List of personalities from the Canton of Bern
This list gives an overview of personalities in the canton of Bern , sorted by topic .
science
agronomy
- Johann Rudolf Tschiffeli (1716–1780), agronomist
- Niklaus Emanuel Tscharner (1727–1794), agronomist
- Fritz Kobel (1896–1981), fruit, wine, vegetable and horticultural scientist
History
- Vincenz Bernhard Tscharner (1728–1778), historian and writer
- Gottlieb Emanuel von Haller (1735–1786), historian and lawyer
- Bernhard Emanuel von Rodt (1776–1848), officer, politician and historian
- Wolfgang Friedrich von Mülinen (1863–1917), historian
- Richard Feller (1877–1958), historian
- Paul-Otto Bessire (1880–1958), historian
- Georges Grosjean (1921–2002), historian, geographer and museum director
mathematics
- Ludwig Schläfli (1814–1895), mathematician
- Jakob Steiner (1796–1863), mathematician
medicine
- Christoph Theodor Aeby (1835–1885), anthropologist
- Karl Wilhelm Flügel (1788–1857), doctor
- Emanuel Eduard Fueter (1801–1855), doctor
- Albrecht von Haller (1708–1777), doctor and polymath
- Emil Theodor Kocher (1841–1917), surgeon and Nobel Prize winner
- Walter Morgenthaler (1882–1965), psychiatrist and psychotherapist
- Maurice Müller (1918–2009), pioneer of orthopedic surgery
- Rudolf Abraham von Schiferli (1775–1837), surgeon
- Michael Schüppach (1707–1781), "miracle doctor"
natural Science
- Niklaus Blauner (1713–1791), geographer and physicist
- Johann Büttikofer (1850–1927), zoologist
- Ernst Gäumann (1893–1963), botanist, mycologist and phytopathologist
- Niklaus Gerber (1850–1914), chemist
- Heinrich Huttenlocher (1890–1954), geologist
- Alfred de Quervain (1879–1927), geophysicist and Arctic researcher
- Ludwig Rütimeyer (1825–1895), paleontologist
- Robert Stämpfli (1914–2002), physiologist and membrane researcher
- Paul Wild (1925-2014), astronomer
- Matthias Winiger (1943), geographer
- Kurt Wüthrich (1938), chemist and Nobel Prize winner
Jurisprudence
- Karl Ludwig von Haller (1768–1854), constitutional lawyer
- Walter Ludwig Wilhelm Lauterburg (1861–1938), criminal lawyer and legal historian
Linguistics and literary studies
- Ruth Bietenhard (1920), dialect researcher
- Emanuel Friedli (1846–1939), dialect researcher
- Otto von Greyerz (1863–1940), dialect researcher, language teacher
- Max Lüthi (1909–1991), literary scholar and fairytale interpreter
- Daniel Albert Wyttenbach (1746-1820), classical philologist
theology
- Benedictus Aretius (around 1522–1574)
- Eduard Bähler (1870–1925)
- Hans Bietenhard (1916-2008)
- Rudolf Bohren (1920–2010)
- Fritz Buri (1907-1995)
- Rudolf Dellsperger (1943)
- Friedrich Eymann (1887–1954)
- Eduard Güder (1817–1882)
- Kurt Guggisberg (1907–1972)
- Wilhelm Hadorn (1869–1929)
- Samuel Huber (1547-1624)
- Albert Immer (1804-1884)
- Samuel Heinrich König (1671–1750)
- Hermann Kutter (1863–1931)
- Eduard Langhans (1832-1891)
- Ernst Friedrich Langhans (1829–1880)
- Ulrich Neuenschwander (1922–1977)
- Alfred de Quervain (1896–1968)
- Johann Peter Romang (1802–1875)
- Simon Sulzer (1508–1585)
- Martin Werner (1887–1964)
- David Samuel Daniel Wyttenbach (1706–1779)
Others
- Peter Bieri (1944), philosopher and writer
- Samuel Engel (1702–1784), librarian, geographer, politician, philanthropist and economist
- Philipp Emanuel von Fellenberg (1771–1844), educator
- Albert Samuel Gatschet (1832–1907), ethnologist and linguist
- Gustav Hans Graber (1893–1982), psychologist and psychoanalyst
- Walter Schädelin (1873–1953), forest scientist
religion
Reformed pastors
- Carl Albrecht Reinhold Baggesen (1793–1873)
- Paul Berger (1920-2004)
- Théophile-Rémy Frêne (1727–1804)
