Bern Minster (german: Berner Münster) is a

Swiss Reformed The Protestant Church in Switzerland (PCS), (EKS); french: Église évangélique réformée de Suisse (EERS); it, Chiesa evangelica riformata in Svizzera (CERiS); rm, Baselgia evangelica refurmada da la Svizra (BRRS) formerly named Federation o ...

cathedral A cathedral is a church that contains the ''cathedra'' () of a bishop, thus serving as the central church of a diocese, conference, or episcopate. Churches with the function of "cathedral" are usually specific to those Christian denominations ...

(or minster) in the

old city Old City often refers to old town, the historic or original core of a city or town. Old City may refer to several places: Historical cities or regions of cities ''(by country)'' *Old City (Baku), Azerbaijan * Old City (Dhaka), Bangladesh, also ca ...

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 ...

Switzerland ). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...

. Built in the

Gothic Gothic or Gothics may refer to: People and languages *Goths or Gothic people, the ethnonym of a group of East Germanic tribes **Gothic language, an extinct East Germanic language spoken by the Goths **Crimean Gothic, the Gothic language spoken b ...

style, its construction started in 1421. Its tower, with a height of , was only completed in 1893. It is the tallest cathedral in Switzerland and is a Cultural Property of National Significance.

The building

The Minster of Bern is located on the southern side of the

Aare The Aare () or Aar () is a tributary of the High Rhine and the longest river that both rises and ends entirely within Switzerland. Its total length from its source to its junction with the Rhine comprises about , during which distance it descen ...

peninsula. The cathedral is oriented east and west like the rest of the Old City of Bern. To the north,

Münstergasse The Münstergasse is one of the streets in the Old City of Bern, the medieval city center of Bern, Switzerland. It is part of the Zähringerstadt which was built during the foundation of the old city in 1191. However, until 1967 it was parts ...

runs along the side of the building. The west façade of the Münster dominates Münsterplatz. On the south side of the cathedral is the Münsterplattform. It is a three

nave The nave () is the central part of a church, stretching from the (normally western) main entrance or rear wall, to the transepts, or in a church without transepts, to the chancel. When a church contains side aisles, as in a basilica-typ ...

basilica In Ancient Roman architecture, a basilica is a large public building with multiple functions, typically built alongside the town's forum. The basilica was in the Latin West equivalent to a stoa in the Greek East. The building gave its nam ...

without a

transept A transept (with two semitransepts) is a transverse part of any building, which lies across the main body of the building. In cruciform churches, a transept is an area set crosswise to the nave in a cruciform ("cross-shaped") building with ...

. The entire cathedral is long and wide. The central nave is long by wide and is high. The two side naves are very similar in dimensions, the north nave is long, while the southern one is slightly longer at . They are both wide and high. The altar house and

choir A choir ( ; also known as a chorale or chorus) is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform. Choirs may perform music from the classical music repertoire, which sp ...

together are long, wide and high. The cathedral has a single tower in the west, which is high. Below the tower, there is a long by wide, tower hall. There are a total of ten

bays A bay is a recessed, coastal body of water that directly connects to a larger main body of water, such as an ocean, a lake, or another bay. A large bay is usually called a gulf, sea, sound, or bight. A cove is a small, circular bay with a na ...

in the building. The central nave has five of these bays. Each of the side naves has two bays, with side chapels built against the exterior walls. The last bay is within the choir. The central nave walls are supported by fourteen

flying buttress The flying buttress (''arc-boutant'', arch buttress) is a specific form of buttress composed of an arch that extends from the upper portion of a wall to a pier of great mass, in order to convey lateral forces to the ground that are necessary to pu ...

es. Each buttress starts at a decorated column which rises above the roof of the side naves and side chapels. The buttresses rise at an angle of 43° 30’. The lower side of the buttresses are decorated with egg-shaped cut outs, with

vesica piscis The vesica piscis is a type of lens, a mathematical shape formed by the intersection of two disks with the same radius, intersecting in such a way that the center of each disk lies on the perimeter of the other. In Latin, "vesica piscis" litera ...

