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{{Infobox Swiss town
 | subject_name = La Chaux-de-Fonds
 | image_photo = La Chaux de Fonds.jpg
 | image_caption = La Chaux de Fonds in September 2005
 | municipality_name = La Chaux-de-Fonds
 | municipality_type = city
 | imagepath_coa = CHE La Chaux-de-Fonds COA.svg|pixel_coa=
 | map = Karte Gemeinde La Chaux-de-Fonds.png
 | languages = French
 | canton = Neuchâtel
 | iso-code-region = CH-NE
 | district = [[La Chaux-de-Fonds (district)|La Chaux-de-Fonds]]
 |coordinates = {{coord|47|6.08|N|6|49.5|E|display=inline,title}}
 | postal_code = 2300
 | municipality_code = 6421
 | area = 55.66
 | elevation = 992|elevation_description=
 | population = 38694|populationof = December 2013 | popofyear = 2013
 | website = www.chaux-de-fonds.ch
 | mayor = Théo Huguenin-Elie|mayor_asof=|mayor_party=
 | mayor_title = Président du Conseil communal
 | list_of_mayors = List of mayors of La Chaux-de-Fonds
 | parliament_name = Conseil général | parliament_number_of_members = 41
 | executive_name = Conseil communal | executive_number_of_members = 5
 | places =
 | demonym =
 | neighboring_municipalities= [[Fontaines, Neuchâtel|Fontaines]], [[Fournet-Blancheroche]] (FR-25), [[Grand'Combe-des-Bois]] (FR-25), [[La Ferrière]] (BE), [[La Sagne]], [[Le Locle]], [[Les Bois]] (JU), [[Les Fontenelles]] (FR-25), [[Les Hauts-Geneveys]], [[Les Planchettes]], [[Renan, Switzerland|Renan]] (BE)
 | twintowns = [[Winterthur]] (Switzerland), [[Frameries]] (Belgium)
|}}
{{Infobox UNESCO World Heritage Site
| WHS           = 
| part_of       = La&nbsp;Chaux-de-Fonds / [[Le&nbsp;Locle]], Watchmaking Town Planning
| criteria      = {{UNESCO WHS type|(iv)}}(iv)
| ID            = 1302-001
| year          = 2009
| area          = {{convert|213.7|ha|acre|abbr=on}}
| buffer_zone   = {{convert|2,867.5|ha|acre|abbr=on}}
}}
'''La Chaux-de-Fonds''' is the capital city of the district of [[La Chaux-de-Fonds (district)|La Chaux-de-Fonds]] in the [[Cantons of Switzerland|canton]] of [[Neuchâtel (canton)|Neuchâtel]] in [[Switzerland]]. After [[Geneva]] and [[Lausanne]], it is the third-largest city in the French-speaking part of the country. As of December 2016, 38,965 people lived there.

The famous architect [[Le Corbusier]], the writer [[Blaise Cendrars]] and the car maker [[Louis Chevrolet]] were born there.

In 2009, La Chaux-de-Fonds and [[Le Locle]], its sister city, have jointly been awarded [[UNESCO]] [[World Heritage Site|World Heritage status]] for their exceptional universal value.

== History ==
[[File:La chaux de fond1-ag.jpg|thumb|left|City of La Chaux-de-Fonds in winter]]
The city was founded in 1656. The region was first inhabited around 10,000 years ago ([[Epipaleolithic]]). A skull and other traces have been found in [[caves]] nearby.<ref name=HDS/>

In the middle of the 14th century, the region was colonized from the southern Val-de-Ruz. La Chaux-de-Fonds is first mentioned in 1350 as ''la Chaz de Fonz''. In 1378 it was mentioned as ''Chault de Font''.<ref name="HDS">{{HDS|2837|La Chaux-de-Fonds}}</ref>

The region was under the authority of the lords of Valangin. In the 15th and 16th centuries, a second wave of colonization came from the so-called ''Clos de la Franchise'' (the valleys of Le Locle and La Sagne). Agriculture was the main activity but the village remained small. In 1531 there were only about 35 people living there. The first church was built in 1528. By 1530,  La Chaux-de-Fonds, like the rest of the Valangin lands, converted to the new [[Protestant Reformation|Reformed]] faith. The  Lord of Valanginian, René de Challant, fixed the boundaries of the parish in 1550. The church and parish provided a political structure and a small community of Valanginian citizens, free farmers and peasants grew up around the church. By 1615 there were 355 people living in the village. In 1616, the low and middle jurisdiction over La Chaux-de-Fonds moved to Le Locle and La Sagne, while the high court remained in Valanginian. The agriculture, supplemented by mills on the banks of the Doubs, continued to dominate. However, at the end of the 16th century, the city became an important crossroad between [[Neuchâtel]], [[Franche-Comté]] and the [[Bishopric of Basel]].<ref name=HDS/>

The community grew during the [[Thirty Years' War]], mainly because of its strategic position for trade. Economic activity accelerated in the 18th century with the development of the city's [[lace]] and [[watch]]making industries. [[Pierre Jacquet-Droz]], best known for his [[automaton|automata]], was a particularly prominent watchmaker of this era.