- Karl von Gruyeres (1870–1949)
- Johann Rudolf Gruner (1680–1761)
- Johannes Haller the Younger (1523–1575)
- Karl Howald (1796–1869)
- Walter Lüthi (1901–1982)
- Samuel Lutz (1674–1750)
- Charles-Ferdinand Morel (1772–1848)
- Jakob Samuel Wyttenbach (1748–1830)
Other religious figures
- Jakob Ammann (1644? –Before 1730), Mennonite preacher
- Fritz Berger (1868–1950), founder of the Church for Christ
- Samuel Gobat (1799–1879), Protestant bishop of Jerusalem
- Johann Ulrich Heiniger (1808-1892), city missionary
- Hans Haslibacher (1500–1571), martyr of the Anabaptists
- Johanna Meyer (1851–1921), teacher and song poet
- Heinrich von Thun († 1238), Bishop of Basel
- Dora Rappard (1842–1923), missionary wife and song poet
- Hans Reist (around 1700), Mennonite preacher
- Karl Stettler-von Rodt (1802–1870), long-time chairman of the Evangelical Society of the Canton of Bern
- Albert Steffen (1884–1963), anthroposophist and poet
- Karl von Rodt (1805–1861), founder of the Free Evangelical Congregation in Bern
- Anna von Wattenwyl (1841–1927), Salvation Army pioneer
- Thomas Wyttenbach (around 1472–1526), reformer of the city of Biel
politics
Generals
- Adrian I. von Bubenberg (around 1434–1479)
- Hieronymus von Erlach (1667–1748)
- Johann Ludwig von Erlach (1595–1650)
- Karl Ludwig von Erlach (1746–1798)
- Rudolf von Erlach (around 1299-1360)
- Sigmund von Erlach (1614–1699)
- Samuel Frisching (1638–1721)
- Johann Rudolf von Graffenried (1751–1823)
- Robert Scipio of Lentulus (1714–1786)
- Hans Franz Nägeli (approx. 1497–1579)
Schultheissen
- See: Schultheiss von Bern
Mayor of Bern
Cantonal and national parliamentarians
- See: List of the members of the Grand Council of the Canton of Bern 2010
- See: List of National Councilors of the Canton of Bern
- See: List of the Council of States of the Canton of Bern
Government councils
Federal Councilors
- Markus Feldmann (1897–1958)
- Rudolf Gnägi (1917–1985)
- Rudolf Minger (1881–1955)
- Eduard Müller (1848-1919)
- Ulrich Ochsenbein (1811–1890)
- Adolf Ogi (1942)
- Karl Schenk (1823–1895)
- Karl Scheurer (1872–1929)
- Samuel Schmid (1947)
- Johann Schneider-Ammann (1952)
- Simonetta Sommaruga (1960)
- Jakob Stämpfli (1820–1879)
- Eduard von Steiger (1881–1962)
- Friedrich Traugott Elections (1899–1985)
Suffragettes
- Margarethe Faas-Hardegger (1882–1963)
- Marthe Gosteli (1917-2017)
- Emma Graf (1865-1926)
- Julie von May von Rued (1808–1875)
- Helene von Mülinen (1850-1924)
- Rosa Neuenschwander (1883–1962)
Chroniclers
- Jodokus Jost (1589–1657)
- Konrad Justinger († around 1425)
- Diebold Schilling the Elder (around 1445–1485)
Others
- Friedrich Born (1903–1963), business diplomat
- Gerhard Brügger (1953), Major General, Head of the Swiss Delegation to the Neutral Armistice Monitoring Commission in Korea
- Ludwig von Diesbach (1452–1527), statesman
- David Ludwig Bay (1749–1832), Helvetic politician
- Thuringian Fricker (approx. 1429–1519), town clerk of Bern
- Charles Albert Gobat (1843–1914), politician and Nobel Peace Prize winner
- Christoph von Graffenried (1661–1743), founder of the New Bern colony
- Samuel Henzi (1701–1749), conspirator
- Niklaus Leuenberger (approx. 1615–1653), peasant leader
- Kurt Nuspliger (1949), state clerk
- Rudolf Stämpfli (1955), President of the Swiss Employers' Association
Arts and Culture
Classical music
- Adrian Aeschbacher (1912–2002), pianist
- Walther Aeschbacher (1901–1969), conductor and composer
- Cosmas Alder (1497–1550), composer
- Daniel Andres (1937), composer and musician
- Hans Anliker (1949), trombonist
- Matthias Bamert (1942), composer and conductor
