modernNeuenburg established by 1725.[20]
Italian names includedNeocastello[21] (which is occasionally seen in contemporary contexts[13]) andNuovo Castello.[22]
The oldest traces of humans in the municipal area are the remains of aMagdalenian hunting camp, which was dated to 13,000 BC. It was discovered in 1990 during construction of theA5 motorway at Monruz (La Coudre). The site was about 5 m (16 ft) below the main road. Around the fire pits carved flints and bones were found. In addition to the flint and bone artifacts three tiny earrings fromlignite were found. The earrings may have served as symbols of fertility and represent the oldest known art in Switzerland. This first camp was used byCro-Magnons to hunt horse and reindeer in the area.Azilian hunters had a camp at the same site at about 11,000 BC. Since the climate had changed, their prey was now deer and wild boar.
During the 19th century, traces of somestilt houses were found in Le Cret near the red church. However, their location was not well documented and the site was lost. In 1999, during construction of the lower station of thefunicular railway, which connects the railway station and university, the settlement was rediscovered. It was later determined to be aCortaillod culture (middleNeolithic) village. According todendrochronological studies, some of the piles were from 3571 BC.[23]
AHallstatt grave (earlyIron Age) was found in the forest of Les Cadolles.
At Les Favarger aGallo-Roman and at André Fontaine a small coin depot were discovered. In 1908, an excavation at the mouth of theSerrière [fr] discovered Gallo-Roman baths from the 2nd and 3rd centuries AD.
One of the most importantMerovingian cemeteries in the canton was discovered at Les Battieux inSerrières [fr]. In 1982, 38 graves dating from the 7th century were excavated many of which contained silver-inlaid or silver-plated belt buckles. Also in Serrières at the church of Saint-Jean, the remains of a 7th-century shrine were excavated.[23]
In 1011,Rudolph III of Burgundy presented aNovum castellum ornew castle on the lake shore to his wife,Ermengarde. It was long assumed that this new castle replaced an older one, but nothing about its location or design is known. At the time of this gift Neuchâtel was probably the center of a newly created royal court, which was recently developed to complement the other royal estates which managed western estates of thekings of Burgundy.[23]
The firstcounts of Neuchâtel were named shortly afterwards, and in 1214 their domain was officially dubbed a city.
For three centuries, theCounty of Neuchâtel flourished, and in 1530, the people of Neuchâtel accepted theReformation, and their city and territory were proclaimed to be indivisible from then on. Future rulers were required to seek investiture from the citizens.
With increasing power and prestige, Neuchâtel was raised to the level of aprincipality at the beginning of the 17th century. On the death in 1707 ofMarie d'Orléans-Longueville, duchess de Nemours andPrincess of Neuchâtel, the people had to choose her successor from among fifteen claimants. They wanted their new prince first and foremost to be a Protestant, and also to be strong enough to protect their territory but based far enough away to leave them to their own devices.Louis XIV actively promoted the many French pretenders to the title, but the Neuchâtelois people passed them over in favour of KingFrederick I of Prussia, who claimed his entitlement in a rather complicated fashion through theHouses of Orange and Nassau. With the requisite stability assured, Neuchâtel entered its golden age, with commerce and industry (including watchmaking and lace) and banking undergoing steady expansion.
At the beginning of the 19th century, Prussia sought to obtainHanover whilst still maintaining neutrality and abstaining from the wars waged by Napoleon.Frederick William III had hoped that Prussia could receive the Electorate of Hanover from France only after the event of a British defeat and a resulting treaty, lest Prussia be forced to enter war alongside France against Britain over the territory, with which Britain had been inpersonal union since 1714. To achieve these aims of receiving Hanover with a simultaneous preservation of neutrality, Prussia offered to give up certain exclaves to the French, however, Napoleon exploited Prussia's politically isolated position and forced Prussia to give up more than had been hoped, partake in theContinental Blockade, and to officially annex Hanover in the Treaty of Paris on 15 February 1806, resulting in the cession of the principality of Neuchâtel to Napoleon. Napoleon's field marshal,Berthier, became Prince of Neuchâtel, building roads and restoring infrastructure, but never actually setting foot in his domain. After the fall of Napoleon, Frederick William III of Prussia reasserted his rights by proposing that Neuchâtel be linked with the other Swiss cantons (to exert better influence over all of them). On 12 September 1814, Neuchâtel became the capital of the 21st canton, but also remained a Prussian principality. It took a bloodless revolution in the decades following for Neuchâtel to shake off its princely past and declare itself, on 1 March 1848, a republic within the Swiss Confederation. Prussia yielded its claim to the canton following the 1856–1857Neuchâtel Crisis.
