Grenchen

Infobox Swiss town
subject_name = Grenchen
municipality_name = Grenchen
municipality_type = city
imagepath_coa = Grenchen-blason.png|pixel_coa=

---

languages = German
canton = Solothurn
iso-code-region = CH-SO
district = Lebern
lat_d=47|lat_m=11|lat_NS=N|long_d=7|long_m=24|long_EW=E
postal_code = 2540
municipality_code = 2546
area = 26.08
elevation = 451|elevation_description=
population = 16100|populationof=June 2007
mayor = Boris Banga|mayor_asof=2008|mayor_party=SPS
mayor_title = Stadtpräsident|list_of_mayors =
website = www.grenchen.ch
places =
demonym =
neighboring_municipalities= Arch (BE), Bettlach, Büren an der Aare (BE), Court (BE), Lengnau (BE), Romont (BE), Rüti bei Büren (BE), Selzach
twintowns = Neckarsulm (Germany), Sélestat (France)|

Grenchen ( _fr. Granges) is a municipality in the district of Lebern in the canton of Solothurn in Switzerland.

It is located at the foot of the Jura mountains between Solothurn and Biel. With over 16,000 inhabitants, it is one of the larger towns of the canton of Solothurn. The city is well known for its watch industry, that has been present for more than 150 years.

Grenchen is the 2008 winner of the Wakker Prize for architectural heritage.

History

Around 1000 AD, the local barons built a castle on the local cliff that was inhabited for three centuries. The name Grenchen was first documented in 1131 as "Granechun". The name comes from the gallo-romanic "graneca", meaning "by the grainery".

* 1851: Clock manufacture begins
* 1918: General strike

Transport

Although Grenchen is a small city, it has its own airfield with facilities for the transport of goods. It is mostly used by private pilots and parachutists, but also for business travel. The freeway A5 and a connection to Grenchen lie in the vicinity of the airport.

Two railway stations (Grenchen North on the Basel-Biel line and Grenchen South on the Geneva-Zurich line) provide for an excellent connection of the city on the rail network. The Grenchen Tunnel, an 8.5 km long railroad tunnel that was built between 1911 and 1915, offers a connection between the Swiss plateau and Delémont/Basel. Construction of the tunnel attracted many foreign workers to Grenchen, coming mostly from Italy.

Commerce

Grenchen has a large traditional watch industry and several famous manufacturers are based in the city:

* Atlantic Watch Production Ltd
* Breitling SA
* Epos
* ETA SA
* Fortis
* Eterna SA
* Nivada
* Titoni Ltd.

Twin towns

Grenchen is twinned with the cities of Neckarsulm (Germany) and Sélestat (France).

Coat of arms

Grenchen's coat of arms depicts a white ploughshare on a red field.