The battle at Murten

The first Migros store in western Switzerland was opened by Migros Bern in Neuchâtel. When the people of Neuchâtel formed the Neuchâtel Société Coopérative Migros in 1941, they still remained under the influence of Bern. They then fought with Bern and Valais over who would control the neighbouring canton of Freiburg.

Migros Bern opened the first Migros shop in Neuchâtel in 1932. Migros Bern was also responsible for supplying them with all goods until 1949. Only then did the Neuchâtel Cooperative build its own distribution centre. Although its catchment area also included Canton Freiburg, this didn’t stop Bern from opening a branch in Sugiez, Freiburg. And Valais was expanding into Bulle, Freiburg at nearly the same time, claiming that the interests of the people were more important than «rivalry or egocentricity». But Neuchâtel feared that its distribution centre was reaching its capacity and called on the cooperative to arbitrate. Alluding to the Burgundian Wars of the 1400s, they admitted that while it was unlikely that «a new ‹Murten battle› will erupt around this town», they were not ready «even in full friendship» to cede a part of Canton Freiburg. The disagreement lasted more than a year and the results of the arbitration council are not on record. But today, Bulle belongs to the catchment area of the Migros Neuchâtel-Fribourg Cooperative and the store in Sugiez no longer exists.