Bulle
Encyclopedia
Bulle is a municipality
in the district of Gruyère
in the canton
of Fribourg in Switzerland
. In January 2006 Bulle incorporated the formerly independent municipality of La Tour-de-Trême.
Very little is known about the early history of the Bulle area. In 1995, a large grave mound
from the early Hallstatt period
was partially excavated. The grave mound lies about 300 m from the hill on which the church was later built. During the Early Middle Ages
it was the home of a parish church
that covered a large parish
. This Church of St. Eusebius was probably built in the 6th or 7th century by the Bishop of Lausanne
. The church is mentioned several times between 852-875. In the 9th century, the parish was split into several independent parishes. As the parish shrunk in size, the church gradually lost its former importance, but it remained the center of the Decanate
of Ogo until the 16th century. The deanery covered the whole Saanen valley to Treyvaux, the Jaun
and Sionge valleys and extended west to Glâne. Bulle probably came under the secular power of the Bishop of Lausanne as early as the 6th century, and together with Avenches
and Curtilles
formed the territory originally owned by the bishop.
Since the counts of Gruyères also possessed sovereign rights in Bulle, there were numerous conflicts between the counts and the bishop in the 12th, 13th and 14th centuries. Since these conflicts were always decided in favor of the bishop, the counts eventually lost all rights in Bulle. Even by the 12th century, Bulle was an important regional economic center. In 1195/96, Count Rudolph closed the market
in Gruyère and extended his support to the older market in Bulle. At that time, the town was a collection of homesteads, which surrounded a church and maybe had a castle near them. In the 13th Century the bishops recognized that the town was crucial to their income and to administer and defend the surrounding region. Bishop Boniface erected a city wall surrounding a rectangular town with two lanes and four rows of houses in 1231-39. A little later, possibly under the episcopate of William de Champvent (1273-1301), the castle was built was in the southeast of the city. The main building of the castle was a 33 m (108.3 ft) high tower that dominated the south gate and the surrounding plain. Throughout the Middle Ages, the bishops appointed two officers, the castellan
and the mayor to rule the town. Throughout the 13th to 15th centuries, the noble de Bulle family held the office of mayor. Although citizens of Bulle are mentioned in 1195/96, they first had an organization in the 14th century testifies. Starting at end of the 12th century, individual freedoms, rights and privileges were often conferred on the citizens of the town and in general the citizens of Bulle had the same privileges as citizens in Lausanne. Starting around 1350, many of the towns in the Saanen valley between Gruyere and Arconciel lost most of their historic importance and population. However, due to Bulle's favorable location, its infrastructure and the support of the bishops, it remained an important regional center. It was also able to recover quickly from a devastating fire in 1447.
A turning point in the Bulle's history was during the Burgundian Wars
. On 16 January 1476 it entered into an alliance with the city of Fribourg
. Due to the treaty, it was not plundered by the victorious Swiss after the Battle of Murten (22 June 1476). In 1536, as the Bernese conquered the Vaud, Bishop Sébastien de Montfalcon fled from Lausanne to Fribourg and placed himself and Bulle under the the protection of that city. With Fribourg's protection, Bulle was able to remain Catholic
. However, the protection of Fribourg was transformed into domination in 1537. The citizens were placed under a Fribourg appointed bailiff
who ruled over the former episcopal lands from the castle in Bulle.
The period from 1536 to 1798 was reasonably quiet. The town expanded slightly beyond the city walls near the upper gate. While it was politically powerless, it became a economic center for cheese production and trade. It was the hub for most cheeses that wereexported to France. In the 17th Century the chapel and the statue erected in her (Notre-Dame de Pitié or de Compassion) became a pilgrimage
destination. In 1665 the Capuchins
took over the property, enlarged and embellished the chapel and built convent buildings on the site of the hospital. The hospital moved to the vicinity of the upper gate. The shrine attracted many pilgrims from the Counties of Burgundy and Savoy. In the 18th century, its popularity began to slowly wane. In 1750-51 a new building replaced the parish church of Saint-Pierre aux Liens, which had become too small. In 1763-68, the bailiff's quarters and the audience hall in the castle were expanded and renovated.
Starting at the end of the 18th century, Bulle became important in the cantonal government. Pierre-Nicolas Chenaux, who led a popular uprising against the Ancien Régime
government in Fribourg in 1781, held meetings before the uprising in Bulle. After the failure of the uprising, several members of the movement went into exile in Paris and founded the Helvétique Club. During the 1798 French invasion many of the residents of Bulle joined the revolutionary cause. By 26 January, a liberty tree
was raised in front of the castle and the citizens had selected an oversight committee and drove the governor out of the city. Bulle would have gladly joined the French-supported Lemanic Republic, but after the march elections it became part of the Helvetic Republic
's Canton of Fribourg. Under Fribourg, the town of Gruyere was chosen as the seat of the district, instead of Bulle. Bulle also became deeply indebted during the French occupation of 1798-1802. It became a staging post for troops marching from the north into Italy and had to pay for both troops stationed in Bulle as well as troops marching through its lands.
