Burgerbibliothek of Berne

The Zytglogge (Bernese German: [ˈtsiˌkːlɔkːə]; lit. 'time bell') is a landmark medieval tower in Bern, Switzerland. Built in the early 13th century, it has served the city as guard tower, prison, clock tower, centre of urban life and civic memorial. Despite the many redecorations and renovations it has undergone in its 800 years of existence, the Zytglogge is one of Bern's most recognisable symbols and the oldest monument of the city, and with its 15th-century astronomical clock, a major tourist attraction. It is a heritage site of national significance, and part of the Old City of Bern, a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site.

The Zähringerbrunnen (Zähringen Fountain) is a fountain on Kramgasse in the Old City of Bern, Switzerland. It is a Swiss Cultural Property of National Significance and is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site of the Old City of Bern.

Bern (Swiss Standard German: [bɛrn] (listen)) or Berne is the de facto capital of Switzerland, referred to as the "federal city". With a population of about 133,000 (as of 2022), Bern is the fifth-most populous city in Switzerland, behind Zurich, Geneva, Basel and Lausanne. The Bern agglomeration, which includes 36 municipalities, had a population of 406,900 in 2014. The metropolitan area had a population of 660,000 in 2000.Bern is also the capital of the canton of Bern, the second-most populous of Switzerland's cantons. The official language is German, but the main spoken language is the local variant of the Alemannic Swiss German dialect, Bernese German. In 1983, the historic old town (in German: Altstadt) in the centre of Bern became a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is notably surrounded by the Aare, a major river of the Swiss Plateau. Although fortified settlements were established since antiquity, the medieval city proper was founded by the Zähringer ruling family, probably in 1191 by Berthold V, Duke of Zähringen. Bern was made a free imperial city in 1218 and, in 1353, it joined the Swiss Confederacy, becoming one of its eight early cantons. Since then, Bern became a large city-state and a prominent actor of Swiss history by pursuing a policy of sovereign territorial expansion. Since the 15th century, the city was progressively rebuilt and acquired its current characteristics. Bern was made the Federal City in 1848. From about 5,000 inhabitants in the 15th century, the city passed the 100,000 mark in the 1920s.

The 1936 UCI Road World Championships was the sixteenth edition of the UCI Road World Championships. The championships took place in Bern, Switzerland. 42 amateurs rode in the morning, the 39 professionals in the afternoon. Only 26 amateur and 10 professional cyclists completed their race. In the same period, the 1936 UCI Track Cycling World Championships was organized in the Oerlikon Velodrome in Zürich.

The 1961 UCI Road World Championships was the 34rd edition of the UCI Road World Championships. It took place on 2 and 3 September 1961 in Bern, Switzerland. It was the second time the championships were organized in Bern, after the 1936 UCI Road World Championships. The women's race took place on 10 August on the Isle of Man. Belgian Yvonne Reynders won her second of four world titles on the road. The amateurs rode 181.5 kilometers on Saturday, September 2, 1961. It was a triumph for the French amateurs, who won gold, silver and bronze. The three Frenchmen escaped together on a climb after about 145 kilometers. In the final lap, Jean Jourden defeated his two compatriots. The professional cyclists rode on Sunday, September 3, 1961, over a distance of 285.252 kilometers. Belgian Rik Van Looy extended his world title; he narrowly defeated the Italian Nino Defilippis in a sprint. Frenchman Raymond Poulidor came third. In the same period, the 1961 UCI Track Cycling World Championships was organized in the Oerlikon Velodrome in Zürich, Switzerland.

The Marktgasse is one of the streets in the Old City of Bern, the medieval city center of Bern, Switzerland. It is part of the Innere Neustadt which was built during the 13th Century. It runs from the Käfigturm between Waisenhausplatz and Bärenplatz in the west to the Zytglogge between Kornhausplatz and Theaterplatz in the east. It is part of the UNESCO Cultural World Heritage Site that encompasses the Old City.

