Civic Community of Bern

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Logo of the Burgergemeinde Bern (since 2013).
The flamed Bernese flag is used by the civic community as the official flag.

The Burgergemeinde Bern is the civic community of the city of Bern in Switzerland .

It is a public corporation guaranteed by the Federal Constitution and the Constitution of the Canton of Bern and, as a so-called community of persons, consists of around 18,000 members of the 13 societies and guilds as well as citizens who do not belong to any guild.

Their tasks consist of taking over social assistance for citizens who are not members of the guild as well as activities for the benefit of the general public in the cultural, scientific and social fields. To this end, it operates the institutions and departments described below, and is committed to activities in these areas through one-off or recurring contributions. Since the civic community of Bern does not have the option to levy taxes, it has to finance its expenses exclusively with the income from its assets and its entrepreneurial activity. The assets of the civic community consist mainly of land and forest property as well as the income of the DC Bank. This also explains why it can only function with a sustainable and cautious financial policy and because of the voluntary work of its members of the authorities.

history

Until 1798 a relatively small number of middle-class families ruled the city ​​and republic of Bern . Until then, the city administered the territory it owned; there was no separate canton from it. It was only at the time of the Helvetic Republic that two legally independent corporations came into being with the clear distinction between canton and municipality. For the first time there was also the question of a separation of goods, which came about in 1803.

During the Helvetic era, there were two bodies within the city of Bern : In addition to the municipality (residents' community), which was responsible for the administration of the city, there was the community chamber, which administered the goods belonging to the citizenry. After the withdrawal of the French troops, the municipality was dissolved and the citizenship took over the regiment in the city again. The separation of goods from 1803 therefore took place between the canton and the citizenship.

It was not until the municipal law of 1833 that the city of Bern definitely became a community. The civic community was now clearly differentiated from this, also legally. However, the division of property between the two communities did not take place until 1852, which made the community dependent on the civic community in the beginning, as this had previously been the sole owner of the property granted to the city in 1803.

With the assets and institutions allocated to it in 1852, the civic community of Bern took on the shape it has largely retained to this day. A decisive year was 1888 for two reasons: On the one hand, the use of the burger was abolished. Up until this point in time, this consisted of the fact that every beneficiary received a certain amount of firewood and a share of the profit from the civil property , the so-called field money . On the other hand, you can also become a burger without having to join a guild at the same time. This made burglary easier because the purchase price for the respective guild was no longer applicable. However, this meant that the civic community had to take care of these burgers directly.

Like the municipal law of 1833, the cantonal constitutions since 1893 stipulated that the civic community had to use the proceeds of its assets for the common good. This is the legal basis of their activities, as far as it does not concern the care of their relatives.

The history of the civic community of Bern in the 19th and 20th centuries was significantly shaped by the goods allocated to it in 1852. On the one hand, this affects the level of institutions: Burgerspital , orphanage and, more recently, the Bernese GenerationsHouse (2014) form the activities in the social area, Bern City and Citizens Library and Bern Natural History Museum are the places of cultural commitment. With the casino opened in 1909, today Kultur Casino Bern, another institution was added, which has since served as a venue for events. On the other hand, the allocation of urban fields and large forest areas has provided the civic community with goods that have contributed very differently to their income over time. In addition, there are the assets that have come to the civic community in the form of properties and securities via the orphanage and Burgerspital, including the Alps in the Kiental and St. Petersinsel.

The income structure of the Burgergemeinde Bern has changed significantly over time. Originally the forests also contributed a large part to the income, but this changed in the second half of the 20th century. The weight of property income, which today accounts for a good 90% of income, rose all the more. A small share is also made up of deliveries from the DC Bank Deposito-Cassa of the city of Bern ( DC Bank for short ), which was founded in 1825 and which also belongs to the civic community.

In 1888 the use of the burger was abolished. Since then, the civic community of Bern has largely used its income for the common good. On the one hand, through the financing of their own institutions and facilities such as the Natural History Museum of the Burgergemeinde Bern , the Burgerbibliothek Bern or the Burgerliche Jugendwohnheim, the financing of institutions that are supported jointly with the city and canton of Bern, such as the Bern University Library's Center for Historical Holdings or the Bernisches Historisches Museum , as well as one-time or recurring contributions to other public institutions or projects. The archives of the Burgergemeinde are publicly accessible in the Burgerbibliothek Bern.