On 2 April 1805 an enormous fire destroyed almost the entire city. It was quickly rebuilt, and most of the medieval streets were retained. However, one of the four rows of houses was not rebuilt to make room for a large marketplace. The town granary
was quickly rebuilt, followed by the town hall in 1808, and the rebuilt church in 1816.
During the entire 19th century Bulle was often in sharp opposition to the conservative cantonal government during the Restoration (1814-30). They supported a liberal cantonal constitution during the Regeneration movement that prevailed in 1831. After 1840 the Conservatives gained back power in the cantonal government, which gave new impetus to the radical opposition, and Bulle was one of its most important centers. In January 1847 there was an open rebellion in Bulle. On 6 January 1847 the mayor was imprisoned in the castle. Three days later, on 9 January, an armed group marched from Bulle toward Fribourg, but returned to the town when they were only half way there. Following the Sonderbund War, the new Cantonal Constitution of 1848 made Bulle the capital of the Gruyère district. During the 1853 elections, which punished the radicals for their political excesses, the city was the scene of violence. Violent clashes in Bulle between radicals and conservatives lasted the entire 19th century. At the same time both parties were trying to distinguish themselves with ambitious projects. The radicals built a rail line between Bulle and Romont, established the Banque Populaire de la Gruyère in 1853, opened the radical "La Gruyère" newspaper in 1882 and in 1893 their own electric company. The Conservatives gave the "Le Fribourgeois" paper in 1867, opened the Crédit Gruyérien bank in 1867 and built the Chemins de fer de la Gruyère électriques in 1903-12.
From the mid-19th Century to 1970, the Radical party possessed a majority in the town council, while the Conservatives were always in the minority. In 1948, the Socialists gained two seats, which they lost in 1950, but won again in 1958 and 1966. Between 1970-1996 the council consisted of four Radicals, three Socialists and Social Democrats, and two Christian Democrats. During the Second World War, Bulle was the site of a major riot, the Bulle Riot. On 23 November 1944, five federal inspectors, who were investigating the illicit trade in meat, were attacked by a mob and forced to flee to the castle (which was the district administration building) for safety. In October 1945 the Federal Court met in Fribourg, and in the presence of the entire Swiss press handed down fourteen convictions for the rioters.
Of the built up area, industrial buildings made up 3.1% of the total area while housing and buildings made up 10.6% and transportation infrastructure made up 5.7%. Power and water infrastructure as well as other special developed areas made up 1.3% of the area Out of the forested land, 30.1% of the total land area is heavily forested and 1.2% is covered with orchards or small clusters of trees. Of the agricultural land, 11.9% is used for growing crops and 22.9% is pastures and 11.4% is used for alpine pastures. All the water in the municipality is flowing water.
The municipality is the capital of the Gruyère district. It is located on a hill at an elevation of 770 metres (2,526.2 ft) above the left side of the Trême river.
of the municipal coat of arms
is Per fess Argent an Ox Gules passant and Gules.
Most of the population speaks French
(9,492 or 85.1%) as their first language, Portuguese
is the second most common (488 or 4.4%) and German
is the third (345 or 3.1%). There are 125 people who speak Italian
and 2 people who speak Romansh.
, the population was 48.6% male and 51.4% female. The population was made up of 5,693 Swiss men (31.2% of the population) and 3,185 (17.4%) non-Swiss men. There were 6,605 Swiss women (36.1%) and 2,790 (15.3%) non-Swiss women. Of the population in the municipality, 2,917 or about 26.2% were born in Bulle and lived there in 2000. There were 3,896 or 34.9% who were born in the same canton, while 1,227 or 11.0% were born somewhere else in Switzerland, and 2,642 or 23.7% were born outside of Switzerland.
, children and teenagers (0-19 years old) make up 25.3% of the population, while adults (20-64 years old) make up 60.5% and seniors (over 64 years old) make up 14.2%.
, there were 4,730 people who were single and never married in the municipality. There were 5,034 married individuals, 798 widows or widowers and 587 individuals who are divorced.
, there were 6,000 private households in the municipality, and an average of 2.3 persons per household. There were 1,575 households that consist of only one person and 311 households with five or more people. , a total of 4,502 apartments (89.5% of the total) were permanently occupied, while 373 apartments (7.4%) were seasonally occupied and 155 apartments (3.1%) were empty. , the construction rate of new housing units was 13.1 new units per 1000 residents.
the average price to rent an average apartment in Bulle was 1026.06 Swiss franc
s (CHF) per month (US$820, £460, €660 approx. exchange rate from 2003). The average rate for a one room apartment was 514.78 CHF (US$410, £230, €330), a two room apartment was about 731.83 CHF (US$590, £330, €470), a three room apartment was about 940.67 CHF (US$750, £420, €600) and a six or more room apartment cost an average of 1525.37 CHF (US$1220, £690, €980). The average apartment price in Bulle was 91.9% of the national average of 1116 CHF. The vacancy rate for the municipality, , was 1.18%.