and

spandrel A spandrel is a roughly triangular space, usually found in pairs, between the top of an arch and a rectangular frame; between the tops of two adjacent arches or one of the four spaces between a circle within a square. They are frequently fill ...

designs. The majority of the building is built from local

sandstone Sandstone is a clastic sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized (0.0625 to 2 mm) silicate grains. Sandstones comprise about 20–25% of all sedimentary rocks. Most sandstone is composed of quartz or feldspar (both silicat ...

. The vaults are built of brick. In the 18th century, limestone sheathing was added to the pillars. Most of the sandstone came from a quarry at Ostermundingen. Additional material came from three other quarries, each with differing color and quality. The various stone types were used more or less randomly throughout the entire building. The

pillar A column or pillar in architecture and structural engineering is a structural element that transmits, through compression, the weight of the structure above to other structural elements below. In other words, a column is a compression member. ...

bases,

capitals Capital may refer to: Common uses * Capital city, a municipality of primary status ** List of national capital cities * Capital letter, an upper-case letter Economics and social sciences * Capital (economics), the durable produced goods used fo ...

, windows and sculptures are all from the highest quality, blue sandstone from the Gurten quarry, south of Bern. During reconstruction projects in the 19th and 20th centuries, several other sandstone types were used.

West façade and tower

The three west entrances of the cathedral are located at the back of three large portals. Each of the portals is a different height and differently shaped and decorated. The central portal is decorated with a series of statues that represent the

Last Judgment The Last Judgment, Final Judgment, Day of Reckoning, Day of Judgment, Judgment Day, Doomsday, Day of Resurrection or The Day of the Lord (; ar, یوم القيامة, translit=Yawm al-Qiyāmah or ar, یوم الدین, translit=Yawm ad-Dīn, ...

in Christian theology. The bell tower grew in several stages. The lower, rectangular tower was the original tower. The octagonal upper tower was added in the 19th century. The lower tower is flanked by two round towers and eight pillars. To the north and south, it is supported by buttresses that rise above the northern and southern main portals. The west face of the tower rises above a gallery above the central, west portal. The east face is supported by the central nave. The decoration on the western face of the tower has changed several times over the centuries. The lower, western window is quite short but wide. The upper section of the rectangular tower rises above a second gallery. It has a high, but narrow window directly above the gallery. The decorations of this section are the work of two master stonemasons, and This section shows much less variation in the design as it was built completely under the direction of these two men. The original tower was capped with a pyramidal roof, elements of which still exist. The two small, stairway towers were built as part of the tower, but were completely rebuilt in the 17th and 18th centuries. The lower octagonal tower was built in the 16th century. It has eight,

round arch An arch is a vertical curved structure that spans an elevated space and may or may not support the weight above it, or in case of a horizontal arch like an arch dam, the hydrostatic pressure against it. Arches may be synonymous with vau ...

windows. Two hexagonal staircase towers are built outside the tower near the northeast and southeast windows. The small towers are completely self-supporting. The upper octagonal tower was built in the 19th century in a gothic style. However, some of the ornamentation is based on early 15th century designs and stands out against the 16th century lower octagonal tower.

History

The first church on this site probably was a small chapel (Leutkirche) built during the founding of Bern (1191). The first church of Bern was a romanesque building which was probably built between 1155 and 1160, but is first mentioned in 1224. This church was outside the city walls, near what is now Kreuzgasse. The nave of the first church was about long by wide. In 1276, Bern broke away from the

parish A parish is a territorial entity in many Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest, often termed a parish priest, who might be assisted by one or ...

