Old City (Bern): Difference between revisions

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The Old City of Berne is the

See also:

History of Berne

The earliest settlements in the

The history of the city of Berne proper begins with its founding by

The area chosen by Berchtold V was a hilly peninsula surrounded by the Aare river on three sides. This location made the city easy to defend and influenced the later development of the city. The long, narrow shape of the peninsula made the city develop as several long, parallel rows of houses. The only major cross streets (going north and south) developed along the city walls, which were moved to allow the city to expand. Therefore, the cross streets mark the stages of development in the Old City of Berne.

On the eastern end of the peninsula a small fort, called Castle Nydegg, was founded by Berchtold IV in the second half of the 12^th Century. Either when the fort was built or in 1191, the city of Berne was founded around the eastern end of the peninsula.^[3]

First Expansion - 1191

The first expansion of Berne occurred as the city was founded. Most likely the first city started at Nydegg Castle and reached to the Zytglogge (Swiss German: clock tower). The city was divided by three longitudinal streets, which stretched from the Castle to the city wall. Both the position of the town church and the shape of the eaves were typical for a Zähringer city.^[3]

During the first half of the 13^th Century two additional streets (Brunngasse and Herrengasse) were added. Brunngasse was a semi-circular street on the north edge of the city, while Herrengasse was on the south side of the city. A wood bridge was built over the Aare River which allowed increased trade and limited settlements on the east bank of the river.

Second Expansion - 1255 to 1260

During the second half of the 13^th Century the river side foundation of Nydegg Castle was strengthened and connected to a new west city wall. This wall was added to protect the four streets, known as the New City or Savoy City, that had sprung up outside the Zytglogge. The new west wall included a gate known as the Käfigturm (German: Prison Tower).

Around 1268 Nydegg Castle was destroyed, and the city expanded into the area formerly occupied by the castle.^[3] In the south east part of the peninsula below the main hill that the rest of the Old City occupied, a section known as Matte grew up.

Third Expansion - 1344 to 1346

For almost a century the Käfigturm remained the western boundary of Berne. However, as the city grew, people began settling outside the city walls. In 1344 the city started to build a third wall to protect the growing population. By 1346 the project was finished and six new streets were protected by a wall and the Christoffelturm (German: St. Christopher Tower). The Christoffelturm remained the western border of Berne until the 19^th Century. From 1622 to 1634 a series of defensive walls and strong points were added outside the Christoffelturm. However, the population remained inside the Christoffelturm walls.

Great Fire of 1405

Berne was included in the UNESCO World Heritage Sites because of "an exceptionally coherent planning concept" and because "the medieval town...has retained its original character"^[4]. Berne owes its coherent planning concept and its famous arcades to a disaster. In 1405 a fire broke out in Berne, which was mostly wooden buildings at the time. The fire raced through the city and destroyed most of the buildings in town. In the wake of this disaster, the city was rebuilt with all stone houses in similar medieval styles. The arcades were added throughout the 15^th Century as houses expanded in the upper stories out into the street. Throughout the next three centuries houses were modified, but the essential elements (stone construction, arcades) remained.

In the 16^th Century, as Berne became a powerful and rich city-state, public fountains were added to Berne. A number of fountains were topped with large allegorical statues, eleven of which are still visible in the city. The fountains served to show the power and wealth of the city, as well as providing fresh water for the citizens of the city. Overall, the city remained nearly unchanged for the next two centuries.

Expansion and destruction of the Christoffelturm

By the early 19^th Century Berne had expanded as far as it could within the old city walls. An increasing number of people were living outside the city walls in neighboring communities. Throughout the 19^th Century, this ring of modern cities grew up around the Old City without forcing it to demolish the medieval city core. However, the growth around the Old City did lead to several projects.

Within the Old City of Berne, many of the old stone buildings were renovated without changing the outer appearance. The bell tower was finally finished on the Münster (German: Minister or Cathedral), making it the tallest church in Switzerland. A new bridge was built across the Aare at Nydegg in 1842 to 1844. The new bridge was larger than the, still standing, old bridge which had been built in 1461 to 1487.

One of the biggest projects was the proposed destruction of the Christoffelturm to open up the west end of the city. Following a very close vote the decision to remove the Christoffelturm and city wall was made on December 15, 1864. In the spring of the following year Gottlieb Ott led the team that removed the tower. Currently, the former location of the Christoffelturm is a large road interchange, a major bus station and the central train station.