The historical population is given in the following chart:
, the Halle Landi and the Gruérien Museum are listed as Swiss heritage site of national significance
. The entire old town of Bulle is part of the Inventory of Swiss Heritage Sites
.
the most popular party was the SP
which received 32.8% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the SVP
(18.6%), the CVP
(16.9%) and the FDP
(16.2%).
The SPS gained an additional 5.1% of the vote from the 2007 Federal election
(27.6% in 2007 vs 32.8% in 2011). The SVP moved from third in 2007 (with 21.6%) to second in 2011, the CVP moved from second in 2007 (with 22.0%) to third and the FDP retained about the same popularity (18.2% in 2007). A total of 4,617 votes were cast in this election, of which 128 or 2.8% were invalid.
the total number of full-time equivalent
jobs was 8,850. The number of jobs in the primary sector was 56, of which 49 were in agriculture and 6 were in forestry or lumber production. The number of jobs in the secondary sector was 3,784 of which 2,411 or (63.7%) were in manufacturing, 5 or (0.1%) were in mining and 1,250 (33.0%) were in construction. The number of jobs in the tertiary sector was 5,010. In the tertiary sector; 1,631 or 32.6% were in the sale or repair of motor vehicles, 319 or 6.4% were in the movement and storage of goods, 452 or 9.0% were in a hotel or restaurant, 70 or 1.4% were in the information industry, 472 or 9.4% were the insurance or financial industry, 517 or 10.3% were technical professionals or scientists, 471 or 9.4% were in education and 492 or 9.8% were in health care.
, there were 4,927 workers who commuted into the municipality and 2,232 workers who commuted away. The municipality is a net importer of workers, with about 2.2 workers entering the municipality for every one leaving. Of the working population, 8% used public transportation to get to work, and 66.1% used a private car.
. Of the rest of the population, there were 54 members of an Orthodox church
(or about 0.48% of the population), there were 8 individuals (or about 0.07% of the population) who belonged to the Christian Catholic Church
, and there were 246 individuals (or about 2.21% of the population) who belonged to another Christian church. There were 10 individuals (or about 0.09% of the population) who were Jewish
, and 701 (or about 6.29% of the population) who were Islam
ic. There were 51 individuals who were Buddhist
, 12 individuals who were Hindu
and 11 individuals who belonged to another church. 579 (or about 5.19% of the population) belonged to no church, are agnostic
or atheist
, and 538 individuals (or about 4.83% of the population) did not answer the question.
). Of the 1,134 who completed tertiary schooling, 57.4% were Swiss men, 25.7% were Swiss women, 10.1% were non-Swiss men and 6.9% were non-Swiss women.
The Canton of Fribourg school system provides one year of non-obligatory Kindergarten
, followed by six years of Primary school. This is followed by three years of obligatory lower Secondary school where the students are separated according to ability and aptitude. Following the lower Secondary students may attend a three or four year optional upper Secondary school. The upper Secondary school is divided into gymnasium
(university preparatory) and vocational programs. After they finish the upper Secondary program, students may choose to attend a Tertiary school or continue their apprenticeship
.
During the 2010-11 school year, there were a total of 6,205 students attending 325 classes in Bulle. A total of 3,029 students from the municipality attended any school, either in the municipality or outside of it. There were 11 kindergarten classes with a total of 193 students in the municipality. The municipality had 58 primary classes and 1,243 students. During the same year, there were 84 lower secondary classes with a total of 1,682 students. There were 79 vocational upper Secondary classes and were 47 upper Secondary classes, with 938 upper Secondary students and 1,166 vocational upper Secondary students The municipality had 18 specialized Tertiary classes and were 28 non-university Tertiary classes, with 838 non-university Tertiary students and 145 specialized Tertiary students.
, there were 1,680 students in Bulle who came from another municipality, while 200 residents attended schools outside the municipality.
Bulle is home to the Bibliothèque de Bulle library. The library has 78,000 books or other media, and loaned out 131,270 items in the same year. It was open a total of 260 days with average of 31 hours per week during that year.
Municipalities of Switzerland
Communes , also known as municipalities, are the smallest government division in Switzerland, numbering 2,596 . While many have a population of a few hundred citizens, the largest cities such as Zürich or Geneva also have the legal status of municipalities...
in the district of Gruyère
Gruyère (district)
Gruyère District is a district of the canton of Fribourg in Switzerland. It has a population of . Its capital is Bulle.-Municipalities:-Mergers and name changes:...
in the canton
Cantons of Switzerland
The 26 cantons of Switzerland are the member states of the federal state of Switzerland. Each canton was a fully sovereign state with its own borders, army and currency from the Treaty of Westphalia until the establishment of the Swiss federal state in 1848...
of Fribourg in Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
. In January 2006 Bulle incorporated the formerly independent municipality of La Tour-de-Trême.