- Willy Burkhard (1900–1955), composer
- Mario Bürki (1977), composer
- Jörg Ewald Dähler (1933–2018), conductor, harpsichordist and composer
- Jean-Luc Darbellay (1946), composer, conductor, clarinetist and doctor
- Lisa della Casa (1919–2012), opera and operetta singer
- Esther Feingold (1965), singer and saxophonist
- Gottfried von Fellenberg (1857–1924), composer
- Thomas Fortmann (1951), composer and founder of the Accademia Amiata
- Carl Friedemann (1862–1952), composer, conductor and musician
- Roland Fröscher (1977), euphonium soloist
- Thomas Füri (1947–2017), violinist and teacher
- Mich Gerber (1957), composer and double bass player
- Daniel Glaus (1957), organist and composer
- Heinz Holliger (1939), oboist, composer and conductor
- Simon Ho (1965), pianist and composer
- Stephan Jaeggi (1903–1957), composer and conductor
- Rudolf Jaggi (1940–2015), composer
- Roland Moser (1943), composer
- Max Rostal (1905–1991), violinist, violist and teacher
- Christian Sommerhalder (1969), composer and musician
- Olive Emil Wetter (1980), pianist, piano teacher and psychologist
- Jürg Wyttenbach (1935), composer, conductor and pianist
Folk music
- Gottfried Aegler (* 1932), clarinetist, conductor and music publisher
- Christian Boss (1926–1987), folk musician and composer
- Lorenz Giovanelli (1915–1976), folk musician and composer
- Peter Grossen (* 1961), accordion and black organ player
- Francine Jordi (* 1977), singer and composer
- Wally Schneider (* 1959), singer, Swiss orchestra player and guitarist
- Fritz Schori (1887–1971), composer, conductor and music publisher
- Martin Schütz (* 1960), Swiss orchestra player and composer
- Adolf Stähli (1925–1999), yodeler and composer
- Jakob Ummel (1895–1992), clarinetist and yodeler
Jazz, rock and pop music, songwriter
- Susanne Abbuehl (1970), jazz singer
- Daniel Aebi (1973), drummer, co-founder of the band Grand Mother's Funck
- Hanery Amman (1952–2017), musician, co-founder of the band Rumpelstilz
- Endo Anaconda (1955), singer of the dialect band Stiller Has , writer
- Anshelle (1975), pop singer
- Baze , dialect rapper, member of the Chlyklass crew
- Ernest Berner (1904–1966), jazz pianist, editor of the Swiss film newspaper
- René Bertschy (1912–1999), jazz and entertainment musician, director of the Continentals
- Nico Brina (1969), boogie woogie, blues and rock'n'roll pianist and singer
- Christopher S. (1969), house DJ
- Stephan Eicher (1960), singer-songwriter, (rock) chansonnier
- Philipp Fankhauser (1964), blues musician
- Gölä (1968), rock musician
- Mike Goetz (1956), jazz musician and producer
- Christoph Grab (1967), jazz musician and university professor
- Old man , rapper, member of the Chlyklass crew and the band PVP
- Gunvor (1974), singer and tap dancer
- Polo Hofer (1945–2017), dialect rock singer and poet
- Diego Hostettler (1980), techno DJ and producer
- Büne Huber (1962), band leader of the dialect band Patent Ochsner
- Daniel Kandlbauer (1983), rock musician and singer
- Hans Koch (1948), woodwind player and composer
- Ruedi Krebs (1938), songwriter and member of the Bern Troubadours
- Kutti MC (1980), poet, rapper and performance poet
- Kuno Lauener (1961), singer and songwriter for the band Züri West
- Christine Lauterburg (1956), singer and actress
- Don Li (1971), jazz musician and composer
- Lo & Leduc , dialect rap duo
- Erwin Lorant (1962), trumpeter
- Mani Matter (1936–1972), dialect songwriter, member of the Bern troubadours and lawyer
- Mind-X (1973), techno DJ and music producer
- Monique (1977), pop singer
- Müslüm (1979), musician and stage figure
