Bern
Location of  | |
| Country | Switzerland |
| Canton | Bern |
| District | Bern (district) |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Alexander Tschäppät (since 2005 SPS) |
| Area | |
| • Total | 51.62 km2 (19.93 sq mi) |
| Elevation (  ) | 542 m (1,778 ft) |
| Population (31 December 2018)[2] | |
| • Total | 133,883 |
| • Density | 2,600/km2 (6,700/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+01:00 (Central European Time) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+02:00 (Central European Summer Time) |
| Postal code(s) | 3000 |
| SFOS number | 0351 |
| Website | www |
The city of Berne [ˈbɝːn] (Bernese German Bärn [ˈpæːrn], German [ˈb̥ɛrn], French Berne [ˈbɛʀn], Italian Berna [ˈbɛrna], Romansh Berna [ˈbɛrnə]), is the "Bundesstadt" (administrative capital) of Switzerland, and is the fourth most populous Swiss city (after Zürich, Geneva and Basel).
Language: German, or more specifically, Bernese German, which is a high-Alemannic dialect. The Canton of Bern has a French-speaking part. Very few people still speak the Matteänglisch, a secret language used in the former workers' quarter Matte, but several words have found their way in the Bernese German.
Bern also functions as the capital of the Canton of Bern, the second most populous of Switzerland's cantons.
Illustrious Bernese include the reformer Albrecht von Haller, the poet Albert Bitzius and the painters Ferdinand Hodler and Paul Klee. The German-born physicist Albert Einstein worked out his theory of relativity while employed as a clerk at the Bern patent office. A culturally important person was Mani Matter, a songwriter performing in Bernese German.
History
- Main article: History of Berne
Duke Berthold V of Zähringen founded the city on the River Aare in 1191 and allegedly named it after a bear (Bär in German) he had killed. It was made an Imperial Free City by the Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II in 1218 after Berthold died without an heir. In 1353 Berne joined the young Swiss Confederation, becoming a leading member of the new state. It invaded and conquered Aargau in 1415 and Vaud in 1536, as well as other smaller territories, thereby becoming the largest city-state north of the Alps. It was occupied by French troops in 1798 during the French Revolutionary Wars, when it was stripped of most of its territories. In 1831 the city became the capital of the Canton of Bern and in 1848 it additionally became the Swiss (administrative) capital.
The city grew out towards the west of the boundaries of the peninsula formed by the river Aare. Initially, the Zytglogge tower marked the western boundary of the city from 1191 until 1256, when the Käfigturm took over this role until 1345, which, in turn, was then succeeded by the Christoffelturm (located close to today's train station) until 1622. During the time of the Thirty Years' War two new fortifications, the so-called big and small Schanze (entrenchment), were built to protect the whole area of the peninsula. The protection by these edifices was sufficient for the prosperous growth of the city of Berne up to the 19th century.
Geography
Bern lies in the Swiss plateau part of the Canton of Bern, somewhat west of the center of Switzerland. The landscape around Bern was formed by glaciers in the last ice age. The two mountains closest to Bern are the Gurten with a height of 858 meters and the Bantiger with a height of 947 meters. The site of the old observatory in Bern is the origin (600 000/200 000) of the CH1903 coordinate system, its international coordinates are 46°57′08.66″N 7°26′22.50″E / 46.9524056°N 7.4395833°E.
The city was originally built on a peninsula engulfed by the river Aare but outgrew the natural boundaries of the river in the 19th century. The following bridges were built to allow the city to grow outside of the boundaries imposed by the river:
- 1844 Nydeggbrücke (at the bottom, i.e. the East-End)
- 1883 Kirchenfeldbrücke (at the South-side)
- 1898 Kornhausbrücke (at the North-side)
The city is built on very uneven ground. There are several dozens of meters in height difference from the quarters down at the Aare (e.g. Matte, Marzili) to the higher ones (e.g. Kirchenfeld, Länggasse).
Politics
Bern is governed by an 80-member legislative council (Stadtrat) and a 5-member executive council (Gemeinderat).
As of 2005, the representatives of the Social Democratic Party and of the three Green factions hold a majority in both councils (3 to 2 and 43 to 37, respectively). For this reason, it is they, collectively referred to as "Red-Green-Center" (Rot-Grün-Mitte), who mostly determine City policy, although no formal coalition agreement exists and, under the system of direct democracy that prevails in Switzerland, most important issues are settled by general referendum. The other major political parties of Bern are the Free Democratic Party (FDP, free-market liberal) and the Swiss People's Party (SVP, conservative).
The office of mayor (Stadtpräsident), as a primus inter pares (First among equals) in the executive council, is mostly representative. As of 2005, the mayor of Bern is Alexander Tschäppät of the Social Democrats.
See also: List of mayors of Berne
Sights
Bern's city center is largely medieval and has been recognised by UNESCO as a Cultural World Heritage Site. Perhaps its most famous sight is the Zytglogge, an elaborate medieval clock tower with moving puppets. It also has an impressive 15th century Gothic cathedral, the Münster, and a 15th century town hall. Thanks to 6 kilometers of arcades, the old town boasts one of the longest covered shopping promenades in Europe.