History
Bulle is first mentioned in the 9th century as Butulum. In 1200 it was mentioned as Bollo. The municipality was formerly known by its German name Boll, however, that name is no longer used.Very little is known about the early history of the Bulle area. In 1995, a large grave mound
Tumulus
A tumulus is a mound of earth and stones raised over a grave or graves. Tumuli are also known as barrows, burial mounds, Hügelgrab or kurgans, and can be found throughout much of the world. A tumulus composed largely or entirely of stones is usually referred to as a cairn...
from the early Hallstatt period
Hallstatt culture
The Hallstatt culture was the predominant Central European culture from the 8th to 6th centuries BC , developing out of the Urnfield culture of the 12th century BC and followed in much of Central Europe by the La Tène culture.By the 6th century BC, the Hallstatt culture extended for some...
was partially excavated. The grave mound lies about 300 m from the hill on which the church was later built. During the Early Middle Ages
Early Middle Ages
The Early Middle Ages was the period of European history lasting from the 5th century to approximately 1000. The Early Middle Ages followed the decline of the Western Roman Empire and preceded the High Middle Ages...
it was the home of a parish church
Parish church
A parish church , in Christianity, is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish, the basic administrative unit of episcopal churches....
that covered a large parish
Parish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
. This Church of St. Eusebius was probably built in the 6th or 7th century by the Bishop of Lausanne
Bishop of Lausanne
The Bishop of Lausanne was a Prince-Bishop of the Holy Roman Empire and the Ordinary of the diocese of Lausanne, Switzerland .Bern secularized the bishopric in 1536....
. The church is mentioned several times between 852-875. In the 9th century, the parish was split into several independent parishes. As the parish shrunk in size, the church gradually lost its former importance, but it remained the center of the Decanate
Deanery
A Deanery is an ecclesiastical entity in both the Roman Catholic Church and the Church of England. A deanery is either the jurisdiction or residence of a Dean.- Catholic usage :...
of Ogo until the 16th century. The deanery covered the whole Saanen valley to Treyvaux, the Jaun
Jaun Pass
Jaun Pass is a high mountain pass in the Swiss Alps linking Charmey and Jaun in the canton of Fribourg with Reidenbach in the canton of Berne....
and Sionge valleys and extended west to Glâne. Bulle probably came under the secular power of the Bishop of Lausanne as early as the 6th century, and together with Avenches
Avenches
Avenches is a Swiss municipality in the canton of Vaud, located in the district of Broye-Vully.-History:The roots of Avenches go back to the Celts...
and Curtilles
Curtilles
Curtilles is a municipality in the district Broye-Vully in the canton of Vaud in Switzerland.-Geography:Curtilles has an area, , of . Of this area, or 78.0% is used for agricultural purposes, while or 15.6% is forested...
formed the territory originally owned by the bishop.
Since the counts of Gruyères also possessed sovereign rights in Bulle, there were numerous conflicts between the counts and the bishop in the 12th, 13th and 14th centuries. Since these conflicts were always decided in favor of the bishop, the counts eventually lost all rights in Bulle. Even by the 12th century, Bulle was an important regional economic center. In 1195/96, Count Rudolph closed the market
Market town
Market town or market right is a legal term, originating in the medieval period, for a European settlement that has the right to host markets, distinguishing it from a village and city...
in Gruyère and extended his support to the older market in Bulle. At that time, the town was a collection of homesteads, which surrounded a church and maybe had a castle near them. In the 13th Century the bishops recognized that the town was crucial to their income and to administer and defend the surrounding region. Bishop Boniface erected a city wall surrounding a rectangular town with two lanes and four rows of houses in 1231-39. A little later, possibly under the episcopate of William de Champvent (1273-1301), the castle was built was in the southeast of the city. The main building of the castle was a 33 m (108.3 ft) high tower that dominated the south gate and the surrounding plain. Throughout the Middle Ages, the bishops appointed two officers, the castellan
Castellan
A castellan was the governor or captain of a castle. The word stems from the Latin Castellanus, derived from castellum "castle". Also known as a constable.-Duties:...
and the mayor to rule the town. Throughout the 13th to 15th centuries, the noble de Bulle family held the office of mayor. Although citizens of Bulle are mentioned in 1195/96, they first had an organization in the 14th century testifies. Starting at end of the 12th century, individual freedoms, rights and privileges were often conferred on the citizens of the town and in general the citizens of Bulle had the same privileges as citizens in Lausanne. Starting around 1350, many of the towns in the Saanen valley between Gruyere and Arconciel lost most of their historic importance and population. However, due to Bulle's favorable location, its infrastructure and the support of the bishops, it remained an important regional center. It was also able to recover quickly from a devastating fire in 1447.
A turning point in the Bulle's history was during the Burgundian Wars
Burgundian Wars
The Burgundian Wars were a conflict between the Dukes of Burgundy and the Kings of France, later involving the Old Swiss Confederacy, which would play a decisive role. Open war broke out in 1474, and in the following years the Duke of Burgundy, Charles the Bold, was defeated three times on the...