- Robert Morgenthaler (1952), jazz musician
- Natacha (1962), dialect singer
- Nemo (1999), dialect singer and rapper
- Balts Nill (1953), multi-instrumentalist, member of the Stiller Has group , journalist
- DJ Noise (1974), trance DJ and producer
- Hazy Osterwald (1922–2012), musician, singer and orchestra leader
- Simon Petermann (* 1982), jazz musician
- Peter Reber (1949), songwriter and singer, member of the group Peter, Sue & Marc
- Ritschi (since 1997), lead singer of the dialect band Plüsch
- Samuel Rohrer (1977), jazz drummer
- Sandee (1976), dialect singer
- DJ Snowman , trance DJ
- Teddy Stauffer (1909–1991), band leader and Germany's swing king of the 1930s
- Steff la Cheffe (1987), rapper and beatboxer
- Jacob Stickelberger (1940), singer-songwriter, member of the Bern troubadours and lawyer
- Bernhard Stirnemann (1936–2011), songwriter and member of the Bern Troubadours
- Markus Traber (1946–2010), member of the Bern Troubadours
- Fritz Widmer (1938–2010), member of the Bern troubadours , writer and teacher
- Weg Wüthrich (1960), jazz musician and music teacher
- Roland Zoss (1951), children's songwriter, poet and writer
Music theorist
- Urs Frauchiger (1936), music theorist, author and cellist
- Ernst Kurth (1886–1946), music theorist and music psychologist
Film, photography, theater, cabaret, circus
- Ursula Andress (1936), film actress
- Ursula Bleisch-Imhof (1942), puppeteer and theater director
- Kurt Blum (1922–2005), photographer and documentary filmmaker
- Lisa Catena (1979), satirist
- Mario Cortesi (1940), journalist, non-fiction author and film director
- Reto Finger (1972), playwright
- Grock (1880-1959), clown
- Markus Imboden (1955), film director and screenwriter
- Remo Legnazzi (1946), film director
- Simone Oppliger (1947–2006), photographer
- Cristina Perincioli (1946), film director and writer
- Liselotte Pulver (1929), film actress
- Franz Schnyder (1910–1993), film director
- Bettina Stucky (1969), actress
- Andreas Thiel (1971), satirist
TV and radio
- Herbert Herrmann (1941), actor
- Kurt Aeschbacher (1948), television presenter
- Daniel Boemle (1960–2007), moderator at DRS3 , singer, author, DJ , cultural mediator and painter
- Reeto von Gunten (1963), author and radio host
- Ueli Schmezer (1961), presenter, journalist and singer
- Otto Steiger (1909–2005), radio news anchor and writer
- Mathis Künzler (1978), actor
literature
- Ernst Balzli (1902–1959), dialect writer
- Lukas Bärfuss (1971)
- Elisabeth Baumann-Schlachter (1887–1941)
- Arthur Bitter (1821–1872)
- Ulrich Boner (around 1280? - around 1350)
- Karl Viktor von Bonstetten (1745–1832)
- Beat Brechbühl (1939)
- Friedrich Dürrenmatt (1921–1990)
- Ernst Eggimann (1936–2015)
- Alfred Fankhauser (1890–1973)
- Gottfried Fankhauser (1870–1962)
- Emanuel Friedli (1846–1939), teacher, pastor and dialect researcher
- René Gardi (1909–2000), travel writer
- Simon Gfeller (1868–1943), dialect writer
- Jakob Paul Gillmann (1953)
- Sergius Golowin (1930-2006)
- Jeremias Gotthelf (1797-1854)
- Hans Gugger (1921–2006), researcher of Bernese cultural and art history
- Stefan Haenni (1958), crime writer and painter
- Lukas Hartmann (1944)
- Alexander Heimann (1937–2003), bookseller and crime writer
- Erwin Heimann (1909–1991), working-class writer
- Heinrich von Stretelingen (1258–1294), minstrel
- Gertrud Heizmann (1905–1992), youth writer
- Urs Hostettler (1949), author, folk singer and game inventor
- Walther Kauer (1935–1987)
- Christian Kracht (1966), writer and journalist
- Gottlieb Jakob Kuhn (1775–1849), pastor and song writer
- Maria Lauber (1891–1973), writer in High German and in Frutigtal dialect
