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Berne

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The city of Berne or Bern ([b̥ɛrn], Berne [bɛʀn], Berna [ˈbɛrna], Romansh: Berna [ˈbɛrnə], Bernese German: Bärn [b̥æːrn]), is the Bundesstadt (federal city, de facto capital) of Switzerland and, with 128,041 people (agglomeration: 344,000), is the fourth most populous city in Switzerland (after Zürich, Geneva and Basel).

Most of Berne's residents speak German, or more specifically, Bernese German, which is a high-Alemannic dialect. The Canton of Berne has a French-speaking part. Very few people still speak the Mattenenglisch, a language game used in the former workers' quarter of Matte, but several words have found their way into Bernese German.

Berne also functions as the capital of the Canton of Berne, the second most populous of Switzerland's cantons.

Illustrious Bernese include the reformer Albrecht von Haller, the poet Albert Bitzius and the painters Hans Fries, Ferdinand Hodler and Paul Klee. The German-born physicist Albert Einstein worked out his theory of relativity while employed as a clerk at the Berne patent office. A culturally important person was Mani Matter, a songwriter performing in Bernese German.

History

Duke Berchtold 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 Berne and in 1848 it additionally became the Swiss capital.

The city grew out towards the west of the boundaries of the peninsula formed by the river Aar. 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.

A number of congresses of the socialist First and Second Internationals were held in Berne, particularly during World War I when Switzerland was neutral. (See Berne International.)

Geography

Berne lies in the Swiss plateau part of the Canton of Berne, somewhat west of the center of Switzerland. The landscape around Berne was formed by glaciers in the last ice age. The two mountains closest to Berne 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 Berne is the origin (600 000/200 000) of the CH1903 coordinate system, its international coordinates are .

The city was originally built on a mountain engulfed by the river Aar 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:

The city is built on very uneven ground. There are several dozens of meters in height difference from the quarters down at the Aar (e.g. Matte, Marzili) to the higher ones (e.g. Kirchenfeld, Länggasse).

Politics

Berne 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 parties 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 Berne are the Free Democratic Party (FDP, free-market liberal) and the Swiss People's Party (SVP, nationalist, 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 Berne is Alexander Tschäppät of the Social Democrats.

Main sights

Berne'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 Palace (Bundeshaus), dating from 1902, which houses the national parliament and part of the federal administration, can also be visited.

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.

Berne's most recent sight is the set of fountains in front of the Federal Palace. It was inaugurated on August 1, 2004.

Culture

Berne is rich of cultural offerings for every taste.

Theaters

  • City Theater
  • Schlachthaus-theater
  • Tojo Theater
  • The Theater on the Effinger-Street
  • Narrenpack Theater Bern
  • Theater Szene

Movie theaters

Berne 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 - the old riding school of Bern, now a meeting place for the alternative scene, with concerts, parties, flea market and much more
  • Wasserwerk - a night-club close to the river Aar with lots of concerts and parties
  • Bierhübeli - a concert and party club
  • Marians Jazzroom - jazz club, where also the International Jazz Festival takes place
  • ISC - the International Students Club, open for everybody
  • dead-end - a club for the late ones, opens at midnight
  • Gaskessel
  • Mahogany Hall
  • Dampfzentrale
  • The Bernese Symphony Orchestra

Museums

  • Museum of Arts
  • Art-Hall
  • Museum of Communication including the Philatelic Museum
  • Psychiatry Museum
  • Historic Museum
  • Natural History Museum
  • Collection of Antiques
  • Alpine Museum
  • Einstein House
  • Marksmen Museum
  • Zentrum Paul Klee

Festivals

  • Gurtenfestival
  • BeJazz Summer and Winter Festival
  • Berner Tanztage
  • Internationales Jazzfestival Bern
  • Taktlos-Festival
  • Queersicht - Queer Filmfestival, annually held second week of November.
  • National Reach Around Festival
  • Buskers festival
  • Zaffaraya festival
  • shnit shortfilmfestival

Fairs

  • Zibelemärit - The Zibelemärit (onion market) is an annual fair held on the fourth Monday in November.

Sport

The football team BSC Young Boys is based in Berne at the Wankdorf.

SC Bern is the major ice hockey team of Berne who plays at the PostFinance Arena.

Education and science

Berne has a University, a University of Applied Science and several vocational schools.

University

The University is spread over several buildings which are mainly located in the Länggasse quarter. In 2005 there were around 13,000 students registered . It consists of the following faculties:

  • Old Catholic and Protestant Theology
  • Law
  • Economics and Social Sciences
  • Medicine
  • Veterinary Medicine
  • Humanities
  • Science
  • Human Sciences

University of Applied Science (Fachhochschule)

Currently (2005) there are around 5,000 students registered to the University of Applied Science Bern. It consists of the following faculties:

  • 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
  • Schule für Gestaltung Bern
  • Wirtschafts- und Kaderschule KV Bern
  • Berufsschule für Verwaltung Bern
  • BFF BERN, Berufs,- Fach- und Fortbildungsschule
  • Lehrwerkstätten der Stadt Bern
  • Berufsschule für Pflege Am Altenberg
  • Hotel Handelsschulen
  • Wirtschaftsmittelschule Bern

Other schools

  • Academy of Music
  • College for Music and Arts
  • Swiss Musical Academy

Transport

Streets

Berne 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 funicular which leads from the Marzili quarter to the Bundeshaus. This funicular is, with a length of 106 m, the shortest public railway in Europe . Several bridges connect the old parts of the city with the newer quarters outside of the peninsula.

Air traffic

Berne is served by Berne 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.

Miscellaneous

External links



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Last updated on Tuesday February 19, 2008 at 14:31:47 PST (GMT -0800)
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