Marin-Épagnier

Canton of Neuchâtel · Region: Littoral · 11'742 inhabitants (31.12.2025, municipality of Laténa)

Part of the municipality of Laténa

No population figure is published for this locality: the figure shown is that of the municipality of Laténa.

Origin of the name Founding Historical timeline Population over time Must-see historical sites Remains Sources and references Nearby villages

Origin of the name Marin-Épagnier

The name joins two separate villages. Épagnier is mentioned in 1163 as « Espagnie », Marin in 1179 as « Marens »; the 1163 deed is said to be a gift by the knight Pierre d'Épagnier to the abbey of Hauterive (to be cross-checked). Marin (formerly also Marins or Mareins) is linked to mal arena (« poor shore »), the Roman personal name Marianus or a pre-Roman name Marincus; Épagnier to the Old French « espaille » (bush, scrub), like Épagny or Épalinges (to be cross-checked). The two villages were separate municipalities until they united in 1888.

Founding of Marin-Épagnier

Marin and Épagnier owe their origin neither to a founding charter nor to a known founder. Their land, on Lake Neuchâtel at the mouth of the Thielle, has been occupied since prehistory: between Épagnier and Préfargier there are three Neolithic and two Bronze Age lakeside settlements; at Bourguignonnes and Chevalereux lie a Hallstatt period settlement and Late La Tène rectangular enclosures. The La Tène site, which gave its name to the late Iron Age, lies within the municipal territory. The village community of Marin was formed in the 14th century. Marin and Épagnier belonged to the castellany of Thielle and to the parish of Saint-Blaise (Épagnier since 1888). United in 1888 as the municipality of Marin-Épagnier, they formed the municipality of La Tène with Thielle-Wavre from 2009 to 2024 and, in 2025, the municipality of Laténa with Enges, Hauterive and Saint-Blaise.

History of Marin-Épagnier

around 3500 BC. The lakeside village of Marin-Les Piécettes (Cortaillod culture, Port-Conty type), dated by dendrochronology to about 3504-3483 BC, has a dozen houses around a central building on an artificial mound; excavated from 1998 to 2002, it is listed as of national importance.

Bronze Age. Two Bronze Age lakeside settlements are added to the three known Neolithic settlements between Épagnier and Préfargier.

Hallstatt period. A settlement is established at Bourguignonnes and Chevalereux, where Late La Tène rectangular enclosures are also known.

mid-3rd century BC. A Celtic bridge is built at La Tène; it is destroyed in the mid-1st century BC.

late 1st century BC. A Roman bridge is in turn built on the site.

1163. First mention of Épagnier, as « Espagnie ».

1179. First mention of Marin, as « Marens ».

1362. Count Louis of Neuchâtel leases to the community of Marin a meadow called « La Planche de Mozon » (to be cross-checked).

14th century. The village community of Marin is formed; Marin and Épagnier belong to the castellany of Thielle until 1848.

1756-1838. A calico printing works (printed cotton cloth) operates in Marin-Épagnier.

1848. On 27 December the Maison de santé de Préfargier, founded and funded by Auguste-Frédéric de Meuron (1789-1852), opens; the first patient is admitted on 2 January 1849.

1857. In November the fisherman Hans Kopp, commissioned by Colonel Friedrich Schwab, discovers the La Tène site: some forty iron objects are recovered (to be cross-checked).

1860-1948. Various small businesses settle: watchmaking, polishing rouge and leather goods.

1870. After this date Gottlieb Bühler's company operates gravel pits.

1888. Marin and Épagnier unite as the municipality of Marin-Épagnier; Épagnier henceforth belongs to the parish of Saint-Blaise.

1901. Marin-Épagnier gets a station on the Neuchâtel-Bern line.

1903. Adolf von Martini founds a car factory on the boundary between Marin-Épagnier and Saint-Blaise; the Cité Martini, a group of thirty workers' cottages, is built in 1905-1906 (to be cross-checked).

1907-1917. Systematic excavations at La Tène, led by William Wavre and then Paul Vouga (to be cross-checked).

1958. Start of industrial growth, notably with the Migros distribution centre, Ebauches Electroniques SA (later EM Microelectronic) and Metalor.

1975. Opening of the Saint-Blaise-Le Landeron section of the A5 motorway, which speeds up industrial development.

1989. Marin-Épagnier hosts one of the two school centres (regional secondary school) of the Bas-Lac area.

1996. The Maison de santé de Préfargier is listed as a historic monument.

1 January 2009. Marin-Épagnier and Thielle-Wavre merge to form the municipality of La Tène.

26 November 2023. The voters of La Tène, Hauterive, Saint-Blaise and Enges approve the merger of their municipalities by more than 72 %.

1 January 2025. La Tène merges with Enges, Hauterive and Saint-Blaise to form the municipality of Laténa; Marin-Épagnier becomes one of its localities.

Population of Marin-Épagnier

331

1850

627

1900

953

1950

2'540

1970

3'611

2000

4'131

2008

Historic sites in Marin-Épagnier

The La Tène archaeological site. At the mouth of the Thielle, this site gave its name to the La Tène culture, the European late Iron Age. A Celtic bridge of the mid-3rd century BC, destroyed in the mid-1st century BC, and a Roman bridge of the late 1st century BC have been identified there. Part of the finds is displayed at the Laténium in Hauterive.

The Cité Martini. Group of thirty workers' cottages built in 1905-1906 in the Heimatstil by the architects Jean Béguin and Ernest Prince for the staff of the Martini factory, protected since 2002 (to be cross-checked).

The Maison de santé de Préfargier. Psychiatric hospital founded and funded by Auguste-Frédéric de Meuron, opened on 27 December 1848, one of the first to do without chains and bars. Listed as a historic monument in 1996.

La Tène beach. Sandy beach on Lake Neuchâtel, next to the archaeological site of the same name (to be cross-checked).

Remains in Marin-Épagnier

The La Tène finds. The site, discovered in 1857, was excavated from 1880 by Émile Vouga, from 1907 to 1917 by William Wavre and then Paul Vouga, and again in 2003; it is said to have yielded over 2'500 objects (weapons, tools, harness, bronzes, coins), now spread across many museums (to be cross-checked).

The Celtic and Roman bridges of La Tène. The Celtic bridge, built in the mid-3rd century BC and destroyed in the mid-1st century BC, and the Roman bridge of the late 1st century BC show the importance of this crossing of the Thielle.

The lakeside village of Marin-Les Piécettes. Village of the Cortaillod culture (Port-Conty type), dated to about 3504-3483 BC. The 1998-2002 excavations uncovered a dozen houses with raised floors, a 110-metre access path and a central building on an artificial mound, without a hearth, interpreted as ceremonial or administrative. The site is listed as of national importance.

Lakeside settlements and enclosures. Between Épagnier and Préfargier lie three Neolithic and two Bronze Age lakeside settlements; at Bourguignonnes and Chevalereux, a Hallstatt period settlement and Late La Tène rectangular enclosures.

Sources

Other villages near Marin-Épagnier

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