- Peter Lehner (1922–1987), poet
- Carl Albert Loosli (1877-1959)
- Kurt Marti (1921–2017), pastor and writer
- Gerhard Meier (1917–2008), writer
- Albert Meyer (1893–1962), translator of the Odyssey into Bern German
- Albert Minder (1879–1965), writer
- Hans Mühlestein (1887–1969), writer
- Hans Mühlethaler (1930-2016)
- Elisabeth Müller (1885–1977)
- Ernst Nägeli (1919–1996), writer and journalist
- Paul Nizon (1929)
- Christoph Simon (1972)
- Léon Savary (1895–1968), writer and journalist
- Klaus Schädelin (1918–1987), pastor and writer for young people
- Christoph Simon (1972)
- Verena Stefan (1947-2017)
- Jörg Steiner (1930-2013)
- Beat Sterchi (1949)
- Charlot Strasser (1884–1950), psychiatrist and writer
- Gottfried Strasser (1854–1912), pastor and poet
- Rudolf von Tavel (1866–1934), dialect writer
- Thuringia of Ringoltingen (around 1415–1483)
- Barbara Traber (1943)
- Raphael Urweider (1974)
- Walter Vogt (1927–1988)
- Robert Walser (1878–1956)
- Joseph Victor Widmann (1842–1911)
- Johann David Wyss (1743–1818), pastor and author of young books
- Johann Rudolf Wyss (1782–1830), poet and philosophy professor
- Katharina Zimmermann (1933)
- Matthias Zschokke (1954), writer and filmmaker
- Hans Zulliger (1893–1965), elementary school teacher, psychotherapist and writer
- Roland Zoss (1951), writer, children's book author and dialect singer
Fine arts
Architects
- Joseph Plepp (1595–1642)
- Abraham Dünz (1630–1688)
- Albrecht Stürler (1705–1745)
- Niklaus Sprüngli (1725–1802)
- Erasmus Ritter (1726–1805)
- Carl Ahasver von Sinner (1754–1821)
- Ludwig Samuel Stürler (1768–1840)
- Jakob Friedrich Studer (1817–1879)
- Eugen Stettler (1840-1913)
- Theodor Gohl (1844–1910)
- Henry Berthold von Fischer (1861–1949)
- Karl Indermühle (1877–1933)
- Otto Rudolf Salvisberg (1882–1940)
- Hans Brechbühler (1907–1989)
- Michael Stettler (1913-2003)
Painter and graphic artist
- Albert Anker (1831-1910)
- Heinrich Bichler (2nd half of the 15th century)
- August von Bonstetten (1796–1879)
- Arnold Brügger (1888–1975)
- Max Buri (1868-1915)
- Emil Cardinaux (1877-1936)
- Franz Eggenschwiler (1930-2000)
- Hans Eggimann (1872–1929)
- Waldemar Fink (1883–1948), "Waldo", landscape painter
- Sigmund Freudenberger (1745–1801)
- Marguerite Frey-Surbek (1886–1981)
- Franz Gertsch (1930)
- Stefan Haenni (1958)
- Ferdinand Hodler (1853-1918)
- Rolf Iseli (1934)
- Johannes Itten (1888–1967), painter and art teacher
- Paul Klee (1879-1940)
- Alexander Klee (1940)
- Franz Niklaus König (1765–1832)
- Martin Lauterburg (1891–1960)
- Oscar Lüthy (1882–1945)
- Niklaus Manuel (approx. 1484–1530)
- Otto Meyer-Amden (1885–1933)
- Gottfried Mind (1768–1814), "Katzenraffael"
- Louis Moilliet (1880–1962)
- Paul Jakob Müller (Paolo) (1894–1982)
- Rudolf Mumprecht (1918-2019)
- Rudolf Münger (1862–1929)
- Fritz Eduard Pauli (1891–1968)
- Werner Schwarz (1918–1994)
- Karl Stauffer-Bern (1857-1891)
- Martha Stettler (1870–1945)
- Victor Surbek (1885–1975), painter, watercolorist, graphic artist and art teacher
- Timmermahn (1942), painter and storyteller
- Karl Walser (1877–1943), painter, set designer and illustrator
- John Webber (1751-1793)
- Lisa Wenger (1858–1941), artist, children's book author and painter
- Joseph Werner (1637-1710)
- Adolf Wölfli (1864–1930), Art Brut artist
- Edmund Wunderlich (1902–1985)
- Bruno Wurster (1939–2003), painter and graphic artist
Sculptors, sculptors and other visual artists
- Max Fueter (1898–1983), sculptor, draftsman and watercolorist
- Johann Friedrich Funk (1706–1775), sculptor
- Hermann Haller (1880–1950), sculptor
