Bildersturm
In 1529, the church was the site of a brutal 'Bildersturm', where 25 altars were smashed, and sacred images were destroyed. The event marked a significant turning point in the city's adoption of the…
Berner Münster · · 💀 Dark history
Discover 60 curated stories about Bern in Switzerland — covering hidden gems, dark history, legends, weird facts and funny anecdotes.
In 1529, the church was the site of a brutal 'Bildersturm', where 25 altars were smashed, and sacred images were destroyed. The event marked a significant turning point in the city's adoption of the…
Berner Münster · · 💀 Dark history
House no. 40, a grand urban palais, was the site of the surrender of the Helvetic government to French troops in 1802, marking a significant turning point in Swiss history.
House no. 40 · · 🏛️ Legendary
In 1383/84, the city of Burgdorf was besieged by the city of Bern, leading to the city's eventual acquisition by Bern. The Burgdorferkrieg, as it came to be known, marked the end of the Kyburg dynast…
Burgdorf · · 💀 Dark history
The Bern Historical Museum contains the Moringen arrowhead, which was determined to be of meteoric origin in 2023. This ancient artifact has been in the collection for over a century, and its otherwo…
Bern Historical Museum · · 🤯 Weird
The Kunstmuseum Bern was left a vast collection of over 1,400 artworks by Cornelius Gurlitt, a German collector, in 2014. Many of these artworks were suspected to be stolen from European Jews by the…
Kunstmuseum Bern · · 💀 Dark history
The University of Bern's Main Building, located on the Grosse Schanze, was inaugurated in 1903. What's remarkable is that Albert Einstein taught his first semester of theoretical physics here in 1908…
Main Building · · 🏛️ Legendary
Albert Einstein taught theoretical physics at the University of Bern for three semesters, leaving an intellectual legacy in the city.
University of Bern · · 🏛️ Legendary
Rudolf von Erlach, a knight and commander, was brutally killed by his son-in-law Jost of Rudenz in 1360. The murder took place in Reichenbach Castle, where von Erlach was the castellan. The sword use…
Reichenbach Castle · · 💀 Dark history
Gonzague de Reynold, a professor at the University of Bern, was called an 'Esel in Bern' (Donkey in Bern) by none other than Albert Einstein, a fellow member of the Commission for Intellectual Cooper…
University of Bern · · 🏛️ Legendary
On Nebengasse in Bern, the Zibelemärit tradition includes a bizarre custom where farmers braid onions into intricate designs, which are then sold as a specialty of the region.
Nebengasse · 🤯 Weird
The Blutturm, a medieval tower, was once used as a place of execution for those accused of witchcraft. The tower's name, 'Blutturm', translates to 'blood tower' in English.
Blutturm · · 💀 Dark history
The Lenzburg castle has a dark history, with one of its former owners, Johannes Parricida, being involved in the murder of King Albrecht in 1308.
Lenzburg Castle · · 💀 Dark history
The failed invasion of 1602 led to the creation of the 'Escalade' celebration, which still takes place every December 12th in Geneva, where locals reenact the battle and throw vegetable soup, known a…
Old Town · · 🏛️ Legendary
The Kindlifresserbrunnen, or Ogre Fountain, is a bizarre fountain featuring an ogre devouring a child, surrounded by frightened children. Its origin is disputed, with theories ranging from a represen…
Kindlifresserbrunnen · · 🤯 Weird
The Burgerbibliothek Bern holds letters from Wilhelm Fabry, a 17th-century surgeon, that contain bizarre drawings, including one that resembles a creature from H.R. Giger's Alien films, 350 years bef…
Burgerbibliothek Bern · · 🤯 Weird
Monika Meyer-Holzapfel, the first female director of a European zoo, left behind a remarkable legacy, including numerous scientific publications and literary works, and was honored with an honorary d…
Burgerbibliothek Bern · · 🏛️ Legendary
Niklaus Manuel, a 16th-century Bernese artist, created a 'Totentanz' or Dance of Death on the wall of the Dominican monastery in Bern, showcasing his diverse artistic talents.
Dominikanerkloster · · 💀 Dark history
Arthur Bloch, a Swiss citizen, was brutally murdered by Swiss anti-Semites in 1942, leaving a dark stain on the country's history. This tragic event is commemorated by a Stolperstein in Payerne. The…
Payerne · · 💀 Dark history
The Col de Pierre Pertuis pass has a fascinating history, with a natural and artificially enlarged rock tunnel, known as Petra pertusa, that was used by the Romans to connect Aventicum and Augusta Ra…
Col de Pierre Pertuis · · 🔍 Hidden gems
Karl Ludwig von Erlach, the last commander of the Bernese troops, was brutally murdered by his own men in Niederwichtrach in 1798.