Köniz Köniz (, ) is a statistical town, however considers itself still as a village, and a municipality in the Bern-Mittelland administrative district right on the southern border to Bern in the canton of Bern in Switzerland. The municipality of K� ...

to become an independent parish. For this new role, a larger church would have been necessary. It appears likely that construction on the second church began immediately. However, it isn't mentioned until 1289 in writings of Bishop Benvenutus von Eugubio. This new church was a three nave building, with a length of , a width of of which the middle nave was wide. The bell tower was located in the middle of the northern side nave, and filled part of the central nave. The

1356 Basel earthquake The 1356 Basel earthquake is the most significant seismological event to have occurred in Central Europe in recorded history and had a moment magnitude in the range of 6.0–7.1. By the 15th century, Bern had expanded and become a major city-state north of the Alps. To celebrate their growing power and wealth, plans were made to build a new and larger church. On 11 March 1421 construction began on the cathedral under the direction of the

Strasbourg Strasbourg (, , ; german: Straßburg ; gsw, label= Bas Rhin Alsatian, Strossburi , gsw, label= Haut Rhin Alsatian, Strossburig ) is the prefecture and largest city of the Grand Est region of eastern France and the official seat of the ...

master builder , who had already built three other cathedrals. During construction, services were held in the old chapel while the new cathedral was built up around it.Sacred Destinations.com
During the 1440s the unvaulted

was used for services after a simple roof was built and

stained glass Stained glass is coloured glass as a material or works created from it. Throughout its thousand-year history, the term has been applied almost exclusively to the windows of churches and other significant religious buildings. Although tradition ...

windows were installed. After the

Old Zürich War The Old Zurich War (german: Alter Zürichkrieg), 1440–46, was a conflict between the canton of Zurich and the other seven cantons of the Old Swiss Confederacy over the succession to the Count of Toggenburg. In 1436, Count Friedrich VII of T ...

1440–1446 the nave of the old chapel was removed and work began on the nave and west end, under the chief masons Stefan Hurder and then Niklaus Birenvogt. In 1483 (who carved the statues of the Last Judgement) became the master mason. Under his direction the nave walls were raised and the tower was built to the lower octagon. Construction on the lower rectangular tower began in 1481 or 1483 and continued until 1489. The upper rectangular section was built between 1489 and 1518. Following Küng's death in 1506, led the construction and finished the vaulting in the choir. The lower octagonal tower and roof were finished between 1518 and 1521. In 1571 was brought in as master mason to finish vaulting the nave and finish the work. The central nave was finished by 1575 and at this point, construction stopped for almost three centuries. The organ was installed in three stages between 1727 and 1783. The bell tower, with the largest bell in Switzerland, wasn't completed until 1893.

The Reformation in Bern

Bern - Muenster (Mittelschiff in Richtung Chor)

In 1515, Thomas Wyttenbach,

Huldrych Zwingli Huldrych or Ulrich Zwingli (1 January 1484 – 11 October 1531) was a leader of the Reformation in Switzerland, born during a time of emerging Swiss patriotism and increasing criticism of the Swiss mercenary system. He attended the Univ ...

's teacher, became a priest at the Minster of Bern. In the latter part of Wyttenbach's stay in Bern, a local priest,

Berchtold Haller Berchtold Haller (c. 149225 February 1536) was a German Protestant reformer. He was the reformer of the city of Bern, Switzerland, where the Reformation received little to none opposition. Haller was born at Aldingen in Württemberg. After schoo ...

, lived with him. Around the time that Wyttenbach left Bern in 1520 to become a Reformer of his birthplace,

Biel , french: Biennois(e) , neighboring_municipalities= Brügg, Ipsach, Leubringen/Magglingen (''Evilard/Macolin''), Nidau, Orpund, Orvin, Pieterlen, Port, Safnern, Tüscherz-Alfermée, Vauffelin , twintowns = Iserlohn (Germany) ...