. On 16 January 1476 it entered into an alliance with the city of Fribourg
Fribourg
Fribourg is the capital of the Swiss canton of Fribourg and the district of Sarine. It is located on both sides of the river Saane/Sarine, on the Swiss plateau, and is an important economic, administrative and educational center on the cultural border between German and French Switzerland...
. Due to the treaty, it was not plundered by the victorious Swiss after the Battle of Murten (22 June 1476). In 1536, as the Bernese conquered the Vaud, Bishop Sébastien de Montfalcon fled from Lausanne to Fribourg and placed himself and Bulle under the the protection of that city. With Fribourg's protection, Bulle was able to remain Catholic
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
. However, the protection of Fribourg was transformed into domination in 1537. The citizens were placed under a Fribourg appointed bailiff
Bailiff
A bailiff is a governor or custodian ; a legal officer to whom some degree of authority, care or jurisdiction is committed...
who ruled over the former episcopal lands from the castle in Bulle.
The period from 1536 to 1798 was reasonably quiet. The town expanded slightly beyond the city walls near the upper gate. While it was politically powerless, it became a economic center for cheese production and trade. It was the hub for most cheeses that wereexported to France. In the 17th Century the chapel and the statue erected in her (Notre-Dame de Pitié or de Compassion) became a pilgrimage
Pilgrimage
A pilgrimage is a journey or search of great moral or spiritual significance. Typically, it is a journey to a shrine or other location of importance to a person's beliefs and faith...
destination. In 1665 the Capuchins
Order of Friars Minor Capuchin
The Order of Friars Minor Capuchin is an Order of friars in the Catholic Church, among the chief offshoots of the Franciscans. The worldwide head of the Order, called the Minister General, is currently Father Mauro Jöhri.-Origins :...
took over the property, enlarged and embellished the chapel and built convent buildings on the site of the hospital. The hospital moved to the vicinity of the upper gate. The shrine attracted many pilgrims from the Counties of Burgundy and Savoy. In the 18th century, its popularity began to slowly wane. In 1750-51 a new building replaced the parish church of Saint-Pierre aux Liens, which had become too small. In 1763-68, the bailiff's quarters and the audience hall in the castle were expanded and renovated.
Starting at the end of the 18th century, Bulle became important in the cantonal government. Pierre-Nicolas Chenaux, who led a popular uprising against the Ancien Régime
Early Modern Switzerland
The early modern history of the Old Swiss Confederacy , lasting from formal independence in 1648 to the French invasion of 1798 came to be referred as Ancien Régime retrospectively, in post-Napoleonic Switzerland.The early modern period was characterized by an increasingly...
government in Fribourg in 1781, held meetings before the uprising in Bulle. After the failure of the uprising, several members of the movement went into exile in Paris and founded the Helvétique Club. During the 1798 French invasion many of the residents of Bulle joined the revolutionary cause. By 26 January, a liberty tree
Liberty pole
A liberty pole is a tall wooden pole, often used as a type of flagstaff, planted in the ground, which may be surmounted by an ensign or a liberty cap. They are associated with the Atlantic Revolutions of the late 18th century.-American Revolution:...
was raised in front of the castle and the citizens had selected an oversight committee and drove the governor out of the city. Bulle would have gladly joined the French-supported Lemanic Republic, but after the march elections it became part of the Helvetic Republic
Helvetic Republic
In Swiss history, the Helvetic Republic represented an early attempt to impose a central authority over Switzerland, which until then consisted mainly of self-governing cantons united by a loose military alliance, and conquered territories such as Vaud...
's Canton of Fribourg. Under Fribourg, the town of Gruyere was chosen as the seat of the district, instead of Bulle. Bulle also became deeply indebted during the French occupation of 1798-1802. It became a staging post for troops marching from the north into Italy and had to pay for both troops stationed in Bulle as well as troops marching through its lands.
On 2 April 1805 an enormous fire destroyed almost the entire city. It was quickly rebuilt, and most of the medieval streets were retained. However, one of the four rows of houses was not rebuilt to make room for a large marketplace. The town granary
Granary
A granary is a storehouse for threshed grain or animal feed. In ancient or primitive granaries, pottery is the most common use of storage in these buildings. Granaries are often built above the ground to keep the stored food away from mice and other animals.-Early origins:From ancient times grain...
was quickly rebuilt, followed by the town hall in 1808, and the rebuilt church in 1816.
During the entire 19th century Bulle was often in sharp opposition to the conservative cantonal government during the Restoration (1814-30). They supported a liberal cantonal constitution during the Regeneration movement that prevailed in 1831. After 1840 the Conservatives gained back power in the cantonal government, which gave new impetus to the radical opposition, and Bulle was one of its most important centers. In January 1847 there was an open rebellion in Bulle. On 6 January 1847 the mayor was imprisoned in the castle. Three days later, on 9 January, an armed group marched from Bulle toward Fribourg, but returned to the town when they were only half way there. Following the Sonderbund War, the new Cantonal Constitution of 1848 made Bulle the capital of the Gruyère district. During the 1853 elections, which punished the radicals for their political excesses, the city was the scene of violence. Violent clashes in Bulle between radicals and conservatives lasted the entire 19th century. At the same time both parties were trying to distinguish themselves with ambitious projects. The radicals built a rail line between Bulle and Romont, established the Banque Populaire de la Gruyère in 1853, opened the radical "La Gruyère" newspaper in 1882 and in 1893 their own electric company. The Conservatives gave the "Le Fribourgeois" paper in 1867, opened the Crédit Gruyérien bank in 1867 and built the Chemins de fer de la Gruyère électriques in 1903-12.
