The Jura question
The coat of arms of Canton Jura, designed in 1943. On the left is the crozier of the Bishop of Basel, one-time ruler of the area, on the right the seven stripes represent the seven historic districts of the Jura. Only three of these districts in fact make up the canton today. Three of the others remain in Canton Bern, while the fourth - Laufen - voted to join the half canton of Basel-Country.
Although the external borders of Switzerland remained unchanged in the 20th century, it gained a new canton in 1979: Canton Jura.
This was the result of about 30 years of pressure from separatists in the French-speaking area of Canton Bern. The northern part of the Bernese Jura was strongly Roman Catholic, and many of its inhabitants felt they suffered both religious and linguistic discrimination.
However, the breakaway movement was opposed not only by the cantonal government, but also by many in the southern Jura, who were Protestants, like the German-speaking Bernese.
After a bitter struggle the establishment of a new canton was approved in a nation-wide referendum and came into force on January 1st 1979. The canton consists of three of the Jura's seven districts.
- Members of the pro-secessionist "Béliers" organisation knocked down the "Justice" fountain in the centre of Bern in 1986, on the grounds that the canton of Bern had no justice.
Link to other website
- Canton Jura celebrates 25th anniversary swissinfo (2004)