In February 1902 Albert Einstein wrote to his fiancée Mileva Maric: “It’s delightful here in Bern. An ancient, exquisitely cozy city, in which one can live exactly as in Zurich. Very old arcades stretch along both sides of the streets, so that one can go from one end of the Read More …
In the summer of 1961 I suddenly and unexpectedly became the beneficiary of funding which would allow me to study for two semesters at a European university of my choice. Since time was short, I immediately sent off letters of application to several German-language universities. The first one to reply Read More …
In the first decade of the twentieth century numerous small and middle-sized European cities built impressive municipal theaters, and Bern was no exception. To finance this one, a group of prominent local citizens got together and formed a joint-stock company to raise money for the new theater, which they later Read More …
This short funicular connects the center of Bern (Bundesterrasse, near the Federal Parliament Building) with the Marzili district 32 meters lower, by the banks of the Aare River. In the summer, lots of local people use this funicular to get to and from the Marzili outdoor swimming pool by the Read More …
While I was riding my bicycle along the banks of the Aare River in Bern, I noticed that there were small groups, then large groups, then dozens of people in swimming suits, most of them barefoot, walking long distances up the bank of the river. Then I noticed that there Read More …
Legend has it that the founder of Bern, Duke Berthold V of Zähringen (1160-1218), decided to name the city Bern because a bear was the first animal he saw when he went out hunting in the vicinity. In any case, there is a bear in the city’s coat of arms, Read More …