The Christoffelturm was a

tower A tower is a tall structure, taller than it is wide, often by a significant factor. Towers are distinguished from masts by their lack of guy-wires and are therefore, along with tall buildings, self-supporting structures. Towers are specific ...

built between the years 1344 and 1346, which featured a prominently displayed statue of

Saint Christopher Saint Christopher ( el, Ἅγιος Χριστόφορος, ''Ágios Christóphoros'') is venerated by several Christian denominations as a martyr killed in the reign of the 3rd-century Roman emperor Decius (reigned 249–251) or alternatively ...

. It was located in the old part of the

Swiss Swiss may refer to: * the adjectival form of Switzerland *Swiss people Places * Swiss, Missouri *Swiss, North Carolina * Swiss, West Virginia *Swiss, Wisconsin Other uses * Swiss-system tournament, in various games and sports * Swiss Internation ...

city of

Bern german: Berner(in)french: Bernois(e) it, bernese , neighboring_municipalities = Bremgarten bei Bern, Frauenkappelen, Ittigen, Kirchlindach, Köniz, Mühleberg, Muri bei Bern, Neuenegg, Ostermundigen, Wohlen bei Bern, Zollikofen , website ...

, in the upper section of Spitalgasse, near Holy Spirit Church. After a political decision on December 15, 1864, the Christoffelturm was removed by

Gottlieb Ott Gottlieb Ott (1832, Worb – 4 December 1882) was a Swiss building contractor. Ott and his company are credited with planning and constructing many buildings and structures in and around Bern, including the church field bridge. He also supervi ...

, a Swiss building contractor. Ott began the destruction of the tower in spring of the following year. The decision to remove the tower, which had become a

landmark A landmark is a recognizable natural or artificial feature used for navigation, a feature that stands out from its near environment and is often visible from long distances. In modern use, the term can also be applied to smaller structures or f ...

of sorts, was not met without opposition, and the motion of removal succeeded only by a 415 to 411 vote. During an extended period of time, other statues existed near or actually on the site where the tower used to stand. These included a statue of

King David David (; , "beloved one") (traditional spelling), , ''Dāwūd''; grc-koi, Δαυΐδ, Dauíd; la, Davidus, David; gez , ዳዊት, ''Dawit''; xcl, Դաւիթ, ''Dawitʿ''; cu, Давíдъ, ''Davidŭ''; possibly meaning "beloved one". w ...

, both as a boy holding a

slingshot A slingshot is a small hand-powered projectile weapon. The classic form consists of a Y-shaped frame, with two natural rubber strips or tubes attached to the upper two ends. The other ends of the strips lead back to a pocket that holds the pro ...

, and as a man. An early 20th century plan to erect a figure of the Bernese

knight A knight is a person granted an honorary title of knighthood by a head of state (including the Pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the Christian denomination, church or the country, especially in a military capacity. Knighthood ...

Rudolf von Erlach was never realised.

Other towers in Bern

Bern's other medieval guard towers are the

Zytglogge The Zytglogge (Bernese German: ; ) 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 redec ...

and the

Käfigturm The Käfigturm is a Baroque tower in Bern, Switzerland. It is part of the UNESCO Cultural World Heritage Site of the Old City of Bern and the tower is a Cultural Property of National Significance. The original tower was built as a gate house ...

. These towers still stand today.

Zytglogge

In the

(Clock Tower), a figure of the Greek god Kronos or

Chronos Chronos (; grc-gre, Χρόνος, , "time"), also spelled Khronos or Chronus, is a personification of time in pre-Socratic philosophy and later literature. Chronos is frequently confused with, or perhaps consciously identified with, the Tit ...

strikes the

bell A bell is a directly struck idiophone percussion instrument. Most bells have the shape of a hollow cup that when struck vibrates in a single strong strike tone, with its sides forming an efficient resonator. The strike may be made by an inte ...

atop the tower each hour. The tower was originally of wood, when it was built sometime between 1218 and 1220. It survived until sometime in the very early 15th century, when it was burned down in the fire that struck the city in 1405. However, it was rebuilt with a new

stone In geology, rock (or stone) is any naturally occurring solid mass or aggregate of minerals or mineraloid matter. It is categorized by the minerals included, its Chemical compound, chemical composition, and the way in which it is formed. Rocks ...

design, and has stood ever since. It was when it was rebuilt that it was fitted with a clock. The clock too, however, soon broke, and was left unserviced and broken for 122 years before 1530, when Caspar Brunner installed a new well-functioning mechanism.

Käfigturm

The

(Cage Tower), built 1256, ceased to be a prison in 1897.

Notes

External links

Information on Christoffelturm
{{Coord, 46.948, N, 7.44, E, region:CH-BE_type:landmark, display=title Buildings and structures completed in 1346 Towers completed in the 14th century Towers in Switzerland Old City (Bern)