On 1 January 2021 the former municipalities ofCorcelles-Cormondrèche,Peseux andValangin merged into the municipality of Neuchâtel.[5] Corcelles-Cormondrèche was first mentioned in the historical record in 1092 asCurcellis. Around 1220 it was mentioned asCormundreschi.[24] Peseux was first mentioned in 1195 asapud Pusoz though this comes from a 15th-century copy of an earlier document. In 1278 it was mentioned asde Posoys.[25] Valangin was first mentioned in 1241 asde Valengiz.[26]
Map of town centre showing the evolution of the shoreline
Before the 2021 merger of municipalities, Neuchâtel had an area, as of 2009[update], of 18.1 square kilometers (7.0 sq mi). Of this area, 1.84 km2 (0.71 sq mi) or 10.2% was used for agricultural purposes, while 9.74 km2 (3.76 sq mi) or 53.8% was forested. Of the rest of the land, 6.42 km2 (2.48 sq mi) or 35.5% was settled (buildings or roads), 0.03 km2 (7.4 acres) or 0.2% was either rivers or lakes and 0.02 km2 (4.9 acres) or 0.1% was unproductive land.[27]
Of the built up area, industrial buildings made up 2.2% of the total area while housing and buildings made up 18.0% and transportation infrastructure made up 10.1%. while parks, green belts and sports fields made up 4.3%. Out of the forested land, 51.8% of the total land area was heavily forested and 2.0% is covered with orchards or small clusters of trees. Of the agricultural land, 1.4% was used for growing crops and 8.0% was pastures. All the water in the municipality is in lakes.[27]
The city is located on the northwestern shore ofLake Neuchâtel, a few kilometers east ofPeseux and west ofSaint-Blaise. Above Neuchâtel, roads and train tracks rise steeply into the folds and ridges of theJura range—known within the canton as theMontagnes neuchâteloises. Like the continuation of the mountains on either side, this is wild and hilly country, not exactly mountainous compared with the highAlps further south but still characterized by remote, windswept settlements and deep, rugged valleys. It is also the heartland of the celebrated Swiss watchmaking industry, centered on the once-famous towns ofLa Chaux-de-Fonds andLe Locle, which both rely heavily on their horological past to draw in visitors. The riverDoubs marks for a part the border withFrance, set down in a gorge and forming along its path a waterfall, theSaut du Doubs [fr], and lake, theLac des Brenets.
The municipality was the capital ofNeuchâtel District, until the district level of administration was eliminated on 1 January 2018.[28]
Theblazon of the municipalcoat of arms isOr, an Eagle displayed Sable beaked, langued and membered Gules, escutcheon Or, on a pale Gules three Chevrons Argent.[31]
The Municipal Council (Conseil communal, CC) constitutes theexecutive government of the City of Neuchâtel and operates as acollegiate authority. It is composed of five councillors (French:Conseiller communal/ Conseillère communale), each presiding over administrational sections and services comprising the related commissions. The president of the executive department acts asmayor (président(e)) and is nominated annually in a tournus by the collegiate itself. In the mandate period January 2021 – June 2022 (l'année administrative) the Municipal Council is presided byMadame la présidenteViolaine Blétry-de Montmollin. Departmental tasks, coordination measures and implementation of laws decreed by the General Council (parliament) are carried by the Municipal Council. The regular election of the Municipal Council by any inhabitant valid to vote is held every four years. Any resident of Neuchâtel allowed to vote can be elected as a member of the Municipal Council. Due to the constitution by canton of Neuchâtel not only Swiss citizens have the right to vote and elect and being elected on communal and cantonal level, but also foreigners with a residence in the canton of Neuchâtel and being resident in the canton of Neuchâtel for at least one year for communal elections and votes, and at least five years of residence in the canton for cantonal elections and votes.[32] The current mandate period is from 2021 to 2024. The delegates are selected by means of a system ofproportional representation.[33]