- Bernhard Luginbühl (1929–2011), iron sculptor
- Etienne Perincioli (1881–1944), sculptor
- Marcel Perincioli (1911–2005), sculptor
- Karl Emanuel Tscharner (1791–1873), sculptor
- Joseph Simon Volmar (1796–1865), painter, sculptor, lithographer and art teacher
- Willy Weber (1933–1998), iron sculptor
- Markus Zürcher (1946–2013), concept artist
Curators
- Elka Spoerri (1924-2002)
- Michael Stettler (1913-2003)
- Harald Szeemann (1933-2005)
Others
- Julie Bondeli (1732–1778), Salonnière
- Adrian Frutiger (1928–2015), typographer
- Urs Hostettler (1949), game inventor, author and songwriter
Sports
ice Hockey
- Reto von Arx (1976)
- Martin Gerber (1974)
- Marcel Jenni (1974)
- Roman Josi (1990)
- Michel Riesen (1979)
- Martin Steinegger (1972)
- Daniel Steiner (1980)
- Mark Streit (1977)
Soccer
- Roman Bürki (1990)
- Rémo Meyer (1980)
- Milaim Rama (1976)
- Christoph Spycher (1978)
- Alain Sutter (1968), ex-national player, commentator
- Hans-Peter Zaugg (1952), trainer
Skiing
- Evelyne Dirren (1956)
- Beat Feuz (1987)
- Beatrice Gafner (1964)
- Christine von Grünigen (1964)
- Michael von Grünigen (1969)
- Bruno Kernen (1972)
- Marlies Oester (1976)
- Martina Schild (1981)
- Hedy Schlunegger (1923-2003)
- Corinne Schmidhauser (1964)
- Heidi Zeller-Bähler (1967)
- Gabriela Zingre-Graf (1970)
Others
- Christian Almer (1826–1898), mountain guide
- Christian Belz (1974), long-distance runner
- Fabian Cancellara (1981), cyclist
- Markus Eggler (1969), curling athlete
- Marcel Fischer (1978), fencer
- Tanja Frieden (1976), snowboarder
- Marc Hodler (1918–2006), sports official and member of the IOC
- Alex Hofer (1977), paraglider pilot
- David Loosli (1980), cyclist
- Thomas Lüthi (1986), motorcyclist
- Chrigel Maurer (1982), paraglider pilot
- Simone Niggli-Luder (1978), orienteer
- Markus Ryffel (1955), long-distance runner
- Ueli Steck (1976-2017), mountaineer
- Gottlieb Wanzenried (1906–1993), racing cyclist
- Alen Milosevic (1989), handball player
economy
- Johann Althaus (1798–1876), founder of the production of Emmental cheese in the Allgäu
- Paul-Alcide Blancpain (1839–1899), brewery entrepreneur
- Camille Bloch (1891–1970), chocolate manufacturer
- Gottfried Egger (1830–1913), brewery entrepreneur
- Beat Fischer (1641–1698), post pioneer
- Ulrich Gygi (1946), former CEO of Swiss Post
- Gustav Hasler (1877–1952), telecommunications entrepreneur
- Carlo Imboden (1950), media researcher, management consultant, inventor of Readerscan
- Rodolphe Lindt (1855–1909), chocolate manufacturer
- François Loeb (1940), entrepreneur, politician and writer
- Karl Stämpfli (1844–1894), politician and printer
- Emma Stämpfli-Studer (1848–1930), entrepreneur and pioneer in the field of day nurseries
- Rudolf Stämpfli (1955), employer politician and publisher
Technicians and engineers
- Wilhelm Rudolf Kutter (1818–1888), hydraulic engineer
- Gottlieb Ott (1832–1882), bridge construction engineer
Others
- Arthur Bill (1916–2011), educator and organizer of international humanitarian aid
- Walter von Bonstetten (1867–1949), scout pioneer
- Enrico Cobioni (1881–1912), aviation pioneer
- Gertrud Kurz (1890–1972), "refugee mother"
- Elisabeth de Meuron (1882–1980), Bern's «last aristocrat»
- Werner Munter (1941), mountain guide, author and safety expert for alpine climbing
- Gottlieb Samuel Studer (1804–1890), notary and pioneer of alpinism
- Karl Tellenbach (1877–1931), master hairdresser and Bernese city original
Personalities born in the canton of Bern
- Volkmar Andreae , conductor and composer
- Johann-Conrad Appenzeller , reformed pastor and folk writer
- John Bost , Reformed pastor and social pioneer