, Haller was elected a

canon Canon or Canons may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Canon (fiction), the conceptual material accepted as official in a fictional universe by its fan base * Literary canon, an accepted body of works considered as high culture ** Western ca ...

of the cathedral. In 1521, he became friends with Zwingli in Zurich and began to preach more

Protestant Protestantism is a Christian denomination, branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Reformation, Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century agai ...

sermons. In February, 1522, two

Fastnacht The Swabian-Alemannic Fastnacht, Fasnacht (in Switzerland) or Fasnat/Faschnat (in Vorarlberg) is the pre-Lenten carnival in Alemannic folklore in Switzerland, southern Germany, Alsace and Vorarlberg. Etymology Popular etymology often links ' ...

plays were given at Bern, which attacked the

Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

Church. Due to the rising reformist sentiment, in June 1523, the city council ordered that the words of the Bible should be preached. By 20 November of that year, the nuns left the convent in Bern. But in 1524 the priest Meier, who sympathized with Haller, was compelled to leave Bern. That left Haller the only Protestant among the priests. Then, on 7 April 1525, the council issued a new decree restoring the Catholic worship, though with a few changes. In the following year, the

plague Plague or The Plague may refer to: Agriculture, fauna, and medicine *Plague (disease), a disease caused by ''Yersinia pestis'' * An epidemic of infectious disease (medical or agricultural) * A pandemic caused by such a disease * A swarm of pes ...

came to Bern. The deaths due to the plague converted many of the citizens to the

Reformation The Reformation (alternatively named the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation) was a major movement within Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the Catholic Church and in ...

. In 1527 the Reformed party gained the control of the great council, and it ordered that the new faith should be preached. Still there was a conflict about the

mass Mass is an intrinsic property of a body. It was traditionally believed to be related to the quantity of matter in a physical body, until the discovery of the atom and particle physics. It was found that different atoms and different ele ...

, as some congregations still observed it. It was decided that there should be a religious disputation at Bern, on 6 January 1528, to settle these questions. On 27 January 1528, the council ordered that throughout the city, all masses should be stopped and all

icon An icon () is a religious work of art, most commonly a painting, in the cultures of the Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, and Catholic churches. They are not simply artworks; "an icon is a sacred image used in religious devotion". The mos ...

s should be cast out. On 7 February 1528, it ordered the same for the whole canton. In April 1528, a Protestant service was first celebrated in the Minster. Today's congregation forms part of the

Reformed Churches of the Canton Bern-Jura-Solothurn The Evangelical Reformed Church of the Canton Bern-Jura-Solothurn is a Reformed state church in three cantons of Switzerland. It is located within the Canton of Bern, Canton of Jura, and Canton of Solothurn. The official worship language are Ger ...

The Last Judgement

Over the main portal is one of the most complete Late Gothic sculpture collections in Europe. This collection represents the Christian belief in a

where the wicked will be separated from the righteous. This sculpture shows the wicked naked on the right, while the righteous stand clothed in white on the left. In the center is Justice, with Saints and the wise and foolish virgins around her. In the centre stands

Michael the Archangel Michael (; he, מִיכָאֵל, lit=Who is like El od, translit=Mīḵāʾēl; el, Μιχαήλ, translit=Mikhaḗl; la, Michahel; ar, ميخائيل ، مِيكَالَ ، ميكائيل, translit=Mīkāʾīl, Mīkāl, Mīkhāʾīl), also ...

with a raised sword. The sculptures of the Last Judgement were the only statues in the Minster to survive the iconoclasm of the Protestant Reformation. The 47 large free-standing statues are replicas (the originals are in Bern History Museum), and the 170 smaller figures are all original. The Last Judgement was the work of one sculptor, Erhard Küng from Stadtlohn,

Westphalia Westphalia (; german: Westfalen ; nds, Westfalen ) is a region of northwestern Germany and one of the three historic parts of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia. It has an area of and 7.9 million inhabitants. The territory of the regio ...

