History History

Prehistoric men lived in the Jura. Closer to us than the dinosaurs, since they are "only" a few tens of thousands of years old. Traces, notably carved stones, have allowed archaeologists to identify a human occupation 145,000 years ago. These Paleolithic men (200,000 to 120,000 years before Christ) were beginning to master fire. The main discoveries were made in the caves of Gigny and Arlay, as well as in Rochefort-sur-Nenon, and concern better known prehistoric men. On the one hand, Neanderthal who lived about 30,000 years ago and used to bury his dead. On the other hand Cro-Magnon, who, 15 000 years ago, made the first ceramics. Let's go back a few thousand years and here we are on the shores of the Chalain and Clairvaux lakes, 4,000 years ago, in the Neolithic period. A society lived there, organized in lakeside villages.

Numerous migratory flows moved populations between Asia and Europe, and with them their cultural practices and technical know-how. This is how metalworking developed in the region, 900 years before Christ

The Sekanese occupied an area corresponding to Franche-Comté. Who were they? The exact origin of this Celtic people is not known. Their name comes from a deity, Sequana, who also gave his name to rivers (the Seine, the Saône...) The Sequanes opposed the Aedui who came from the south-west of the Saône and who allied themselves with the Germans. They then dominated the north of the region while the Helvetians attacked from the east. Then a^4th protagonist arrived: Julius Caesar. Thus began the Gallo-Roman period in the Jura

Under the Roman occupation, the Burgundians, of Germanic origin, settled on the Sequan lands. A mixing of peoples and cultures then took place, as shown by the objects, marked by various influences, which were found in the Merovingian cemeteries of Crotenay and Monnet-la-Ville. At the same time, Christianisation was gaining ground in the Jura.

Saints such as the hermit Romain and his brother Lupicin became famous. They founded the monasteries of Saint-Claude and Saint-Lupicin. They also set up a foundation for nuns at La Balme and appointed their sister Yole as abbess. This monastery, located in the commune of Pratz, west of Saint-Claude, was home to up to 125 nuns, and then housed monks throughout the Middle Ages. It was also in Pratz that a rural dwelling from the Merovingian period was discovered, equipped with a forge. A century later, the Frankish kings imposed themselves throughout Burgundy, then Charlemagne extended his empire there, until the barbarian invasions

In the 10th century, Burgundy, which had become Burgundy, was divided into a duchy and a county. The latter included the Jura countries. "In 1032, the County came under the control of the German Emperor Conrad II. Gradually, the power of the small local lords increased: the Chalon dynasty founded the fortified town of Nozeroy in 1264. After a period of prosperity under Philip the Fair, the County is again attached to Burgundy despite the feudal lords, whose resistance is put down by Philip the Bold, John the Fearless, Philip the Good and Charles the Bold. Poligny and its castle of Grimont were the victims, while the parliament of Dole saw its role reinforced by the Dukes of Burgundy.

Invaded by Louis XI who wanted to establish his domination over the County, the town of Dole was burnt down. Many castles are destroyed. Charles VIII, son of Louis XI, gave the County back to Austria in 1493. A Comtois governor was installed in Dole and the region regained a certain autonomy. In 1519, Charles V was supported by Philibert de Chalon, who led the Italian campaign, establishing himself as an outstanding military leader. Philip II, King of Spain and son of Charles V, and his daughter Isabella, wife of the Archduke of Austria, inherited the County, which administered itself.

After becoming King of France in 1589, Henri IV obtained in 1601, in exchange for an Italian domain, lands in the south of the Jura, in the area of the current department of Ain. He declared war on Spain and even though a treaty of neutrality officially prevented him from invading the county, it suffered greatly from the conflict

Louis XIII succeeded him in 1610. During his reign, Richelieu invaded the County in 1635, reproaching it for having given asylum to Gaston d'Orléans, one of the worst enemies of the King of France. The Comtois resisted fiercely. Born in the Jura, Claude Prost, known as Captain Lacuzon, became the emblematic figure of this struggle, which was interrupted in 1648. The County was devastated, but the Treaty of the Pyrenees gave it back to Spain in 1659.

Until Louis XIV attached it definitively to the kingdom of France by the Treaty of Nijmegen in 1678. Vauban fortified the border regions and rebuilt the Salins forts

From the beginning of the 18th century, industry developed: the hydraulic energy of the Jura rivers supplied forges and mills, and salt production was mechanised and increased

In 1790, after the Revolution, Franche-Comté was divided into 3 departments: Haute-Saône, Doubs and Jura. Under Napoleon, the Jura forges worked at full capacity to arm the troops. The railway appeared in the Jura at the end of the 18th century, and contributed greatly to its economic development

Industrialisation continued and the watchmaking industry developed. Europe was experiencing a new "iron age" and the Jura manufactured nails, tools and various metal parts. In Morez, in the 19th century, the manufacture of nails evolved into that of spectacles, while in Salins, earthenware factories were established. Agriculture also developed. Cheese and wine production became more modern and organised

It was in the Jura that the first French wine cooperatives were born at the very beginning of the 20th century. The collection of milk was structured, and everywhere in the villages "model chalets" were built to house the "fruitières" which transformed the milk into cheese. The wars slowed down this development somewhat, especially that of 1939-1945. The Germans occupied Franche-Comté to prevent French troops from crossing the Swiss border. The demarcation line crossed the Jura

After the war, industry was reborn and the Jura experienced a period of prosperity. In the 1960s, a hydroelectric dam was built on the Ain, giving rise to the Vouglans lake. The Jura suffered from the industrial crisis at the end of the 1970s. However, Jura know-how is still very much alive thanks to a highly developed arts and crafts industry. Finally, the department enjoys the exceptional quality of its natural areas, which allows it to engage in the path of green (and white!) tourism.

The Jura lives mainly thanks to its strong tourist attraction: the mountains offer activities in summer and winter. Thermalism and green tourism are well developed. Its border position makes it a particularly well placed department. Not resting on its laurels, it is constantly innovating: increasing number of festivals, hiking routes, walking and cycling races... The Dole airport, inaugurated in 1970, opens it up to the world with a constantly increasing number of visitors. With its strong craft industry, ranging from the catering trade to winegrowing and the car industry, the Jura also claims to be the "Toy Country", thanks to factories such as Vilac and Smoby, which are vigilant in the face of global competition. The department has entered the 21st century and is preparing for the technological innovations of tomorrow with the creation of its Digital Centre. But the future also goes hand in hand with sustainable development: concerned about preserving its environment, the Jura is innovating by including all its projects in an eco-responsible approach.