The Swiss canton that spent centuries as a Prussian principality while remaining in Switzerland

Countries & Cities · Published 30 September 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Neuchâtel is an anomaly in Swiss history. While its neighbors were republics, this region spent over a century under the nominal rule of Prussian kings. It only fully integrated as a modern republic after a peaceful revolution in 1848, ending a bizarre political arrangement that lasted until 1857.

Neuchâtel’s unique status began long before it joined the Swiss Confederation. First recorded in the 1032 testament of the final Burgundian king, the territory was granted to Count Ulrich von Fenis in 1034. Over the following centuries, the region shifted through various noble houses, eventually falling under the control of the French Orléans-Longueville family. By the time the Reformation arrived in 1530, brought by the preacher Guillaume Farel, the area had developed a distinct Protestant identity.

When the Orléans-Longueville line died out in 1707, the local population faced a choice of successors. Seeking a Protestant ruler strong enough to protect them but distant enough to allow for local autonomy, they bypassed French claimants in favor of King Frederick I of Prussia. This created a strange personal union where a Swiss territory was technically a principality of the Prussian crown. Napoleon briefly interrupted this in 1806 by installing his marshal, Louis-Alexandre Berthier, but the Prussian link was restored after the Napoleonic Wars.

In 1815, Neuchâtel became the 21st member of the Swiss Confederation, holding the distinction of being its only non-republican member. This tension finally broke in 1848 during a peaceful revolution that established a republican government. Although the Prussian monarch, Frederick William IV, initially resisted, the so-called Neuchâtel crisis of 1856 eventually forced the crown to renounce all claims to sovereignty in 1857. Today, the canton is known for its watchmaking heritage in towns like La Chaux-de-Fonds and Le Locle, which were designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2009.

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