Niederwichtrach · · 💀 Dark history
A 65-year-old man, who had previously barricaded himself in the SRF building in Bern's Monbijouquartier in 2019, later set himself on fire in a Postauto, killing five others.
SRF building · · 💀 Dark history
A 65-year-old man set himself on fire in a Postauto, killing five others, in a shocking and unexplained incident that has left the community reeling.
Kerzers · · 💀 Dark history
A revolutionary eye surgery using a tooth as a replacement for the cornea was performed at the Pallas-Kliniken, allowing a 70-year-old patient to see again after years of blindness.
Pallas-Kliniken · · 🤯 Weird
The famous physicist Albert Einstein's son, Hans Albert Einstein, was born in Bern in 1904. He later became a teacher and had a remarkable life. You can visit the Einstein Museum in Bern to learn mor…
Einstein Museum · · 🏛️ Legendary
The famous Swiss physician Emil Theodor Kocher was born in Bern in 1841 and received the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1909 for his work on the thyroid gland. You can visit the Historische…
Historisches Museum Bern · · 🏛️ Legendary
Kofi Annan, the former Secretary-General of the United Nations, passed away in Bern in 2018.
Bern · · 🏛️ Legendary
Bernhard Schaub, a holocaust denier, was born in Bern in 1954. His radical views have sparked controversy and debate. Schaub's ideology has been widely criticized, and his presence in Bern has been a…
Bern · · 💀 Dark history
A 5,500-year-old sourdough bread was discovered in one of the Cortaillod culture villages near Twann, dating back to 3560-3530 BC.
Twann · · 🔍 Hidden gems
A major fire broke out in Bern in 1405, destroying most of the city's wooden buildings. The city was rebuilt with stone houses in a similar medieval style, and the iconic arcades were added throughou…
Old Town of Bern · · 💀 Dark history
A small Gallo-Roman settlement, including a temple district and an amphitheater, was discovered at the Engehalbinsel, which was later abandoned between 165 and 211 CE. The settlement was an important…
Engehalbinsel · · 🔍 Hidden gems
A massive fire broke out in Brunngasse in 1405, destroying over 600 houses and claiming more than 100 lives.
Brunngasse · · 💀 Dark history
The Zytglogge tower in Bern was once a women's prison, notably housing 'priests' whores', women convicted of sexual relations with clerics. This dark history is a surprising contrast to its current r…
Zytglogge · · 💀 Dark history
At the site of the current Bundeshaus Ost, a Jewish graveyard once existed, and during the demolition of the old Inselspital in 1888, a Jewish gravestone was discovered, revealing a dark chapter in B…
Bundeshaus Ost · · 💀 Dark history
The Palais fédéral's construction cost was a staggering 7 million francs, equivalent to over 1 billion francs today. This massive investment was made to create a symbol of the Swiss federal state's p…
Palais fédéral · · 🤯 Weird
The Palais fédéral features a stunning fresco called 'Le Lac des Quatre-Cantons' which measures 5 meters high and 12 meters long. This massive artwork was painted by Charles Giron in 1901 and symboli…
Palais fédéral · · 🔍 Hidden gems
The Berner Münster's construction was halted in 1521 due to weak foundations, and the tower was only completed in 1893, over 370 years later. The tower's completion was a major milestone in the churc…
Berner Münster · · 🤯 Weird
The Münster's famous portal features 234 intricately carved sandstone figures depicting the Last Judgment. The portal is considered one of the most important examples of medieval sculpture in Europe.…
Berner Münster · · 🏛️ Legendary
The Käfigturm tower in Bern was once a prison, and its bell was made from a bell captured as war booty near Vesoul during the Thirty Years War.
Käfigturm · · 💀 Dark history
A calf was allegedly flayed alive near the Simsonbrunnen, and its ghost is said to still haunt the area with frightful bleats.