, which gives the collection a unity of design. The Justice sculpture is the only one that was done by another artist. It is signed by Daniel Heintz, who was the master builder after 1571. The rest of the statues were carved some time between 1460 and 1501, most likely between 1460 and 1480. The ''

trumeau A trumeau is the central pillar or mullion supporting the tympanum of a large doorway, commonly found in medieval buildings.''Merriam-Webster Dictionary''"trumeau"/ref> An architectural feature, it is often sculpted. Gallery File:Trumeau.jpg, T ...

'' to each side and between the doors has thirteen life-size figures. The middle figure and the two figures on each side of the door are raised by about half their height above the other figures. The figures on the left of the door represent the five Foolish Virgins while the ones on the right are the Wise Virgins. Below the outer two Wise Virgins and the two Foolish Virgins, two faces peer out of the wall on each side. On the wise side, they represent the

Queen of Sheba The Queen of Sheba ( he, מַלְכַּת שְׁבָא‎, Malkaṯ Šəḇāʾ; ar, ملكة سبأ, Malikat Sabaʾ; gez, ንግሥተ ሳባ, Nəgśətä Saba) is a figure first mentioned in the Hebrew Bible. In the original story, she bring ...

and

King Solomon King is the title given to a male monarch in a variety of contexts. The female equivalent is queen, which title is also given to the consort of a king. *In the context of prehistory, antiquity and contemporary indigenous peoples, the ti ...

. On the foolish side, they represent

Zephaniah Zephaniah (, ) is the name of several people in the Hebrew Bible and Jewish Tanakh, the most prominent one being the prophet who prophesied in the days of Josiah, king of Judah (640–609 BCE) and is attributed a book bearing his name among the ...

and, maybe,

Isaiah Isaiah ( or ; he, , ''Yəšaʿyāhū'', "God is Salvation"), also known as Isaias, was the 8th-century BC Israelite prophet after whom the Book of Isaiah is named. Within the text of the Book of Isaiah, Isaiah himself is referred to as "the ...

. In the center, between the two doors, is Justice flanked by two angels. Below Justice and the angels is a scroll commemorating the laying of the cornerstone in 1421. The

archivolt An archivolt (or voussure) is an ornamental moulding or band following the curve on the underside of an arch. It is composed of bands of ornamental mouldings (or other architectural elements) surrounding an arched opening, corresponding to the ...

features three rows of figures. The inner two rows are attached to the wall and lie at an angle which follows the curve of the portal. The outer, third row features statues that stand upright on individual platforms. The inner row contains five angels with the instruments of the Passion. The second row contains eight

Old Testament The Old Testament (often abbreviated OT) is the first division of the Christian biblical canon, which is based primarily upon the 24 books of the Hebrew Bible or Tanakh, a collection of ancient religious Hebrew writings by the Israelites. The ...

prophets In religion, a prophet or prophetess is an individual who is regarded as being in contact with a divine being and is said to speak on behalf of that being, serving as an intermediary with humanity by delivering messages or teachings from the s ...

. The outer row is

Jesus Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label= Hebrew/ Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and relig ...

Mary Mary may refer to: People * Mary (name), a feminine given name (includes a list of people with the name) Religious contexts * New Testament people named Mary, overview article linking to many of those below * Mary, mother of Jesus, also calle ...

and the

Apostles An apostle (), in its literal sense, is an emissary, from Ancient Greek ἀπόστολος (''apóstolos''), literally "one who is sent off", from the verb ἀποστέλλειν (''apostéllein''), "to send off". The purpose of such sending ...

, including

John the Baptist John the Baptist or , , or , ;Wetterau, Bruce. ''World history''. New York: Henry Holt and Company. 1994. syc, ܝܘܿܚܲܢܵܢ ܡܲܥܡܕ݂ܵܢܵܐ, Yoḥanān Maʿmḏānā; he, יוחנן המטביל, Yohanān HaMatbil; la, Ioannes Bapti ...

and

Paul Paul may refer to: *Paul (given name), a given name (includes a list of people with that name) * Paul (surname), a list of people People Christianity *Paul the Apostle (AD c.5–c.64/65), also known as Saul of Tarsus or Saint Paul, early Chri ...