As of 2017[update], Neuchâtel's Municipal Council is made up of two representatives of the PS/SP (Social Democratic Party), two representatives of the PLR/FDP (Les Libéraux-Radicaux), and one member of the PES/GPS (Green Party). The last regular election was held on 25 October 2020.[34]
Territorial Development, Economy, Tourism, and Built Heritage (Dicastère du développement territorial, de l'économie, du tourisme et du patrimoine bâti, 2021)
Technological Development, Agglomeration, Security, and Finances (Dicastère du développement technologique, de l'agglomération, de la sécurité et des finances, 2021)
Sustainable Development, Mobility, Infrastructure, and Energy (Dicastère du développement durable, de la mobilité, des infrastructures et de l'énergie, 2021)
TheConseil général (CG) of Neuchâtel for the mandate period of 2020–24
POP/PdA (2.40%)
solidaritéS (4.90%)
PS (24.4%)
Les Verts, Ecologie et Liberté (26.8%)
pvl (12.2%)
PLR (29.3%)
The General Council (Conseil général, CG), the city parliament, holdslegislative power. It is made up of 41 members, with elections held every four years. The General Council decrees regulations and by-laws that are executed by the Municipal Council and the administration. The delegates are selected by means of a system ofproportional representation.
The sessions of the General Council are public. Unlike members of the Municipal Council, members of the General Council are not politicians by profession, and they are paid a fee based on their attendance. Any resident of Neuchâtel allowed to vote can be elected as a member of the General Council. Due to the constitution of the canton of Neuchâtel not only Swiss citizen have the right to vote and elect and be elected on the communal level, but also foreigners in the canton of Neuchâtel having been resident in the canton of Neuchâtel for at least one year for communal elections and votes, and at least five years of residence in the canton for cantonal elections and votes.[32] The CG holds its meetings in the Town Hall (L'Hôtel de Ville), in the old city onRue de l'Hôtel de Ville.[36]
In the2015 federal election the most popular party was thePS which received 29.3% of the vote. The next four most popular parties were thePLR (22.8%), theUDC (13.6%), theGreen Party (12.1%), and theSwiss Party of Labour (10.1%). In the federal election, a total of 8,136 voters were cast, and thevoter turnout was 41.4%.[37]
Neuchâtel has a population (as of December 2020[update]) of 33,455.[41] As of 2008[update], 32.1% of the population are resident foreign nationals.[42] Over the last 10 years (2000–2010) the population has changed at a rate of 3.9%. It has changed at a rate of 2.4% due to migration and at a rate of 1% due to births and deaths.[43]
As of 2008[update], the population was 47.7% male and 52.3% female. The population was made up of 10,371 Swiss men (31.5% of the population) and 5,344 (16.2%) non-Swiss men. There were 12,366 Swiss women (37.5%) and 4,892 (14.8%) non-Swiss women.[44] Of the population in the municipality, 8,558 or about 26.0% were born in Neuchâtel and lived there in 2000. There were 5,134 or 15.6% who were born in the same canton, while 7,744 or 23.5% were born somewhere else in Switzerland, and 10,349 or 31.4% were born outside of Switzerland.[45]
As of 2000[update], children and teenagers (0–19 years old) make up 19.3% of the population, while adults (20–64 years old) make up 63.1% and seniors (over 64 years old) make up 17.6%.[43]