From the mid-19th Century to 1970, the Radical party possessed a majority in the town council, while the Conservatives were always in the minority. In 1948, the Socialists gained two seats, which they lost in 1950, but won again in 1958 and 1966. Between 1970-1996 the council consisted of four Radicals, three Socialists and Social Democrats, and two Christian Democrats. During the Second World War, Bulle was the site of a major riot, the Bulle Riot. On 23 November 1944, five federal inspectors, who were investigating the illicit trade in meat, were attacked by a mob and forced to flee to the castle (which was the district administration building) for safety. In October 1945 the Federal Court met in Fribourg, and in the presence of the entire Swiss press handed down fourteen convictions for the rioters.
Geography
Bulle has an area, , of 23.9 square kilometre. Of this area, 11.03 square kilometre or 46.2% is used for agricultural purposes, while 7.47 square kilometre or 31.3% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 5.15 square kilometre or 21.6% is settled (buildings or roads), 0.16 square kilometre or 0.7% is either rivers or lakes and 0.05 km² (12.4 acre) or 0.2% is unproductive land.Of the built up area, industrial buildings made up 3.1% of the total area while housing and buildings made up 10.6% and transportation infrastructure made up 5.7%. Power and water infrastructure as well as other special developed areas made up 1.3% of the area Out of the forested land, 30.1% of the total land area is heavily forested and 1.2% is covered with orchards or small clusters of trees. Of the agricultural land, 11.9% is used for growing crops and 22.9% is pastures and 11.4% is used for alpine pastures. All the water in the municipality is flowing water.
The municipality is the capital of the Gruyère district. It is located on a hill at an elevation of 770 metres (2,526.2 ft) above the left side of the Trême river.
Coat of arms
The blazonBlazon
In heraldry and heraldic vexillology, a blazon is a formal description of a coat of arms, flag or similar emblem, from which the reader can reconstruct the appropriate image...
of the municipal coat of arms
Coat of arms
A coat of arms is a unique heraldic design on a shield or escutcheon or on a surcoat or tabard used to cover and protect armour and to identify the wearer. Thus the term is often stated as "coat-armour", because it was anciently displayed on the front of a coat of cloth...
is Per fess Argent an Ox Gules passant and Gules.
Demographics
Bulle has a population of . , 29.8% of the population are resident foreign nationals. Over the last 10 years (2000–2010) the population has changed at a rate of 27.2%. Migration accounted for 24.2%, while births and deaths accounted for 3.8%.Most of the population speaks French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
(9,492 or 85.1%) as their first language, Portuguese
Portuguese language
Portuguese is a Romance language that arose in the medieval Kingdom of Galicia, nowadays Galicia and Northern Portugal. The southern part of the Kingdom of Galicia became independent as the County of Portugal in 1095...
is the second most common (488 or 4.4%) and German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
is the third (345 or 3.1%). There are 125 people who speak Italian
Italian language
Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
and 2 people who speak Romansh.
, the population was 48.6% male and 51.4% female. The population was made up of 5,693 Swiss men (31.2% of the population) and 3,185 (17.4%) non-Swiss men. There were 6,605 Swiss women (36.1%) and 2,790 (15.3%) non-Swiss women. Of the population in the municipality, 2,917 or about 26.2% were born in Bulle and lived there in 2000. There were 3,896 or 34.9% who were born in the same canton, while 1,227 or 11.0% were born somewhere else in Switzerland, and 2,642 or 23.7% were born outside of Switzerland.
, children and teenagers (0-19 years old) make up 25.3% of the population, while adults (20-64 years old) make up 60.5% and seniors (over 64 years old) make up 14.2%.
, there were 4,730 people who were single and never married in the municipality. There were 5,034 married individuals, 798 widows or widowers and 587 individuals who are divorced.
, there were 6,000 private households in the municipality, and an average of 2.3 persons per household. There were 1,575 households that consist of only one person and 311 households with five or more people. , a total of 4,502 apartments (89.5% of the total) were permanently occupied, while 373 apartments (7.4%) were seasonally occupied and 155 apartments (3.1%) were empty. , the construction rate of new housing units was 13.1 new units per 1000 residents.
the average price to rent an average apartment in Bulle was 1026.06 Swiss franc
Swiss franc
The franc is the currency and legal tender of Switzerland and Liechtenstein; it is also legal tender in the Italian exclave Campione d'Italia. Although not formally legal tender in the German exclave Büsingen , it is in wide daily use there...
s (CHF) per month (US$820, £460, €660 approx. exchange rate from 2003). The average rate for a one room apartment was 514.78 CHF (US$410, £230, €330), a two room apartment was about 731.83 CHF (US$590, £330, €470), a three room apartment was about 940.67 CHF (US$750, £420, €600) and a six or more room apartment cost an average of 1525.37 CHF (US$1220, £690, €980). The average apartment price in Bulle was 91.9% of the national average of 1116 CHF. The vacancy rate for the municipality, , was 1.18%.