Simsonbrunnen · · 💀 Dark history
The Kindlifresserbrunnen fountain in Kornhausplatz features a disturbing sculpture of an ogre devouring a naked child, with a bag of more children by its side, sparking theories of anti-Semitic origi…
Kindlifresserbrunnen · · 🤯 Weird
The Kindlifresserbrunnen, or Ogre Fountain, features a sculpture of an ogre devouring a naked child, with a sack of other children beside him. The ogre is depicted wearing a hat resembling a Jewish h…
Kindlifresserbrunnen · · 💀 Dark history
The Kindlifresserbrunnen in Bern has been the subject of various interpretations, including accusations of anti-Semitism due to the ogre's hat resembling a Jewish hat. By 2024, a plaque was installed…
Kindlifresserbrunnen · · 💀 Dark history
The Von-Wattenwyl-Haus on Herrengasse was the residence of Allen Dulles, the future CIA director, during World War II. He worked as an OSS agent from this location, playing a significant role in the…
Von-Wattenwyl-Haus · · 🏛️ Legendary
The Gerechtigkeitsgasse was once home to over 200 cellar taverns, but only one remains today, the Klötzlikeller restaurant, established in 1632.
Klötzlikeller · · 🔍 Hidden gems
The Goldener Adler, Bern's oldest hostel and tavern, has been in operation since 1489, with its current building dating back to 1764.
Goldener Adler · · 🏛️ Legendary
The Aare River in Bern was the site of a tragic accident in 2022, when Emmeril Kahn Mumtadz, the son of the Indonesian West Java Governor, was swept away by the strong current while swimming and late…
Aare River · · 💀 Dark history
The Ostermundigenberg, a hill in the municipality, was home to a rack railway that replaced horse-drawn teams in 1871, a world's first. This innovative solution facilitated the transportation of sand…
Ostermundigenberg · · 🏛️ Legendary
The skulls of two individuals buried in Münsingen show evidence of trepanation, a primitive surgical procedure where holes are bored into the skull, revealing the village's ancient medical practices.
Münsingen · · 🤯 Weird
The Psychiatriezentrum Münsingen, a psychiatric center, was once home to the famous Swiss writer Friedrich Glauser, who drew inspiration from his experiences there for his crime novels.
Psychiatriezentrum Münsingen · · 🏛️ Legendary
A Roman bathhouse with stunning mosaics and frescoes was unearthed in Münsingen in 1941, dating back to around 200 AD.
Münsingen · · 🔍 Hidden gems
Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi developed his teaching method in Burgdorf from 1800 to 1804 and wrote his famous book 'Wie Gertrud ihre Kinder lehrt' (How Gertrud Teaches Her Children).
Burgdorf · · 🏛️ Legendary
The Zentrum Paul Klee in Bern houses about 40% of Paul Klee's entire pictorial oeuvre, making it a unique museum dedicated to the artist's work.
Zentrum Paul Klee · · 🏛️ Legendary
The Bern Historical Museum houses a mummified head of a man who lived in Egypt in the first or early second century BC. This ancient relic is a surprising find in the heart of Bern. The head is a sig…
Bern Historical Museum · 🤯 Weird
The Bernisches Historisches Museum returned a stolen 'Ekeko' figurine to Bolivia in 2014, after it was illegally acquired by a Swiss naturalist in 1858.
Bernisches Historisches Museum · · 💀 Dark history
The Kunstmuseum Bern received a bequest of five paintings, including works by Ernst Ludwig Kirchner and Alberto Giacometti, from Eberhard W. Kornfeld in 2024.
Kunstmuseum Bern · · 🏛️ Legendary
Albert Einstein developed his theory of relativity in a humble apartment at Kramgasse 49, where he lived with his wife and son from 1903 to 1905. It was here that he wrote the Annus Mirabilis papers,…
Einstein House · · 🏛️ Legendary
The Natural History Museum of Bern has a fascinating exhibit featuring the stuffed hide of Barry, the St. Bernard who saved the lives of over 40 people. This remarkable dog has a special place in the…
Natural History Museum of Bern · · 🏛️ Legendary
The museum's exhibit on life and death features a striking display on the life inside a pig carcass, showcasing the decomposition process and the creatures that thrive on it. This unusual exhibit is…
Natural History Museum of Bern · 🤯 Weird
The Kunsthalle Bern was the first building to be completely wrapped by Christo and Jeanne-Claude in 1968, marking a significant moment in the history of contemporary art.
Kunsthalle Bern · · 🏛️ Legendary
The Kunsthalle Bern was completely wrapped by Christo and Jeanne-Claude in 1968 to celebrate its 50th anniversary, making it a unique and intriguing piece of art in itself.
Kunsthalle Bern · · 🤯 Weird
💀 Dark history · 😂 Funny · 🔍 Hidden gems · 🏛️ Legendary · 🤯 Weird
Hidden stories of Switzerland beneath your feet
Facts are sourced from various open websites and may have been edited. Copyright of original content belongs to their respective owners.
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