Federal Capital in the 20^th Century

Following the

For centuries the famous Bärengraben (German: Bear Pits) were located in the Old City. According to the Bernese historian Valerius Anshelm the first bears were kept on Bärenplatz (German: Bears' Plaza) in 1513^[1]. They were moved from the modern Bärenplatz to the Schanzengraben near the former Christoffelturm in 1764. However, the bears remained in the Old City until the expansion of the new capital forced them out. The bears and the Bärengraben were moved from the Old City across the Aare River on May 27 1857^[1].

In the 20^th Century, Berne has had to deal with incorporating the modern world into a medieval city. The plaza where the Christoffelturm used to be, has become the central bus stop for the city. The main train station was built under the plaza, and actually includes some of the foundations from the Christoffelturm and wall in the train station. However, one of the biggest challenges has been integrating

Districts and neighbourhoods

The old city was historically subdivided into four Viertel and four Quartiere. The Viertel were the city's official

Of greater practical importance were the Quartiere, the four traditional neighbourhoods in which people of similar social and economic rank congregated. They emerged in the late Middle Ages, overlap the Viertel boundaries and remain easily identifiable in today's cityscape.^[7]

The central and oldest neighbourhood is the Zähringerstadt (

The second oldest neighbourhood, the Innere Neustadt (Inner New City), was built during the city's first westward expansion in 1255, between the first western wall guarded by the Zytglogge tower and the second wall, guarded by the Käfigturm. Its central feature is the broad Marktgasse (Market Alley).

Situated in the northeast and southeast of the Aare peninsula, the Nydeggstalden and the Mattequartier together constitute medieval Berne's smallest neighbourhood.

The last neighbourhood to be built was the Äussere Neustadt (Outer New City), which added a third and final layer to Berne's defences starting in 1343. All of these walls, gates and earthworks were demolished in the 19th century ending with the destruction of Berne's greatest of its three guard towers, the Christoffelturm. Only the four central streets were lined with residential houses in late medieval times, while the rest of the area was devoted to agriculture and animal husbandry.^[11]

Significant buildings

While the entire old town of Berne is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, there are a number of buildings and fountains within the city that merit special mention.

Münster (Cathedral)

The Münster of Berne (German: Berner Münster) is a

Above the main portal is a rare complete collection of

The interior is large, open and fairly empty. Nearly all the art and altars in the cathedral were removed in 1528 during the iconoclasm of the Protestant Reformation. The paintings and statues were dumped in what became the Cathedral Terrace, making the terrace a rich archeological site. The only major pieces of art that survived the iconoclasm inside the cathedral are the stained glass windows and the choir stalls.

The stained glass windows date from 1441-1450 and are considered the most valuable in Switzerland. The windows include a number of heraldic symbols and religious images as well as an entire "Dance of Death" window. This window shows death, as a skeleton, claiming people from all professions and social classes. A "Dance of Death" was intended as a reminder that death would come to everyone regardless of wealth or status, and may have been a comfort in a world filled with plagues and wars.

The choir, in the eastern side of the Cathedral between the nave and the sanctuary, houses the first Renaissance choir stalls in Switzerland^[13]. The stalls are carved with life-like animals and images of daily life.

Zytglogge

The Zytglogge is the

Following the first expansion of Berne the Zytglogge was the gate tower of the western fortifications. At this time, it was a squat tower of only about 16 m (or 52.5 ft) in height which was open in the back^[16]. During the second expansion, to the Käfigturm, the Ztyglogge wall was removed and the tower was relegated to second-line status. Around 1270-1275 an additional 7m (23ft) was added to the tower to allow it to overlook the surrounding houses^[17]. After the third expansion, to the Christoffelturm, the Zytglogge was converted into a women's prison. Most commonly it was used to house Pfaddendirnen - "priests' whores", women convicted of sexual relations with clerics.^[18] At this time, the Zytglogge also received its first slanted roof.^[19]

In the Great Fire of 1405, the tower was completely burned out. The structural damage would not be completely repaired until 1983. The prison cells were abandoned^[20] and a clock was installed above the gate. This clock, together with a bell cast in 1405, gave the tower the name of Zytglogge. In the late 15^th Century the tower was decorated with four decorative corner towerlets and heraldic symbols.^[21]. The astronomical clock was extended to its current state in 1527-1530. In addition to the astronomical clock, the Zytglogge features a group of mechanical figures. At three minutes before the hour the figures which include a rooster, a fool, a knight, a piper, a lion and bears, put on a show^[22]. The animals chase each other around, the fool rings his bells and the rooster caws. During the day it is common to see small crowds gathered around the foot of the Zytglogge waiting for the show to start.