As of 2000[update], there were 14,143 people who were single and never married in the municipality. There were 14,137 married individuals, 2,186 widows or widowers and 2,448 individuals who are divorced.[45]
As of 2000[update], there were 15,937 private households in the municipality, and an average of 2. persons per household.[43] There were 7,348 households that consist of only one person and 547 households with five or more people. In 2000[update], a total of 15,447 apartments (89.9% of the total) were permanently occupied, while 1,429 apartments (8.3%) were seasonally occupied and 311 apartments (1.8%) were empty.[46] As of 2009[update], the construction rate of new housing units was 2.5 new units per 1000 residents.[43]
As of 2003[update] the average price to rent an average apartment in Neuchâtel was 921.35Swiss francs (CHF) per month (US$740, £410, €590 approx. exchange rate from 2003). The average rate for a one-room apartment was 451.40 CHF (US$360, £200, €290), a two-room apartment was about 675.66 CHF (US$540, £300, €430), a three-room apartment was about 825.15 CHF (US$660, £370, €530) and a six or more room apartment cost an average of 1647.88 CHF (US$1320, £740, €1050). The average apartment price in Neuchâtel was 82.6% of the national average of 1116 CHF.[47] The vacancy rate for the municipality, in 2010[update], was 0.53%.[43]
Most of the population (as of 2000[update]) speaksFrench (25,881 or 78.6%) as their first language,German is the second most common (1,845 or 5.6%) andItalian is the third (1,421 or 4.3%). There are about six people who speakRomansh.[45]
Neuchâtel was historically Protestant, but Catholics have since formed a plurality due to immigration. From the 2000 census[update], 10,809 or 32.8% wereRoman Catholic, while 9,443 or 28.7% belonged to theSwiss Reformed Church. Of the rest of the population, there were 374members of an Orthodox church (or about 1.14% of the population), there were 80 individuals (or about 0.24% of the population) who belonged to theChristian Catholic Church, and there were 1,756 individuals (or about 5.34% of the population) who belonged to another Christian church. There were 58 individuals (or about 0.18% of the population) who wereJewish, and 1,723 (or about 5.23% of the population) who wereMuslim. There were 99 individuals who wereBuddhist, 100 individuals who wereHindu and 59 individuals who belonged to another church. 7,549 (or about 22.94% of the population) belonged to no church, areagnostic oratheist, and 1,717 individuals (or about 5.22% of the population) did not answer the question.[45]
In 2014 the crime rate, of crimes listed in theSwiss Criminal Code, in Neuchâtel was 140.4 per thousand residents. During the same period, the rate of drug crimes was 16.3 per thousand residents. The rate of violations of immigration, visa and work permit laws was 5.7 per thousand residents.[48]
Neuchâtel is a centre of the watch industry, and is also the site of micro-technology and high-tech industries. It is home to research centres and organizations such as theSwiss Center for Electronics and Microtechnology (CSEM),[49] Microcity innovation pole,[50] University of applied Sciences HE-Arc in Engineering[51] and alsoPhilip Morris International'sCube.[52] Theapparel companyheidi.com also established its headquarters in the city.
As of 2010[update], Neuchâtel had an unemployment rate of 7.5%. As of 2008[update], there were 46 people employed in theprimary economic sector and about 14 businesses involved in this sector. 5,658 people were employed in thesecondary sector and there were 261 businesses in this sector. 20,472 people were employed in thetertiary sector, with 1,955 businesses in this sector.[43] There were 16,353 residents of the municipality who were employed in some capacity, of which women made up 45.4% of the workforce.