Citizenship

The citizenship of the imperial city and later city ​​and republic of Bern was formed until 1798 from the people who were in possession of the full civil rights. The citizenry was never a single entity. In 1651, by decree, the citizenship was divided into citizens , permanent residents and rear-seaters (city dwellers without political rights). The permanent residents had all the economic rights of a citizen and were allowed to settle permanently in the city, but did not have the right to vote or stand for election. The regiment capable citizenry was not the Grand Council at the end of the ancient city-state of 243 represented families and 76 actually ruling families, the so-called patricians . In 1783 the Grand Council issued a decree, according to which all men and women of Bern who are capable of regiment are allowed and are free to use the title of nobility . Only 16 ruling families made use of the title of nobility until 1798. Five members of non-ruling families used the title of nobility (Ernst, Fruting, Lutz, Meyer and Wäber ). From 1792 full citizenship rights were granted to a few selected families (Bürky, Cerjat, Herrenschwand, Pillichody). From 1805 the citizenship law was fully opened.

The proportion of former ruling families (patriciate) today makes up less than 10% of the entire citizenry. Citizens of the city of Bern have the citizenship of Bern. The civil law is a homeland law and therefore hereditary. A simplified admission is possible for non-civil spouses of burgers.

Organization and authorities

The civic community of Bern sprays stencils in the old town of Bern (2014)

Citizens

The approximately 11,500 voters are the highest authority of the civic community, the sovereign. At the ballot box, they elect the civic community president, the civic community vice-president and the members of the large and small civic councils. They decide on the constitution of the civic community, the budget and on major business transactions.

Big burger council

The Great Citizens' Council is the parliament of the civic community, i.e. the legislature . It consists of the civic community president, the civic community vice-president and 40 members. Its main task is the overall supervision of the management of the Small Citizens' Council. In addition, it advises and resolves the motions to the voters, approves the administrative report and the annual financial statements and elects the commissions. In addition, the Great Citizens' Council finally decides on the assurance of citizenship rights.

Small burger advice

The Small Citizens' Council is the government of the civic community, the executive branch. It safeguards the position of the civic community in the state and society and determines the fundamental goals of its work. He leads the civic community, plans and coordinates its activities and represents it externally. The Small Citizens' Council consists of the President of the Civic Community, the Vice-President of the Civic Community and ten other members.

Commissions

The civil commissions direct and supervise the work of administration and institutions. They also prepare strategic decisions in the respective areas. Expert commissions advise the Small Citizens' Council on questions of principle and communication.

Civil child and adult protection authority

The civic child and adult protection authority (bKESB) is responsible for the five civic communities in the canton of Bern that also provide social assistance (Bern, Biel, Bözingen, Burgdorf, Thun), for the members of the thirteen civic societies and guilds of the city of Bern as well as the citizens and burgers without social affiliation in the area of ​​child and adult protection.

Institutions and departments

Inner courtyard of the Burgerspital
Young people from difficult backgrounds can take their first steps in the world of work in the SAT mill in the Burgerliche Jugendwohnheim.
St. Petersinsel belongs to the ownership of the Burgergemeinde (formerly Burgerspital).
Culture Casino in Bern.
Natural History Museum Bern (2018).

The civic community in Bern maintains the following institutions and departments of a social, cultural, profitable and coordinating nature. The Presidium plans and coordinates the activities of the civic community. The Burgerkanzlei is responsible for business planning, keeping minutes, enforcement control, communication and registration.

Bernese generation house

The Bernese generation house in the Burgerspital has been serving children, young people, adults, families and the elderly as a place of cultural and social exchange since autumn 2014. Information is available in the areas of counseling, care, social security and living together.

Burger library

Civil youth hostel

The Burgerliche Jugendwohnheim (BJW, formerly boys' orphanage) has been in operation since 1757. In the Schosshalde department and in the SAT project, families who find themselves in difficult situations are supported. The BJW is subject to the cantonal residence regulations and is supported by the canton and the federal government.

Civil social center

With its social center, the civic community provides social assistance for the Bern citizens resident in the canton of Bern, provided they do not belong to one of the 13 civic societies and guilds. It provides advice and support to societies and guilds as well as other civic communities and third parties, or takes on their tasks on a mandate basis.

The Burgerspittel

With the institution Der Burgerspittel (formerly Burgerspital and Burgerheim), the civic community operates its own age policy and takes care of it at two locations, in Viererfeld and at Bahnhofplatz. There are housing offers with or without care.

DC Bank

Domain management

The real estate management of the Burgergemeinde has a portfolio with old town houses, rental properties, large developments, over 600 building rights, around 40 agricultural leasing companies and 18 forest houses. It also manages St. Petersinsel. The income from the domain administration is used to finance the social, scientific, cultural and ecological activities of the civic community of Bern for the general public.