The historical population is given in the following chart:
Heritage sites of national significance
The Notre-Dame De Compassion Chapel, the Baillival CastleBaillival Castle (Bulle)
Baillival Castle is a bailiff's castle in the municipality of Bulle of the Canton of Fribourg in Switzerland. It is a Swiss heritage site of national significance.-References:...
, the Halle Landi and the Gruérien Museum are listed as Swiss heritage site of national significance
Swiss Inventory of Cultural Property of National and Regional Significance
The Swiss Inventory of Cultural Property of National and Regional Significance is a register of some 8,300 items of cultural property in Switzerland...
. The entire old town of Bulle is part of the Inventory of Swiss Heritage Sites
Inventory of Swiss Heritage Sites
The Inventory of Swiss Heritage Sites is part of a 1981 Ordinance of the Swiss Federal Council implementing the Federal Law on the Protection of Nature and Cultural Heritage.-Sites of national importance:-Types:...
.
Sights
Downtown Bulle is made up of many shops and offices, a train/bus station (TPF) (with regular service to nearby Fribourg), and an old chateau that was converted into a prison. A sculpture of a bull sits in a traffic circle by the bus station, showing the emblematic animal for which Bulle is named.Politics
In the 2011 federal electionSwiss federal election, 2011
Federal elections were held in Switzerland on 23 October 2011.All of the Federal Assembly were to be elected: all 200 seats in the National Council and all 46 seats in the Council of States....
the most popular party was the SP
Social Democratic Party of Switzerland
The Social Democratic Party of Switzerland is the largest centre-left political party in Switzerland....
which received 32.8% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the SVP
Swiss People's Party
The Swiss People's Party , also known as the Democratic Union of the Centre , is a conservative political party in Switzerland. Chaired by Toni Brunner, but spearheaded by Christoph Blocher, the party is the largest party in the Federal Assembly, with 58 members of the National Council and 6 of...
(18.6%), the CVP
Christian Democratic People's Party of Switzerland
The Christian Democratic People's Party of Switzerland is a Christian democratic political party in Switzerland. It is the fourth-largest party in the National Council, with 31 seats, and the largest in the Council of States, with 15 seats. It has one seat, that of Doris Leuthard, on the Swiss...
(16.9%) and the FDP
FDP.The Liberals
FDP.The Liberals is a classical liberal political party in Switzerland. It is the joint-largest party in the Federal Council, third-largest party in the National Council, and second-largest in the Council of States....
(16.2%).
The SPS gained an additional 5.1% of the vote from the 2007 Federal election
Swiss federal election, 2007
Elections to the Swiss Federal Assembly, the federal parliament of Switzerland, were held on Sunday, 21 October 2007. In a few cantons, a second round of the elections to the Council of States was held on 11 November, 18 November, and 25 November 2007...
(27.6% in 2007 vs 32.8% in 2011). The SVP moved from third in 2007 (with 21.6%) to second in 2011, the CVP moved from second in 2007 (with 22.0%) to third and the FDP retained about the same popularity (18.2% in 2007). A total of 4,617 votes were cast in this election, of which 128 or 2.8% were invalid.
Economy
, Bulle had an unemployment rate of 4.9%. , there were 74 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 22 businesses involved in this sector. 3,932 people were employed in the secondary sector and there were 167 businesses in this sector. 6,381 people were employed in the tertiary sector, with 737 businesses in this sector. There were 5,480 residents of the municipality who were employed in some capacity, of which females made up 45.1% of the workforce.the total number of full-time equivalent
Full-time equivalent
Full-time equivalent , is a unit to measure employed persons or students in a way that makes them comparable although they may work or study a different number of hours per week. FTE is often used to measure a worker's involvement in a project, or to track cost reductions in an organization...
jobs was 8,850. The number of jobs in the primary sector was 56, of which 49 were in agriculture and 6 were in forestry or lumber production. The number of jobs in the secondary sector was 3,784 of which 2,411 or (63.7%) were in manufacturing, 5 or (0.1%) were in mining and 1,250 (33.0%) were in construction. The number of jobs in the tertiary sector was 5,010. In the tertiary sector; 1,631 or 32.6% were in the sale or repair of motor vehicles, 319 or 6.4% were in the movement and storage of goods, 452 or 9.0% were in a hotel or restaurant, 70 or 1.4% were in the information industry, 472 or 9.4% were the insurance or financial industry, 517 or 10.3% were technical professionals or scientists, 471 or 9.4% were in education and 492 or 9.8% were in health care.
