Swiss town of Moutier celebrates historic move from Bern to Jura

At the stroke of midnight on Wednesday, the Swiss town of Moutier and its 7,300 inhabitants officially switched from canton Bern to canton Jura in northwestern Switzerland. +Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox “The town will rediscover its natural home,” Mayor Marcel Winistoerfer told 300 people in front of the town hall. The residents of Moutier will be privileged to experience intense and extraordinary emotions with this change of canton, said the pro-Jura mayor, adding that a new, emotional, and adventurous chapter would enrich the country’s history. Swiss Interior Minister Elisabeth Baume-Schneider, who hails from canton Jura, attended the event in a private capacity. A banquet for 1,200 people, a torchlight procession, and a light and sound show were organised. 'A unique process' The vice president of the Jura government, Stéphane Theurillat, also spoke of a historic event in his address. "What we are experiencing tonight goes far beyond current events ...