The Zytglogge's exterior was repainted by Gotthard Ringgli and Kaspar Haldenstein in 1607–10, who introduced the large clock faces that now dominate the east and west façades of the tower.^[23] The corner towerlets were removed again some time before 1603.^[24] In 1770–71, the Zytglogge was renovated by Niklaus Hebler and Ludwig Emanuel Zehnder, who refurbished the structure in order to suit the tastes of the late Baroque, giving the tower its contemporary outline.^[25]

Both façades were again repainted in the

The Parliament Building (German: Bundeshaus,

The central Parliament Building was built to be visible and is topped with several large copper domes. The interior was decorated by 38 artists from every corner of the country. Three major themes tied all the works together. The first theme, national history, is represented by events and persons from Swiss history. This includes the

The Untertorbrücke (German: Lower Gate bridge) is the oldest bridge in Berne still in existence. The original bridge, most likely a wooden walkway, was built in 1256 and spanned the Aare river at the Nydegg Fortress. The original wooden bridge was destroyed in a flood in 1460. Within one year, construction began on a new stone bridge. However, it took nearly 30 years to complete. Until the construction of the Nydeggbrücke in 1840, the Untertorbrücke was the only bridge crossing the Aare near Berne.

Nydegg Church

See also: de:Nydeggkirche

The original Nydegg Castle was built around 1190 by Duke Berchtold V. von Zähringen as part of the city defenses. Following the second expansion, the castle was destroyed by the citizens of Berne in 1268. The castle was located about where the Choir of the church now stands.

From 1341 to 1346 a church with a small

Fountains

There are over 100 public fountains in the city of Berne of which eleven are crowned with Renaissance allegorical statues^[29]. The statues were created during the period of civic improvement that occurred as Berne became a major city-state during the 16^th Century. The fountains were originally built as a public water supply. As Berne grew in power, the original fountains were expanded and decorated but retained their original purpose.

Nearly all the 16^th Century fountains, except the Zähringer fountain which was created by Hans Hiltbrand, are the work of the Fribourg master Hans Gieng.

• Läuferbrunnen

From east to west, the first fountain is the Läuferbrunnen (German: Runner fountain) near the Nydegg Church on Nydeggstalden. The trough was built in 1824, but the figure dates from 1545^[30].

• Gerechtigkeitsbrunnen

The next fountain is the Gerechtigkeitsbrunnen (German:Justice fountain) on Gerechtigkeitsgasse. Built in 1543 by Hans Gieng, the fountain is topped with a representation of Justice. She stands with her eyes and ears bound, a sword of truth one hand and the scales in the other. On the pillar below her feet are four figures; the Pope, a Sultan, the Kaiser or Emperor and the Schultheiß or Lord Mayor. This represents the power of Justice over the rulers and political systems of the day; Theocracy, Monarchy, Autocracy and the Republic.^[30]

• Vennerbrunnen

The Vennerbrunnen (German: Banner Carrier or Vexillum) is located in front of the old city hall or Rathaus. The Venner was military-political title in medieval Switzerland. He was responsible for peace and protection in a section of a city and then to lead troops from that section in battle. The statue, built in 1542 shows a Venner in full armor with his banner.^[30]

• Mosesbrunnen

The

Interpreted correctly, these two words form an expression meaning that Moses was enlightened, that "the skin of his face shone" (as with a

KJV has it.^[31]

The Septuagint properly translates the Hebrew phrase as [δεδόξασται ἡ ὄψις] Error: {{Lang}}: unrecognized language code: gr (help), "his face was glorified"; but Jerome translated the phrase into Latin as cornuta esset facies sua "his face was horned".^[31]

With apparent Biblical authority, and the added convenience of giving Moses a unique and easily identifiable visual attribute (something the other Old Testament prophets notably lacked), it remained standard in Western art to depict Moses with small horns until well after the mistranslation was realized by the Renaissance. In this depiction of Moses, the error has been identified but the artist has choosen to place horns of light on Moses head to aid in identification.

