Tourist information - Berne
Bern or Berne is a city and capital of Switzerland and also capital of Bern Canton, throughout western Switzerland. It is located on a lofty promontory surrounded on three sides by a bend of the Aare River. The old battlements of the city, turned into promenades, command a magnificent viewpoint of the encompassing alpine landscapes.
The bear is definitely the heraldic trademark of Bern, and also a bear pit, maintained since 1513, is one of the noteworthy attractions of the city. Principal public buildings are the houses of parliament; a Gothic cathedral, initiated in 1421 and finished around 1611; and the town hall, dating from 1406. The University of Bern (1834) has departments of law, medicine, philosophy and science, and theology. Bern Library, which now consists of the university library, contains several manuscripts as well as rare books. Bern has four museums containing respectively selections of Swiss art and exhibitions dealing with history and natural historical pasts and alpine subjects.
The principal activities carried on in the city are governmental and administrative. Various international organizations, especially the Universal Postal Union, have headquarters here. Industrial activity features the production of fine scientific instruments, textiles, machinery, chemicals and pharmaceuticals, and chocolates. Two fantastic annual fairs are held at Bern, and feature a large horse and cattle market.
Bern was founded in 1191 making a free imperial city in 1218. It joined the Swiss Confederation in 1353. The so-called Disputation of Bern between Roman Catholics and Reformers in 1528 prepared just how for acceptance of the Reformed doctrine in Switzerland. The invasion of Switzerland in 1798 by the French revolutionary army overthrew the aristocratic regime, and during the 19th century the power of the church was limited, the constitution liberalized, as well as the principle of the referendum adopted. In 1885-86, Bern was the site of a conference held to formulate an international agreement upon copyrights. The agreements, along with the meeting itself, are classified as the Berne Convention.
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