The Herrengasse ("Nobles' Lane") is one of the streets in the Old City of Bern, the medieval city center of Bern, Switzerland. It was the southernmost street of the old Zähringerstadt (Zähringer town) of Bern and ended at the first city wall. Three buildings on the Herrengasse are listed on the Swiss inventory of heritage site of national significance and it is part of the UNESCO Cultural World Heritage Site that encompasses the Old City.

The von Wattenwyl house on Herrengasse 23 is a historic building in Bern, Switzerland, named after the von Wattenwyl family who owned it for over 200 years. The building was constructed during the Middle Ages, incorporating some older neighbouring properties; these can still seen in the eastern range of the house. Over time, the house changed owners several times, and various design changes were effected. The first major reconstruction was in 1690, with further changes executed between 1730 and 1740. The most notable of these was made in 1760 by the eminent Bernese architect, Erasmus Ritter, for the building's then owner, David Salomon von Wattenwyl. A fountain by Ritter, in the form of a carved pillar surmounted by a vase, remains in front of the house.

The Kochergasse is one of the streets in the Old City of Bern, the medieval city center of Bern, Switzerland. It is part of the Innere Neustadt which was built during the expansion of 1255 to 1260. It runs in front of the Bundeshaus East and it is part of the UNESCO Cultural World Heritage Site that encompasses the Old City.

The Amthausgasse is one of the streets in the Old City of Bern, the medieval city center of Bern, Switzerland. It is part of the Innere Neustadt which was built during the expansion of 1255 to 1260. One building, a Burgher house at Amthausgasse 5 is listed on the Swiss inventory of heritage site of national significance and it is part of the UNESCO Cultural World Heritage Site that encompasses the Old City.

The Kornhausplatz is a plaza in the Old City of Bern, the medieval city center of Bern, Switzerland. It is on the edge of the Zähringerstadt which was built during the founding of the city in 1191, though the plaza wasn't built until later. It is located near the Kornhausbrücke (Kornhaus bridge) and the Zytglogge clock tower. It is part of the UNESCO Cultural World Heritage Site that encompasses the Old City.

The Kindlifresserbrunnen ([kɪntliˈfʁɛsɐˌbʁʊ.nən], Swiss German for "Child-Eater Fountain") is a painted stone fountain at the Kornhausplatz (Granary Place) in Bern, Switzerland. It is one of the Old City of Bern's fountains from the 16th century. It was created in 1545–1546 by Hans Gieng to replace a wooden fountain from the 15th century. The new fountain's original name was Platzbrunnen (Plaza Fountain); the current name was used first in 1666. Kindli is a Swiss German diminutive for the German word Kind, meaning child. A literal translation of the name Kindlifresserbrunnen therefore would be "Fountain of the Eater of Little Children". The fountain sculpture depicts a seated ogre devouring a naked child. Placed at his side is a bag containing more children. Because the ogre is wearing a pointed hat resembling a Jewish one, it has been speculated about the possibility of the ogre being the depiction of a Jew as an expression of blood libel against Jews. Another theory is that the statue is the likeness of Krampus, the beast-like creature from the folklore of Alpine countries thought to punish children during the Christmas season who had misbehaved. According to other theories it is a depiction of the Greek god Cronus eating his children or the Roman Saturn eating the months, though Cronus should have six and Saturn twelve rather than the sculpture's eight. Another theory is that it represented Cardinal Schiner who led the Swiss Confederation into several bloody defeats in northern Italy. An alternative theory is that it is a depiction of the older brother of Duke Berchtold (founder of Bern) who it is claimed, was so incensed by his younger brother's overshadowing of him that he collected and ate the town's children but such an incident is not recorded in Bern's history books. A final theory is that it is just a carnival character intended to frighten disobedient children.Another theory is the eight children depict the eight cantons of the Old Swiss Confederacy and the Ogre is an enemy (possibly Charles the Bold, Duke of Burgundy) trying to gobble the cantons up. This would match with the fountain's base which shows a frieze of armed bears going to war, including a piper and a drummer. The frieze may have been designed by Hans Rudolf Manuel Deutsch.The Kindlifresserbrunnen is an important object in the novel L'ogre (The Ogre) by Jacques Chessex.