Why does Neuchâtel celebrate Republic Day on March 1?

At the beginning of March every year, people across Neuchâtel are given a public holiday to celebrate the founding of their canton as a republic. But why does Neuchâtel have its own Republic Day? The answer lies with Prussian kings, two attempted revolutions and an incident that brought Switzerland and the German state to the brink of war.

Neuchâtel Republic Day explained

Every year, in the early hours of March 1, thousands of people gather in Le Locle, Canton Neuchâtel. From there, they make their way through La Chaux-de-Fonds, La Vue-des-Alpes, Malvilliers and Valangin, before completing their 30-kilometre trek at Neuchâtel Castle.

They then wait for the “cannons” to be fired before converging on the castle, where instead of the heat of battle, they are warmed by a hot drink and soup given by the organisers. Though the tradition started in 1985, the public holiday marks the path Swiss revolutionaries took to usurp the royal government of Neuchâtel in the revolution of 1848.

Here’s what you need to know about the Instauration de la République, or Establishment of the Republic Day in Neuchâtel:

Principality of Neuchâtel falls into the hands of the Prussian king

After passing through several local lords and monarchs, in 1707, the nobility in what was then called the Principality of Neuchâtel elected King Fredrick I of Prussia as their prince. This meant that while Neuchâtel was allied to Switzerland, it remained a part of Prussia - the German state that would go on to unify Germany in the 19th century.

Barring a brief interlude between 1806 and 1814, when the region was under French control, the kings of Prussia continued to be named the princes and owners of Neuchâtel. Even when the region officially became a canton in 1815, the Prussian king was recognised as the personal owner of the territory and still controlled the region's affairs through a governor. This means that Neuchâtel is the only Swiss canton which has ever been governed by an absolute monarch.

This dual status - called the Neuchâtel question at the time - caused significant divisions between republicans and those who supported the Prussian king. As a result, a smaller uprising occurred in 1831, which was then followed by a larger revolt 17 years later.

Why is Neuchâtel Republic Day on March 1?

On March 1, 1848, 1.400 armed republicans marched from La Chaux-de-Fonds to Valagin, quickly capturing the castle there. By the evening, the mob had arrived at the castle in Neuchâtel itself, where the Prussian garrison and governor officially surrendered.

The rebels then drafted a new constitution, declaring the region a democracy and full canton of Switzerland. On April 30, the Principality of Neuchâtel officially became the Republic and Canton of Neuchâtel (République et Canton de Neuchâtel). Despite a written objection, the Prussian authorities did nothing to stop the new republic from being declared.

The Neuchâtel Crisis

However, this wouldn’t be the end of the story. On September 2, 1856, loyalists - possibly with authorisation from the Prussian state - stormed Neuchâtel Castle and hoisted the black and white flag of Prussia on its ramparts.

Though the coup only lasted two days and the rebels were quickly captured, tensions flared after the Swiss government refused the Prussian King Frederick William’s demands to release the men responsible. This sparked the so-called Neuchâtel Crisis.

Tensions escalated to the point that Prussia severed its diplomatic ties with Switzerland and planned to mobilise its army for an invasion. On the Swiss side, the government appointed Henri Dufour as General of the Army - something only done during war and periods of high tension - a special bridge was built in Basel to transport troops across the Rhine and around 230.000 men were mobilised.

Are there still Princes of Neuchâtel?

Luckily, this incident was solved after the intervention of French Emperor Napoleon III, who convinced the Prussians to stand down. To lay the issue to rest for good, in March 1857, all the major powers of Europe met in Paris to decide the fate of Neuchâtel.

In a treaty signed on May 26, 1857, Switzerland agreed to release and deport all of the royalist rebels in exchange for Prussia renouncing its claim to the canton. Frederick William, the last Prince of Neuchâtel, died in 1861.