Forest operation

The forestry operation of the Burgergemeinde maintains and manages around 4,000 hectares of forest, of which it owns 3,600 hectares. Around 30,000 cubic meters of wood are used every year. The forest enterprise divides the forests into urban and suburban recreational forests and wood production forests.

Casino Bern

Around the turn of the 20th century, the civic community took on the task of financing a new concert and community hall for the general public from its own resources. As a result, between 1907 and 1909, today's building was erected on the site of the old university. The Kultur Casino is an important cultural and social meeting point for the city and region of Bern. Concerts take place in the great hall. Renovation and remodeling 2017-2019.

naturehistorical Museum

Promotion of culture, science and the social

Youth award ceremony 2014, 20th anniversary

The civic community of Bern promotes culture and science. It maintains facilities and infrastructures that are available to the public. In addition, it awards grants of around CHF 20 million a year to support cultural, scientific and social projects in the city and canton of Bern.

The Bern Symphony Orchestra, the Bern Minster Foundation, the Theater an der Effingerstrasse , the International Jazz Festival, Boys' Music, the Bern Art Museum and the Bern Chamber Orchestra receive recurring contributions. The alignment of these contributions is checked periodically. Between 300 and 400 projects from the fields of music, art, film, theater, dance, literature and arts and crafts / design are supported with one-off contributions each year.

Together with the canton and the city of Bern, the civic community runs the Bernisches Historisches Museum and finances the Center for Historical Holdings of the University Library of Bern. She supports scientific projects at the University of Bern with contributions. It has also set up scientific and cultural foundations, including the Albrecht von Haller Foundation and the Paul Klee Foundation. The Kocher Villa is available as the “house of the university” to the university and the public.

Every year the civic community awards a culture award endowed with CHF 100,000, a youth award and a social award.

Societies and guilds

The societies and guilds are civil corporations within the meaning of the Constitution of the Canton of Bern and public corporations within the framework of the municipal legislation of the Canton of Bern. The main tasks of the Bernese societies and guilds are social assistance , financial administration and the granting of company or guild law. As civic corporations, the societies and guilds of the civic community of Bern are legally equivalent, but the Bernese civic law is a prerequisite for membership in one of the societies and guilds.

societies

In addition to the 13 public law companies, there are other civil law companies and associations under private law (list is incomplete):

criticism

The civic community has been under criticism since it was founded in the mid-19th century. Starting points are the great wealth of the staff community, the network and the socio-cultural behavior within the citizenry as well as the personnel policy within the civic administration. The personal ties between the civic community and its societies are close. In relation to the Reismusketen-Schützengesellschaft, the former civic community president Kurt Hauri speaks of “fruitful personal interrelations” between the civic community and the rice keten, even more clearly: “The human-personal connection between society and the civic community is extremely close”. Statements about the civic community of Bern can only be weighted and historically classified in relation to other civic communities and corporations.

In her dissertation, published in 2008, the historian Katrin Rieder has networks of conservatism. Bernese civic community and patriciate in the 19th and 20th centuries tried to analyze the civic community in terms of social history. In her work she showed that men's associations such as the Reismusketen-Schützengesellschaft , the Archery Society , the Grande Société , the Leiste , student associations (especially the Zofingia ) and the Order of St. John have played an important role in the allocation of offices since the Second World War. The entanglement of individual Bernburgers in the National Front , in particular the role of the later civic community president Georges Thormann as Gauleiter of the canton of Bern, caused a lot of discussion. Rieder's work was sometimes critically discussed. Subsequently, the Basel historian Georg Kreis examined in detail the relationship between the civic community of Bern and right-wing extremist movements of the 1930s. He comes to the conclusion: “At the beginning of the 1930s, frontism in right-wing bourgeois circles was indeed judged with some benevolence. However, the assumption that members of the civic community were extraordinarily involved in frontism in the 1930s cannot be confirmed. "

