Jura Independence Day, or Fête d’Indépendance, is celebrated every year on June 23 and is a regional public holiday held in the Republic and Canton of the Jura. This holiday celebrates Jura becoming a canton of Switzerland on this date in 1979.Jura was once a part of the canton of Bern? Yes, for over 160 years, Jura was a part of the canton of Bern and remained so until they decided to join the Swiss Confederation as the 26th Swiss Canton.
Canton of Jura is the newest of the 26 Swiss cantons, located in the northwestern part of Switzerland. The history of Jura begins in 999 when the king of Burgundy donated much of the land that makes up the current canton of Jura to the bishop of Basel. This piece of land was a sovereign state within the Holy Roman Empire for more than 800 years. All this changed after the Congress of Vienna in 1815 when the Jura region became a part of the canton of Bern. However, the problem with this situation was that Jura was predominantly Catholic and spoke French, while Bern was mainly Protestant and spoke German which led to several tense situations throughout history.
After World War II, a separatist movement voiced for the secession of Jura from the canton of Bern. In 1978, the split was made official after the Swiss people voted in favor and Jura joined the Swiss Confederation as a full member on June 23, 1979. Today, Jura is a major tourist attraction for people worldwide. People across the world visit Jura both in summer and, increasingly, also in winter to experience the great skiing tracks.
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