, but not

Judas Iscariot Judas Iscariot (; grc-x-biblical, Ἰούδας Ἰσκαριώτης; syc, ܝܗܘܕܐ ܣܟܪܝܘܛܐ; died AD) was a disciple and one of the original Twelve Apostles of Jesus Christ. According to all four canonical gospels, Judas bet ...

. The tympanum is wide at the base. It is made up of thirteen individual sections. The bottom row is made up of three plates located about above the

lintel A lintel or lintol is a type of beam (a horizontal structural element) that spans openings such as portals, doors, windows and fireplaces. It can be a decorative architectural element, or a combined ornamented structural item. In the case of ...

. It is deep and about high. On the left side of the tympanum, it contains two rows of figures and on the right, three. The lower figures are nearly fully three-dimensional, while the upper figures are mostly carved in relief, with only the head and shoulders projecting out of the stone. Above these three plates, the remaining ten plates are arraigned in three rows. The bottom row is made up of four plates which rest on a high base. The plates are

high relief Relief is a sculptural method in which the sculpted pieces are bonded to a solid background of the same material. The term ''relief'' is from the Latin verb ''relevo'', to raise. To create a sculpture in relief is to give the impression that the ...

carvings, each about deep and an average of about high. The figures were all carved with a rock pick. In the center of the tympanum is the Archangel Michael. He stands on his platform which is projected forward from the rest of the figures. The entire tympanum represents Heaven and Hell in the Last Judgment.

Interior

The Minster was built by the city of Bern as a symbol of the growing power of this city-state.Official Church Website, in German
The interior was therefore designed to awe the citizens as well as foreign visitors. The central nave was built in a lacy gothic style with enormous stained glass windows and numerous altars in side chapels. The Gothic style allowed a taller central nave and larger windows than had been possible before, creating an impressive and (for the time) light and airy structure.

Altars

Many altars were financed by local families, creating a wealth of art and sculpture in the cathedral. However, in 1528 all 43 side altars were removed during the iconoclasm of the Protestant Reformation. Nearly all the interior paintings and decorations were removed and dumped in the neighboring Münsterplattform. The empty chapels were filled with extra pews, creating three naves. Since that time, the interior of the cathedral has remained relatively empty and austere.

Stained glass

The stained glass windows of the cathedral are considered the most valuable in Switzerland. Some of the windows date from 1441 to 1450. The right hand windows were damaged during a hailstorm in 1520 and replaced in 1868. Many of the windows include both heraldic symbols and religious images placed side by side. The windows are wide in the middle and high. Most of the windows have twenty lower panels, each by , and twenty upper panels, each by . There are seven windows in the choir of the Minster. Some of the panels have been moved or replaced since the windows were originally built. Facing the choir, from left to right, the current windows are: ''Hostienmühle'',

Three Kings The biblical Magi from Middle Persian ''moɣ''(''mard'') from Old Persian ''magu-'' 'Zoroastrian clergyman' ( or ; singular: ), also referred to as the (Three) Wise Men or (Three) Kings, also the Three Magi were distinguished foreigners in the ...

, Bible scenes, Passion/

Ten thousand martyrs Ten thousand martyrs may refer to the ten thousand martyred Fathers of the deserts and caves of Scete by Theophilus of Alexandria or to the ten thousand martyrs of Mount Ararat who were, according to a medieval legend, Roman soldiers who, led by S ...