, there were 4,927 workers who commuted into the municipality and 2,232 workers who commuted away. The municipality is a net importer of workers, with about 2.2 workers entering the municipality for every one leaving. Of the working population, 8% used public transportation to get to work, and 66.1% used a private car.
Religion
From the , 8,436 or 75.7% were Roman Catholic, while 625 or 5.6% belonged to the Swiss Reformed ChurchSwiss Reformed Church
The Reformed branch of Protestantism in Switzerland was started in Zürich by Huldrych Zwingli and spread within a few years to Basel , Bern , St...
. Of the rest of the population, there were 54 members of an Orthodox church
Orthodox Christianity
The term Orthodox Christianity may refer to:* the Eastern Orthodox Church and its various geographical subdivisions...
(or about 0.48% of the population), there were 8 individuals (or about 0.07% of the population) who belonged to the Christian Catholic Church
Christian Catholic Church of Switzerland
The Christian Catholic Church of Switzerland is the Swiss member church of the Union of Utrecht, also known as Old Catholic Church, originally founded by the jansenists, with a later influx of discontented Catholics following their disappointment with the First Vatican Council. It has 14,000...
, and there were 246 individuals (or about 2.21% of the population) who belonged to another Christian church. There were 10 individuals (or about 0.09% of the population) who were Jewish
Judaism
Judaism ) is the "religion, philosophy, and way of life" of the Jewish people...
, and 701 (or about 6.29% of the population) who were Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
ic. There were 51 individuals who were Buddhist
Buddhism
Buddhism is a religion and philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha . The Buddha lived and taught in the northeastern Indian subcontinent some time between the 6th and 4th...
, 12 individuals who were Hindu
Hinduism
Hinduism is the predominant and indigenous religious tradition of the Indian Subcontinent. Hinduism is known to its followers as , amongst many other expressions...
and 11 individuals who belonged to another church. 579 (or about 5.19% of the population) belonged to no church, are agnostic
Agnosticism
Agnosticism is the view that the truth value of certain claims—especially claims about the existence or non-existence of any deity, but also other religious and metaphysical claims—is unknown or unknowable....
or atheist
Atheism
Atheism is, in a broad sense, the rejection of belief in the existence of deities. In a narrower sense, atheism is specifically the position that there are no deities...
, and 538 individuals (or about 4.83% of the population) did not answer the question.
Education
In Bulle about 3,207 or (28.8%) of the population have completed non-mandatory upper secondary education, and 1,134 or (10.2%) have completed additional higher education (either university or a FachhochschuleFachhochschule
A Fachhochschule or University of Applied Sciences is a German type of tertiary education institution, sometimes specialized in certain topical areas . Fachhochschulen were founded in Germany and later adopted by Austria, Liechtenstein, Switzerland and Greece...
). Of the 1,134 who completed tertiary schooling, 57.4% were Swiss men, 25.7% were Swiss women, 10.1% were non-Swiss men and 6.9% were non-Swiss women.
The Canton of Fribourg school system provides one year of non-obligatory Kindergarten
Kindergarten
A kindergarten is a preschool educational institution for children. The term was created by Friedrich Fröbel for the play and activity institute that he created in 1837 in Bad Blankenburg as a social experience for children for their transition from home to school...
, followed by six years of Primary school. This is followed by three years of obligatory lower Secondary school where the students are separated according to ability and aptitude. Following the lower Secondary students may attend a three or four year optional upper Secondary school. The upper Secondary school is divided into gymnasium
Gymnasium (school)
A gymnasium is a type of school providing secondary education in some parts of Europe, comparable to English grammar schools or sixth form colleges and U.S. college preparatory high schools. The word γυμνάσιον was used in Ancient Greece, meaning a locality for both physical and intellectual...
(university preparatory) and vocational programs. After they finish the upper Secondary program, students may choose to attend a Tertiary school or continue their apprenticeship
Apprenticeship
Apprenticeship is a system of training a new generation of practitioners of a skill. Apprentices or protégés build their careers from apprenticeships...
.
During the 2010-11 school year, there were a total of 6,205 students attending 325 classes in Bulle. A total of 3,029 students from the municipality attended any school, either in the municipality or outside of it. There were 11 kindergarten classes with a total of 193 students in the municipality. The municipality had 58 primary classes and 1,243 students. During the same year, there were 84 lower secondary classes with a total of 1,682 students. There were 79 vocational upper Secondary classes and were 47 upper Secondary classes, with 938 upper Secondary students and 1,166 vocational upper Secondary students The municipality had 18 specialized Tertiary classes and were 28 non-university Tertiary classes, with 838 non-university Tertiary students and 145 specialized Tertiary students.
, there were 1,680 students in Bulle who came from another municipality, while 200 residents attended schools outside the municipality.
Bulle is home to the Bibliothèque de Bulle library. The library has 78,000 books or other media, and loaned out 131,270 items in the same year. It was open a total of 260 days with average of 31 hours per week during that year.