• Simsonbrunnen

lion

The Simsonbrunnen or

Philistine woman and decides to marry her. At this time, the Philistines ruled over the Israelites and Samson's decision to marry one causes great concern among his family. He calms their concerns and travels to marry his love. On the way he is attacked by the lion and with his incredible strength kills the lion. Later, he sees that bees have built a honeycomb

in the lion's body. He uses this event as the basis of a riddle, which when not answered, gives him a pretext to attack the Philistines and lead an unsuccessful rebellion. The fountain, built in 1544 by Hans Gieng, is modelled after the Simsonbrunnen in Solothurn.^[30]

• Zähringerbrunnen

The Zähringerbrunnen was built in 1535 as a memorial to the founder of Bern, Berchtold von Zähringer. The statue is a bear in full armor, with another bear cub at his feet. The bear represents the bear, that according to legend, Berchtold shot on the Aare peninsula as he was searching for a site to build a city.

• Kindlifresserbrunnen

One of the most interesting statues is the Kindlifresserbrunnen (Bernese German: Child Eater Fountain) which is located on Kornhausplatz. The fountain was built in 1545-46 on the site of an 15^th Century wooden fountain. Originally known as Platzbrunnen (German: Plaza Fountain), the current name dates to 1666. The statue is a seated

Fastnacht

figure that scares disobedient children.

• Anna Seiler Brunnen

The Anna Seiler fountain, located at the upper end of Marktgasse memorializes the founder of the first hospital in Berne. Anna Seiler is represented by a woman in a blue dress, pouring water into a small dish. She stands on a pillar brought from the Roman town of Aventicum (modern Avenches). In 1345 she asked the city to help found a hospital in her house which today stands on Zeughausgasse. The hospital initially had 13 beds and 2 attendants^[22].

See also

• List of World Heritage Sites in Europe
• Berne
• Swiss Federal Council

References

1. ^ ^{a b c} The Old Bärengraben accessed April 25, 2008 Template:De icon
2. ^ Zähringen, von in German, French and Italian in the online Historical Dictionary of Switzerland.
3. ^
   Template:HDS
   ): "1"
4. ^ UNESCO World Heritage List Description of the Old City of Berne. Accessed April 25, 2008
5. Template:HDS
   ): "1"
6. ^ ^{a b c} Bundeshaus (Parliament Building) in German, French and Italian in the online Historical Dictionary of Switzerland.
7. ^
   ISBN 3-906721-28-0. {{cite book}}: |author= has generic name (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link
   )
8. ^ Gerber, at 44.
9. ^ Gerber, at 46.
10. ^ Gerber, ibid.
11. ^ Gerber, at 47.
12. ^ Official Church Website-The Bells accessed April 25, 2008 Template:De icon
13. ^ Official Church Website-Tourism accessed April 25, 2008 Template:De icon
14. ISBN 3-85872-341-0. {{cite book}}: Check |isbn= value: checksum (help
    )
15. ISBN 3-7272-1180-6
    .
16. ^ ^{a b} Niklaus Flüeler, Lukas Gloor and Isabelle Rucki (1982). Kulturführer Schweiz. Zürich: Ex Libris Verlag AG. p. 68-73.
17. ^ Ibid.
18. Swissinfo
    .
19. ^ Bellwald, 4.
20. ^ Paul Hofer (1952). Die Kunstdenkmäler des Kantons Bern, Band 1: Die Stadt Bern. Gesellschaft für Schweizerische Kunstgeschichte. p. 107.
21. ^ Hofer, 107
22. ^
    ISBN 3-85859-179-3.Template:De icon
23. ^ Ibid.
24. ^ Hofer, 108.
25. ^ Bellwald, 9.
26. ^ Ibid.
27. ^ Bellwald, 13.
28. ^ Swiss World.org website accessed April 25, 2008.
29. ^ City of Fountains, Bern Tourism accessed April 25, 2008
30. ^ ^{a b c d e} Flüeler (1982). Kulturführer Schweiz. Zurich, CH: Ex Libris Verlag AG. pp. 72–73.
31. ^ ^{a b c} "Moses horns". accessed April 25, 2008
32. ^ Switzerland is yours.com travel guide accessed April 25, 2008

External links

• Offical UNESCO listing for Old City of Berne
• UNESCO Evaluation of the Old City of Bern (.pdf only)
• Tourist Office of the city of Bern
• The Website of the Clock Tower (Zytglogge) in English and German