Tessenberg (Switzerland)

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View towards Prêles . In the background the Bernese Alps
Western section of the plateau towards Lignières and Lake Neuchâtel

The Tessenberg ( French Montagne de Diesse ), with reference to the entire plateau also Plateau de Diesse , is an extensive plateau at around 800  m above sea level. M. on the southern slope of the Chasseral , 400 m above Lake Biel , in Switzerland . The plateau is shared by two cantons, the larger eastern part belongs to the canton of Bern , the westernmost section to the canton of Neuchâtel . From a historical and administrative point of view, only the Bernese part is counted as part of the Tessenberg in the narrower sense.

Geology and topography

Tessenberg with Nods

Geologically, the Tessenberg is a syncline between the Chasseral chain in the north and that of the Magglinger and Twannberg mountains in the south (also known as the chain of lakes or Chaîne du lac ). Over time, the basin was filled with erosion products from the adjacent anticlines . Deposits from the Ice Age Rhone Glacier are also known. The approximately 18 km² large and in its central area completely flat plateau is in the north of the Chasseral, in the northeast of the Spitzberg , in the east of the Twannberg and Magglingerberg, in the south against the Bielersee by the ridge Sur la Roche (up to 926  m above sea level. ) and bounded in the west by the Serroue ( 1055  m above sea level ).

The Tessenberg has two drains. On the one hand the Twannbach in the east, which breaks through the anticline of the Twannberg in the Twannbach Gorge, on the other hand the Ruisseau de Vaux in the southwest. Both streams flow into Lake Biel. The Plateau de Diesse used to be an extensive moorland area that was regularly flooded when the snow melted. Peat was cut here until the end of the First World War . From 1918 to 1923 the moor was drained towards the Twannbach.

population

All three municipalities on the Tessenberg are slightly elevated on the edge of the plateau: Nods , Plateau de Diesse on the ridge of the lake chain and Lignières at the eastern foot of the Serroue. Together they have around 3,500 inhabitants, of which around 83% are French-speaking and 15% are German-speaking.

economy

After the moor was drained, the Plateau de Diesse developed into fertile arable land, which today is used partly intensively and partly extensively. All communities are still characterized by agriculture , but have been transformed into residential communities with many commuters since around 1980. There is very little industrial activity.

traffic

Ligerz-Tessenberg Railway (2005)

Today the Tessenberg is well developed in terms of traffic. Several roads lead from the shores of Lake Biel to the plateau and the mountain, there is also a connection to Neuchâtel and one to Frinvillier on the A16 . The municipalities are connected to the Neuenstadt train station through a postbus course . The Ligerz -Tessenberg (LT) funicular has been running from Ligerz to Prêles since 1912 and contributed to the tourist development of the plateau. Due to the old age of the railway, construction began in autumn 2003. The new lift, called "Vinifuni", was officially opened on May 17, 2004.

history

The area was already developed in Roman times , at that time the Via d'Etra crossed the high plateau of Diesse. However, hardly any evidence from this period has survived. In the 12th century the plateau belonged to the Counts of Neuchâtel . Later it came under the joint rule of the Counts of Neuchâtel zu Nidau ​​and the Principality of Basel . This was mainly responsible for judicial and military matters, represented by the city of Biel , while the city of Bern , which was represented on the Tessenberg from the 16th century by the mayor of Nidau , took care of church matters.

For a long time the plateau was difficult to access and therefore isolated. This was also the reason why the Reformation , which was imposed under the rule of Bern in 1530, was initially unable to gain a foothold. Only after 1550 was the Tessenberg reformed under renewed pressure from Bern. Around the middle of the 16th century, the plateau suffered heavy losses as a result of a plague epidemic.

At the end of December 1797, the Tessenberg was occupied by French troops and what is now the Bernese part of the Mont-Terrible department was incorporated. In 1800 it was linked to the Haut-Rhin department . As a result of the decision of the Congress of Vienna , most of the plateau came to the canton of Bern or its Erlach district in 1815 and to the newly formed La Neuveville district in 1846 .

literature