In 2008[update] the total number offull-time equivalent jobs was 21,624. The number of jobs in the primary sector was 38, of which 20 were in agriculture and 18 were in forestry or lumber production. The number of jobs in the secondary sector was 5,433 of which 4,234 or (77.9%) were in manufacturing, 9 or (0.2%) were in mining and 1,022 (18.8%) were in construction. The number of jobs in the tertiary sector was 16,153. In the tertiary sector; 2,397 or 14.8% were in wholesale or retail sales or the repair of motor vehicles, 796 or 4.9% were in the movement and storage of goods, 919 or 5.7% were in a hotel or restaurant, 766 or 4.7% were in the information industry, 1,077 or 6.7% were the insurance or financial industry, 1,897 or 11.7% were technical professionals or scientists, 1,981 or 12.3% were in education and 2,633 or 16.3% were in health care.[53]
In 2000[update], there were 15,535 workers who commuted into the municipality and 6,056 workers who commuted away. The municipality is a net importer of workers, with about 2.6 workers entering the municipality for every one leaving.[54] Of the working population, 33.7% used public transportation to get to work, and 43.4% used a private car.[43]
Neuchâtel is home to the French-speakingUniversity of Neuchâtel. The university has five faculties and more than a dozen institutes, including arts and human sciences, natural sciences, law, economics and theology. For the 2005–2006 academic year, 3,595 students (1,987 women and 1,608 men) were enrolled. The Faculty of Arts and Human Sciences is the largest school of those that comprise the university of Neuchâtel with 1,500 students. Some courses at the university are taught in English.[citation needed]
Neuchâtel is home to eight libraries: the Bibliothèque de la Faculté des Lettres, theBibliothèque de l'Institut d'ethnologie et duMusée d'ethnographie, theBibliothèque de la Faculté des Sciences, theBibliothèque de droit, theBibliothèque des sciences économiques, theBibliothèque de la Faculté de théologie, theService de coordination des bibliothèques and theHaute école Arc – Santé. There was a combined total (as of 2008[update]) of 736,773 books or other media in the libraries, and in the same year a total of 58,427 items were loaned out.[55]
In Neuchâtel about 11,076 or (33.7%) of the population have completed non-mandatoryupper secondary education, and 5,948 or (18.1%) have completed additional higher education (eitheruniversity or aFachhochschule). Of the 5,948 who completed tertiary schooling, 43.6% were Swiss men, 28.4% were Swiss women, 16.4% were non-Swiss men and 11.6% were non-Swiss women.[45]
In the canton of Neuchâtel most municipalities provide two years of non-mandatorykindergarten, followed by five years of mandatory primary education. The next four years of mandatory secondary education is provided at thirteen larger secondary schools, which many students travel out of their home municipality to attend.[56] During the 2010–11 school year, there were 27 kindergarten classes with a total of 527 students in Neuchâtel. In the same year, there were 78 primary classes with a total of 1,424 students.[57] Secondary schools include theLycée Jean-Piaget.
Apart from one International Montessori school for kids up to age 11 offering an English and a French class there is no international school in Neuchâtel. Neuchâtel Junior College was founded in 1956 as a non-profit foundation of the Ville de Neuchâtel to provide a unique international education.Neuchâtel Junior College is a one-year school annually welcoming over 100 students in their final pre-university year to study the Ontario Grade 12 curriculum as well as Advanced Placement.
As of 2000[update], there were 3,859 students in Neuchâtel who came from another municipality, while 346 residents attended schools outside the municipality.[54]
Neuchâtel's airport is about 6 km (3.7 mi) away from the center of the city and it takes 9 minutes to get into town with the direct tramway. It is a small airport that does not offer commercial flights. Neuchâtel is also linked to four international airports:
Geneva and Zürich airports both have direct trains to Neuchâtel, connecting the cities respectively in 1h 17min and 1h 49min.[59]Three funiculars serve the city:
TheFunambule, linking the lower part of the town, near the university, to the railway station
The Société de Navigation sur les Lacs de Neuchâtel et Morat SA is the boat company which serves 17 towns on Lake Neuchâtel, 6 towns onLake Murten and 7 towns onLake Bienne from 6:30am to 9pm. Some boats offer free wireless internet connections.[62]
There are 34 sites in Neuchâtel that are listed as Swissheritage site of national significance. The entire old city of Neuchâtel, the urban village of Corcelles the small city of Valangin, the Bussy/Le Sorgereux region and the La Borcarderie region are part of theInventory of Swiss Heritage Sites.[63]
Some of the statues in the Cenotaph of the Counts of Neuchâtel
Neuchâtel's Old Town has about 140 street fountains, a handful of which date from the 16th century. The Place des Halles is overlooked by Louis XIV architecture – shuttered façades and the turreted orioles of the 16th-century Maison des Halles. To the east, on Rue de l’Hôpital, is the grand 1790 Hôtel de Ville (Town Hall), designed by Louis XVI's chief architect Pierre-Adrien Paris.