literature

  • Die Burgergemeinde Bern: Present and History , published by the Burgergemeinde Bern. 2nd Edition. Bern 1993, ISBN 3-7272-9081-1 ( PDF file; 60 MB )
  • Tour through the Burgergemeinde , published by the Burgergemeinde Bern. Bern 2009
  • Burgergemeinde Bern (ed.): Book of coat of arms of the bourgeois families of the city of Bern , (coat of arms: Paul Boesch and Bernhard von Rodt, text: Hans Bloesch), Bern 1932.
  • Kurt Hauri : The civic community of Bern and the Reismusketen-Schützengesellschaft of the city of Bern . In: Manuel Kehrli et al .: The Reismusketen-Schützengesellschaft of the City of Bern. Founded in 1686. Bern, 2009, pp. 41–48.
  • Manuel Kehrli: patriciate, letter nobility and titulatures , in: Berns goldene Zeit. The 18th century rediscovered , Bern 2008, p. 209.
  • Carl Alexander Krethlow: The Cercle de la Grande Société de Berne in the 20th century. Preservation of tradition and adaptation strategies in the context of accelerated modernization. In: Georg von Erlach et al. (Ed.): Hôtel de Musique and Grande Société in Bern 1759–2009. Licorne-Verlag, Bern 2009, pp. 265-293.
  • Walter Nussbaum: From the public work of the Burgergemeinde Bern , in: Berner Zeitschrift für Geschichte und Heimatkunde , No. 26 (1964), pp. 33–48. doi : 10.5169 / seals-244449
  • Katrin Rieder: Networks of Conservatism. Bernese civic community and patriciate in the 19th and 20th centuries . Chronos, Zurich 2008, ISBN 978-3-0340-0905-8 .
  • Daniel Schläppi: Difference machines . Communes and corporations of the premodern as instances of postmodern inequality . In: Swiss Society for Economic and Social History, Vol. 24 (2010), pp. 23–33. Digitized
  • “Many don't know how much the civic community owns” at www.derbund.ch (accessed on March 16, 2014).
  • About Berners and Burgers, tradition and reinvention of a civic community , by Birgit Stalder, Martin Stuber, Sibylle Meyrat, Arlette Schnyder , Georg Kreis ; Hier und Jetzt Verlag, Baden (Switzerland) 2015; 2 volumes, 863 pages, ill .; ISBN 978-3-03919-333-2 (cited in the literature as "Stalder").
  • J. Harald Wäber: Citizenship and civic community of the city of Bern from the beginning until 1831 , in: Die Burgergemeinde Bern. Present and History , Bern 1986.
  • Nadir Weber: On the way to an aristocratic republic. The question of title in Bern in the 18th century , in: Berner Zeitschrift für Geschichte und Heimatkunde , Bern, vol. 70 (2008), pdf

