|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
For other uses, see Berne (disambiguation).
The city of Berne [bɜːn](UK), [bɝːn](US) (German Bern [b̥ɛrn], French Berne [bɛʀn], Italian Berna [ˈbɛrna], Romansh Berna [ˈbɛrnə], Bernese German Bärn [b̥æːrn]), is the "Bundesstadt" ("federal city", capital) of Switzerland and, with 140,000 people, is the fourth most populous Swiss city (after Zürich, Geneva and Basel).
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
Image:Zytglogg Bern.jpg The old Zytglogge clock tower. Image:Bernriver.jpg Berne in January. Background shows the high incline of the riverbank. 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 Berne and in 1848 it additionally became the Swiss capital.
A number of congresses of the socialist First and Second Internationals were held in Berne, particularly during World War One when Switzerland was neutral. (See Berne International.) GeographyBerne 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 peninsula 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 Aare (e.g. Matte, Marzili) to the higher ones (e.g. Kirchenfeld, Länggasse). PoliticsBerne 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. See also: List of mayors of Berne View of the city.
Main sights
Image:Bear 2.jpg A Bernese bear. Image:05-10-09 BernCoveredSidewalks.jpg One of the famous covered shopping promenades of the city. 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 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. CultureBerne is rich of cultural offerings for every taste. Theaters
Movie theatersBerne 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.
Nightlife
Museums
Festivals
Fairs
SportThe football team BSC Young Boys is based in Berne.
Education and scienceBerne has a University, a technical college and several vocational schools. UniversityThe University is spread over several buildings which are mainly located in the Länggasse quarter. In 2005 there were around 13,000 students registered[citation needed]. It consists of the following faculties:
Technical collegeCurrently (2005) there are around 5,000 students registered to the technical college of Bern. It consists of the following units:
Vocational schoolsMany vocational schools are present in Bern. Some of them are the following:
Other schoolsTransportStreetsBerne is well connected to other cities by several highways (A1, A12, A6). Public transportThe 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 trafficBerne 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
|
Sites |
Searched sites for "Berne" |
|
No sites found. |
Sorry, no matching site records were found. |
Want your site listed here?
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Submit
your site |
 |
|
Relevant quality search results and fast easy navigation throughout the
different sections of the site, make Americola.com |