Since the 16th century, the city has had a bear pit (the Bärengraben), which can be visited off the far end of the Nydeggbrücke. The Federal Building (Bundeshaus), dating from 1902, which houses Parliament and part of the federal administration, can also be visited at opening hours.
The Garden of Roses (Rosengarten), from where a scenic panorama view of the medieval city core can be enjoyed, is a well-kept Rosary on a hill, converted into a park from a former cemetery in 1913.
Probably the newest attraction of Bern is the set of fountains in front of the Bundeshaus. It was inaugurated on August 1, 2004, the Swiss national day.
Culture
Bern is rich of cultural offerings for every taste.
Theaters
- city-theater [1]
- Schlachthaus-theater [2]
- tojo-theater [3]
- The Theater on the Effinger-Street [4]
- Narrenpack Theater Bern [5]
Movie theaters
Bern has several dozens of movie theaters. As is customary in Switzerland, movies are generally shown in their original language (e.g., English) with subtitling in German and French. Only a small number of screenings are dubbed in German. Program information is available through e.g. the Cineman website.
- Queersicht - Queer Filmfestival, annually held second week of November.
Nightlife
- Reithalle [6] - the old riding school of Bern, now a meeting place for the alternative scene, with concerts, parties, flea market and much more
- Wasserwerk [7] - a night-club close to the river Aare with lots of concerts and parties
- Bierhübeli [8] - a concert and party club
- Marians Jazzroom [9] - jazz club, where also the International Jazz Festival takes place
- ISC [10] - the International Students Club, open for everybody
- dead-end [11] - a club for the late ones, opens at midnight
- Gaskessel [12]
- Mahogany Hall [13]
- Dampfzentrale [14]
- The Bernese Symphony Orchestra [15]
Museums
- Museum of Arts [16]
- Art-Hall [17]
- Museum of Communication [18]
- Psychiatry Museum [19]
- Historic Museum [20]
- Natural History Museum [21]
- Collection of Antiques [22]
- Alpine Museum [23]
- Einstein House [24]
- Marksmen Museum [25]
- Zentrum Paul Klee [26]
Festivals
- Gurtenfestival
- Berner
- Internationales Jazzfestival Bern
- Taktlos-Festival
- QUEERSICHT - Queer Filmfestival, annually held second week of November. See Wikipedia Entry.
- National Reach Around Festival
Fairs
- Zibelemärit - The Zibelemärit (onion market) is an annual fair held on the fourth Monday in November.
Education and Science
Bern has a University, a technical college and several vocational schools.
University
The University is spread over several buildings which are mainly located in the Länggasse quarter. Currently (2005) there are around 13'000 students registered. It consists of the following faculties:
- Christian Theology
- Law
- Medicine
- Veterinary Medicine
- Teacher Education
- Philosophical-historical
- Philosophical-scientific
Technical College
Currently (2005) there are around 5000 students registered to the technical college of Bern. It consists of the follwoing units:
- Technique and Computer Science
- Architecture, Construction and Wood
- Economics, Administration and Social Work
- Arts
- Agriculture
- Sports
Vocational Schools
Many vocational schools are present in Bern. Some of them are the following:
- Gewerblich-Industrielle Berufsschule Bern [27]
- Schule für Gestaltung Bern [28]
- Wirtschafts- und Kaderschule KV Bern [29]
- Berufsschule für Verwaltung Bern [30]
- BFF BERN, Berufs,- Fach- und Fortbildungsschule [31]
- Lehrwerkstätten der Stadt Bern [32]
- Berufsschule für Pflege Am Altenberg [33]
- Hotel Handelsschulen [34]
- Wirtschaftsmittelschule Bern [35]
Other Schools
- Academy of Music [36]
Transportation
Streets
Bern is well connected to other cities by several highways (A1, A12, A6).
Public Transport
The public transport works well in Bern, with tram and bus lines which connect the different parts of the City. Bern Rail Station connects the City to the national and international train network. Notable is a cable railway which leads from the Marzili quarter to the Bundeshaus. This railway is, with a length of 106 m, the shortest public cable railway in Europe. Several bridges connect the old parts of the city with the newer quarters outside of the peninsula.
Air Traffic
Bern is served by Bern Airport, located outside the city near the village of Belp. The regional airport, colloquially called Bern-Belp or Belpmoos, is connected to several Swiss and European cities.
Natives
A number of celebrities are natives of the city or canton of Bern: Category:Natives of Bern
Miscellaneous
- The Universal Postal Union is situated in Bern.
- Berne (as "Bern") was featured as one of the scenarios in the original SimCity video game
References
- Bern (municipality) in German, French and Italian in the online Historical Dictionary of Switzerland.
External links
- City of Bern
- Canton of Bern
- University
- Berner Fachhochschule
- Kunsthalle Bern
- Gurtenfestival
- Queersicht Filmfestival
- Photo gallery of Berne
Template:Navigation bar Bern district
- ^ a b "Arealstatistik Standard - Gemeinden nach 4 Hauptbereichen". Federal Statistical Office. Retrieved 13 January 2019.
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