The center of the Old Town is located at the top of the hill, accessed by the steeply winding Rue du Château. The Collégiale church, begun in 1185 and consecrated in 1276, is an example of early Gothic. The east end of the church has three Normanapses. The main entrance, to the west, is crowned by a giant rose window of stained glass. Within the vaulted interior, thetransept is lit by a lantern tower. The Cenotaph of the Counts of Neuchâtel is located on the north wall of thechoir. Begun in 1372, and the only artwork of its kind to survive north of the Alps, the monument comprises fifteen near-life-size painted statues of various knights and ladies from Neuchâtel's past, framed by 15th-century arches and gables.[citation needed] Beside the church is the Castle, begun in the 12th century and still in use as the offices of the cantonal government. The nearby turreted Prison Tower, which is the remains of a medieval bastion, has panoramic views over the town, along with models of Neuchâtel in different eras.[citation needed]
Park and Museum of theLaténium museumJaquet-Droz mechanical figurine at the musée d'Art et d'Histoire
Neuchâtel has several museums, including theLaténium, anarcheology museum focusing on the prehistorical times in the region of Neuchâtel and Hauterive, particularly theLa Tène culture, with theeponym site being a few kilometers away; theMusée d'ethnographie de Neuchâtel (MEN), an ethnography museum; and the Musée d'Art et d'Histoire, which houses theAutomates Jaquet-Droz (Jaquet-Droz Mechanical Figurines).
During the summer of 2002, Neuchâtel was one of five sites which heldExpo.02, the sixth Swiss national exhibition, which was subject to financial controversy.[clarification needed] TheNeuchâtel International Fantastic Film Festival is held every year to celebrate fantastic cinema from around the world. The festival of the Fête des Vendanges, representing the wine harvest, is held traditionally in late September.[64]
In 2025, Neuchâtel has launched an innovative two‑year pilot program, allowing doctors to prescribe free museum visits—as well as strolls through the botanical garden—to support patients struggling with mental health issues or preparing for surgery. So far, around 500 prescriptions have been issued, funded with 10,000 CHF (~USD 11,300).[65][66]
Hungarian writerÁgota Kristóf moved to Neuchâtel after fleeing repression following theHungarian Revolution of 1956. She lived in the city for the rest of her life, learning and writing books in French.
Canadian illustratorJohn Howe, who illustratedJ. R. R. Tolkien's work and participated inPeter Jackson'sThe Lord of the Rings trilogy as chief conceptual designer, lives in the city. It was also the site of a secret first meeting between French novelistHonoré de Balzac and the married woman who later became his wife,Eveline Hanska.[67]Roger Schutz, founder of theTaizé Community in France, was born on 12 May 1915 at the village of Provence near Neuchâtel. He was stabbed to death on 16 August 2005 by a mentally deranged woman during a prayer meeting in Taizé's Church of Reconciliation.[citation needed]
The de Pury family, aPrussian noble family, is from Neuchâtel. Swiss merchant and philanthropistDavid de Pury, a native of Neuchâtel, left a large fortune to the city for public works and charities. His relative,James-Ferdinand de Pury, also a merchant and philanthropist, bequest hisvilla to house the town's ethnography museum. Other members of the family who were born or resided in the town include explorer and colonistJean-Pierre Pury, winemaker and diplomatFrédéric Guillaume de Pury, painterEdmond Jean de Pury, and biblical scholarAlbert de Pury.
Abraham Louis Breguet, the founder of theBreguet watch company and an esteemed inventor, often regarded as the father of modern horology, was born in Neuchâtel. The company still maintains its headquarters atL'Abbaye, about 40 km southwest of Neuchâtel.
^GermanWelsch- refers to the inhabitants ofRomandy(Welschschweizor Welschland[12]) and is prefixed to several German-language placenames in Switzerland and beyond (e.g.Welschenrohr near the language border).
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^de Beaurepaire, François (1979).Les Noms des communes et anciennes paroisses de la Seine-Maritime (in French). Paris: A. and J. Picard. p. 8.ISBN2-7084-0040-1.OCLC6403150.
^abcde"Neuchâtel".Historische Lexikon der Schweiz (in German, French, Italian, and Romansh). 2021. Retrieved1 October 2021.
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^ab"Élections communales 2020" (official site) (in French). Neuchâtel, Switzerland: Ville de Neuchâtel. 25 October 2020. Retrieved4 October 2021.
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^"Conseil général" (official site) (in French). Neuchâtel, Switzerland: Secrétariat du Conseil général. 2020. Retrieved19 October 2021.
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