In 1794, the city was devastated by fire. Charles-Henri Junod created the new city's plan in 1835, and the city is now known for its "modern," grid-like plan, in comparison with most European cities' meandering streets.<ref>{{cite book| last1 = Gans| first1 = Deborah| last2 = Corbusier| first2 = Le| title = The Le Corbusier Guide| url = https://books.google.com/books?id=nmXS12Lo0xMC| year = 2000| publisher = Princeton Architectural Press| isbn = 978-1-56898-119-2 }}</ref><ref>[http://www.myswitzerland.com/en.cfm/home/citytrips/offer-Destinations_Resorts-Short%20City%20Breaks-306145.html La Chaux-de-Fonds et le Locle], Swiss Tourism Site</ref> The central avenue is named the Avenue [[Louis Léopold Robert|Léopold Robert]].

== Economy ==
The city's economy is based on industry and watch manufacturers.

== Watch companies ==
Many watch companies started in La Chaux de Fonds:
* [[Jean Lassale|Bouchet-Lassale SA]], in 1978;
* [[Marathon Watch Co.]] in 1904 - Originally founded as Weinsturm Watch.
* [[Cyma Watches]], 1862 - Schwob Frères and Co. 1892 - Cyma Watch Company.
* [[Eberhard & Co.]], by [[George-Emile Eberhard]], in 1887;
* [[Corum]]
* [[Ebel]], by Eugene Blum and Alice Levy, in 1911;
* [[Gallet & Co.]], by Julien Gallet, in 1826;
* [[Girard-Perregaux]], by Constantin Girard and Marie Perregaux, in 1856;
* [[Heuer Leonidas]], now [[TAG Heuer]], by [[Edouard Heuer]], in 1860;
* [[Invicta Watch Group]], by [[Raphael Picard]], in 1837;
* [[Movado]], by [[Achilles Ditesheim]], in 1881;
* [[Omega SA]], in 1848;
* [[Rolex]] trademark, registered by [[Hans Wilsdorf]], in 1908. His company, [[Wilsdorf and Davis]], [[London]], was later renamed [[Rolex Watch Company]], [[Geneva]] and [[Biel/Bienne, Switzerland|Biel, Bienne]];
* [[Rotary Watches|Rotary]], by [[Moise Dreyfuss]], in 1895;
* [[Solvil et Titus]], by [[Paul Ditisheim]], in 1892;
* [[Venus Watches|Venus]] by Paul Arthur Schwarz and Olga Etienne, in 1902;
* [[Vulcain]] by Maurice Ditisheim, in 1858.

== Twin town ==
La Chaux-de-Fonds is [[town twinning|twinned]] with the town of [[Frameries]], [[Belgium]].

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== Other websites ==
{{commonscat-inline}}
* [http://cdf-urbanismehorloger-en.ne.ch/index.asp/3-0-75-10001-131-207-1/  Watchmaking Heritage Day: Saturday 7 November 2009] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090914123330/http://cdf-urbanismehorloger-en.ne.ch/index.asp/3-0-75-10001-131-207-1 |date=14 September 2009 }}
* [http://www.chaux-de-fonds.ch Official website of the city of La Chaux-de-Fonds]
* [http://www.swissinfo.ch/fre/Dossiers/Patrimoine_de_lUnesco_en_Suisse/Sites_en_Suisse/Deux_perles_de_lurbanisme_horloger.html?cid=201320/  La Chaux-de-Fonds / Le Locle: Pictures Gallery] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120928221931/http://www.swissinfo.ch/fre/Dossiers/Patrimoine_de_lUnesco_en_Suisse/Sites_en_Suisse/Deux_perles_de_lurbanisme_horloger.html?cid=201320%2F |date=2012-09-28 }}
* {{HDS|2837}}
* [http://www.mih.ch International watchmaking museum website]
* [http://www.art-nouveau.ch The Art Nouveau season of events in the city] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120204194208/http://www.art-nouveau.ch/ |date=2012-02-04 }}

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[[Category:Cities in Switzerland]]
[[Category:Municipalities in La Chaux-de-Fonds]]
[[Category:World Heritage Sites in Switzerland]]