swell

See also

Web links

Commons : Burgergemeinde Bern  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. Former logo see Wikimedia Commons .
  2. Federal Constitution, Art. 37. SR 101. In: Systematic Legal Collection SR . April 18, 1999, accessed on October 16, 2018 (as of January 1, 2018): "Art. 37 - Nobody should be favored or disadvantaged because of their civil rights. Exceptions are regulations on the political rights in civil parishes and corporations as well as on the participation in their assets, unless the cantonal legislation provides otherwise. "
  3. ^ Constitution of the Canton of Bern, Art. 107 and 108. SR 131.212. In: Systematic Legal Collection SR . Grand Council Canton Bern, June 6, 1993, accessed on August 23, 2017 (as of March 11, 2015): “Art. 107 - 1 The municipalities are public corporations with their own legal personality. 2 The canton of Bern knows the following types of municipality: b. the civic communities; Art. 108-1 The existence, territory and assets of the municipalities are guaranteed. "
  4. Endowment document from 1803, printed in: Geschichtliche Andeutungen über das Burgergut and the endowment document of the city of Bern, Bern 1832 [without author], pp. 88–106
  5. Stalder, Birgit / Stuber, Martin / Meyrat, Sibylle / Schnyder, Arlette / Kreis, Georg: Von Bernern & Burgern. Tradition and reinvention of a civic community, Bern 2015, p. 44
  6. see Stalder 2015, pp. 69–71 as well as Werdt, Christophe von: The separation contract between the civic and resident community of Bern from 1852 - source analysis instead of conspiracy theory . In: Berner Zeitschrift für Geschichte 71 (2009), no. 3, pp. 57–97
  7. Stalder 2015, pp. 77-78
  8. Today: Constitution of the Canton of Bern from 1993, Art. 119
  9. ^ Morgenthaler, Hans: History of the Burgerspital der Stadt Bern, Bern 1945, p. 354
  10. ^ Morgenthaler, Hans: History of the Burgerspital der Stadt Bern. Bern 1945, pp. 86–87
  11. Stalder, Birgit / Stuber, Martin / Meyrat, Sibylle / Schnyder, Arlette / Kreis, Georg: Von Bernern & Burgern. Tradition and reinvention of a civic community, Bern 2015, pp. 426–427
  12. Stalder 2015, pp. 428-429
  13. Kehrli 2008, p. 209.
  14. Weber 2008, p. 3.
  15. Weber 2008; Kehrli 2008, p. 209.
  16. Stalder, Birgit / Stuber, Martin / Meyrat, Sibylle / Schnyder, Arlette / Kreis, Georg: Von Bernern & Burgern. Tradition and reinvention of a civic community, Bern 2015, p. 116
  17. ^ Civil law regulations of December 12, 2001
  18. ^ Constitution of the Canton of Bern, Art. 119 Burgergemeinden. SR 131.212. In: Systematic Legal Collection SR . Grand Council Canton Bern, June 6, 1993, accessed on August 23, 2017 (as of March 11, 2015): "The civic communities are committed to the common good according to their means."
  19. ^ State Chancellery of the Canton of Bern: Constitution of the Canton of Bern. SR 131.212. In: Systematic Legal Collection SR . Voters of the Canton of Bern, June 6, 1993, accessed on June 14, 2018 (Article 107 in Section 7 municipalities; as of March 11, 2015).
  20. ^ State Chancellery of the Canton of Bern: Municipal Law of the Canton of Bern. BSG 170.11. In: Systematic legal collection of the Canton of Bern BSG. Grand Council of the Canton of Bern , March 16, 1998, accessed on June 14, 2018 (Article 117 in Section 2.2 Civic Communities and Civil Corporations; Status on January 1, 2014).
  21. Archived copy ( memento of the original dated August 29, 2012 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.vbbern.ch
  22. http://www.burgerverband.ch/
  23. http://www.burgergesellschaft.ch/
  24. http://burgerinnen-forum-bern.ch/
  25. Hauri 2009, p. 44.
  26. Birgit Stalder, Martin Stuber: Die Burgergemeinde Bern in the Swiss context , in: Von Bernern and Burgern, Tradition and Reinvention of a Burgergemeinde , by Birgit Stalder, Martin Stuber, Sibylle Meyrat, Arlette Schnyder, Georg Kreis; Hier und Jetzt Verlag, Baden (Switzerland) 2015; 2 volumes, 863 pages, ill .; ISBN 978-3-03919-333-2 ', pp. 779-830, especially p. 780.
  27. ↑ In 2014, 19% of the members of the Great Citizens' Council are also members of the Swiss Zofinger Association, cf. List of members of the Swiss Zofingerverein 2009 (Altzofinger Sections Bern and Zurich) and 2014 burger calendar online .
  28. Rieder 2008, pp. 156-160; 268-271.
  29. See Hans-Ulrich Jost: Review of: Rieder, Katrin: “Networks of Conservatism. Bernese civic community and patriciate in the 19th and 20th centuries ». In: Berner Zeitschrift für Geschichte und Heimatkunde , 70 (2008), no. 4, pp. 63–67. Digitized
  30. Cf. Christophe von Werdt: The separation contract between the civic and residents' community of Bern from 1852 - source analysis instead of conspiracy theory. In: Berner Zeitschrift für Geschichte , 71 (2009), no. 3, pp. 57–97. doi : 10.5169 / seals-247422
  31. Georg Kreis: The political challenges of the interwar period ; in: From Berners and Burgers, tradition and reinvention of a civic community , by Birgit Stalder, Martin Stuber, Sibylle Meyrat, Arlette Schnyder, Georg Kreis; Hier und Jetzt Verlag, Baden (Switzerland) 2015; 2 volumes, 863 pages, ill .; ISBN 978-3-03919-333-2 , pp. 709-777.
  32. Georg Kreis: The political challenges of the interwar period ; in: From Berners and Burgers, tradition and reinvention of a civic community , by Birgit Stalder, Martin Stuber, Sibylle Meyrat, Arlette Schnyder, Georg Kreis; Hier und Jetzt Verlag, Baden (Switzerland) 2015; 2 volumes, 863 pages, ill .; ISBN 978-3-03919-333-2 , p. 763.
  33. See Hans-Ulrich Jost: Review of: Rieder, Katrin: Networks of Conservatism. Bernese civic community and patriciate in the 19th and 20th centuries.  ( Page no longer available , search in web archivesInfo: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. In: Berner Zeitschrift für Geschichte und Heimatkunde 70 (2008), no. 4, pp. 63–67@1@ 2Template: Dead Link / www.bzgh.ch  
  34. Cf. Kerstin Brunner: Review of: Rieder, Katrin: Networks of Conservatism. Bernese civic community and patriciate in the 19th and 20th centuries. Zurich 2008 . In: H-Soz-u-Kult , March 16, 2010; and Medienspiegel August 14, 2008 . In: reitschule.ch , with contributions to the discussion about the book.
  35. Cf. Christophe von Werdt: The separation contract between the civic and residents' community of Bern from 1852 - source analysis instead of conspiracy theory . In: Berner Zeitschrift für Geschichte 71 (2009), no. 3, pp. 57–97