- Christoph Braendle , writer and journalist
- Walter Breisky , Austrian politician
- Gottfried von Eine , composer
- Hans Albert Einstein , civil engineer, professor, son of Albert Einstein and Mileva Marić
- Alexandre Hay , lawyer
- Thomas Hirschhorn , installation artist
- Ulrich Knellwolf , reformed pastor and crime writer
- Stefan Kurt , actor
- Salvatore Licitra , Italian tenor
- Manon (artist) , Zurich artist
- Christian Menn , structural engineer and civil engineer
- Rémo Meyer , soccer player
- Jean Rudolf von Salis , historian, writer and publicist
- Hans Schaffner , Federal Councilor, born in Interlaken
- Carl Schenkel , film director and screenwriter
- Philipp Albert Stapfer , politician, diplomat and theologian
- Wen-Sinn Yang , cellist of Taiwanese descent
- Matthias Zschokke , writer and filmmaker
Personalities with temporary residence in the canton of Bern
scientist
Philosophers
- Ernst Bloch , philosopher
- Jean Gebser , philosopher and consciousness researcher
- Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel , philosopher
- Johann Friedrich Herbart , educator and philosopher
- Carl Hilty , philosopher and constitutional lawyer
- Max Scheler , philosopher
- Walter Benjamin , philosopher and art critic
Theologians
- Karl Barth
- Karl Bernhard Hundeshagen
- Wolfgang Musculus
- Adolf Schlatter
- Matthias Schneckenburger
- Eduard Zeller
pedagogues
Others
- Ruth Cohn , psychologist
- Albert Einstein , physicist
- Heini Hediger , zoologist, 1938–43 administrator of the Dählhölzli zoo
- Eugen Huber , lawyer
- Georg Simon Ohm , physicist
- Gonzague de Reynold , literary scholar
- Gershom Scholem , Judaist
- Wilhelm Snell , lawyer
- Alexander Tschirch , pharmacologist
Musician
Painters, sculptors and other visual artists
- Johann Ludwig Aberli , painter, draftsman and etcher
- Cuno Amiet
- Sigmund Barth , painter
- Stephan Bildstein , painter
- Serge Brignoni
- Raphael Christians
- Balthasar Anton Dunker , painter and draftsman
- Hans Gieng , sculptor
- Jakob Emanuel Handmann , painter
- Anton Hickel , painter
- Sigmund Holbein , painter
- Johann Rudolf Huber , painter
- Ferdinand Huttenlocher , sculptor and art teacher
- Schang Hutter , iron sculptor
- Ernst Kreidolf , book illustrator
- Erhart Küng , foreman at Bern Minster
- Pierre-Nicolas Legrand , painter
- Carlo Edoardo Lischetti
- Otto Morach
- Johann August Nahl , sculptor
- August Friedrich Oelenhainz , painter
- Meret Oppenheim
- Ted Scapa
- Jean Tinguely , iron sculptor
Politician
- Mikhail Alexandrovich Bakunin , anarchist
- Max Daetwyler , peace activist
- Lenin
- Benito Mussolini , dictator
- Richard von Weizsäcker , German politician, sixth Federal President of the Federal Republic of Germany .
Religious personalities
- Beatus , legendary saint
- Jacques-Davy Duperron , Cardinal
- Berchtold Haller , reformer
- Jeremias Lorza , reformed pastor
- Franz Eugen Schlachter , Bible translator
- Elias Schrenk , evangelist
Christian Catholic Bishops of Bern
actor
writer
Others
- Werner Abegg , textile industrialist, collector of textiles and founder of the Abegg Foundation in Riggisberg
- Hans Wilhelm Auer , architect of the Federal Palace , honorary citizen of the city of Bern
- Anna Feodorovna , Russian Grand Duchess of German origin
- Mechthild Flury-Lemberg , textile restorer
- Leon Hirsch , bookseller, printer, publisher and cabaret director
- Jan Pawel Lelewel , hydraulic and road construction engineer
- Max Schneckenburger , poet of the song Die Wacht am Rhein
- Johann August Sutter , founder of New Helvetia
- Madame Tussaud , founder of the wax museum in London