, Christ, ''Stephanus'' and Coat of Arms windows. Only portions of the Passion and Ten thousand martyrs windows remain, so they were combined into a single window. The Christ window was added to replace the damaged Ten thousand martyrs window. The Stephanus and Coat of Arms windows replaced earlier, unknown windows. The ''Hostienmühle'' window was built between 1448 and 1453 and was funded by the city of Bern. The Three Kings window was built between 1447 and 1455 for Rudolf von Ringoltingen, possibly in Constance or the Oberrhein region. The Bible scenes window was originally supposed to be just of the young Christ but was changed after 1447. It was built between 1448 and 1451 and was funded by three members of the ''Gesellschaft zum Mittellöwen''. The Passion window was built between 1438 and 1441. Only 21 panels of the original window remain. It was built for the city through the

Schultheiß In medieval Germany, the ''Schultheiß'' () was the head of a municipality (akin to today's office of mayor), a ''Vogt'' or an executive official of the ruler. As official (''villicus'') it was his duty to order his assigned village or county (' ...

by Hans Acker in

Ulm Ulm () is a city in the German state of Baden-Württemberg, situated on the river Danube on the border with Bavaria. The city, which has an estimated population of more than 126,000 (2018), forms an urban district of its own (german: link=no, ...

. The Ten thousand martyrs window was originally supposed to be of the

Resurrection of Jesus The resurrection of Jesus ( grc-x-biblical, ἀνάστασις τοῦ Ἰησοῦ) is the Christian belief that God raised Jesus on the third day after his crucifixion, starting – or restoring – his exalted life as Christ and Lo ...

, but that was changed after 1447. It was built between 1447 and 1449 and was funded by donations from the citizens of Bern. It was built by Master Painter Bernhart and

glazier A glazier is a tradesman responsible for cutting, installing, and removing glass (and materials used as substitutes for glass, such as some plastics).Elizabeth H. Oakes, ''Ferguson Career Resource Guide to Apprenticeship Programs'' ( Infobase: ...

Niklaus Magerfritz in Bern. The Ten thousand martyrs window was replaced in 1868 by the Christ window. The ''Stephanus'' window replaced an earlier window in 1868. The theme of the original window is unknown but it was built in 1449–1451 for Kaspar von Scharnachtal, probably by Niklaus Magerfritz in Bern. The Coat of Arms window was built in 1820–30 to replace an earlier, unknown window. Bern Dance of Death Stained Glass

One very interesting window is the "

Dance of Death The ''Danse Macabre'' (; ) (from the French language), also called the Dance of Death, is an artistic genre of allegory of the Late Middle Ages on the universality of death. The ''Danse Macabre'' consists of the dead, or a personification of ...

" window located near the choir on the south side nave. The first Dance of Death plays originated during the

Black Death The Black Death (also known as the Pestilence, the Great Mortality or the Plague) was a bubonic plague pandemic occurring in Western Eurasia and North Africa from 1346 to 1353. It is the most fatal pandemic recorded in human history, causi ...

of the 14th century and remained popular during the 14th and 15th century. By 1425, the figures from the plays appeared in the cemetery of the Church of the Holy Innocents in Paris. The figures on the Münster window were done by

Niklaus Manuel Niklaus Manuel Deutsch (''Niklaus Manuel'', c. 1484 – 28 April 1530), of Bern, was a Swiss artist, writer, mercenary and Reformed politician. Biography Niklaus was most likely the son of Emanuel Aleman (or Alleman), a pharmacist whose own fat ...

between 1516 and 1519. The stained glass window in the cathedral is an excellent example of this theme. The window shows death, in the form of a skeleton, claiming people from every station in life. The Dance of Death served to remind the viewer that death will happen to everyone regardless of station or wealth.

Choir stalls

The choir, in the eastern side of the cathedral between the nave and the

sanctuary A sanctuary, in its original meaning, is a sacred place, such as a shrine. By the use of such places as a haven, by extension the term has come to be used for any place of safety. This secondary use can be categorized into human sanctuary, a sa ...

, houses the first

Renaissance The Renaissance ( , ) , from , with the same meanings. is a period in European history marking the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and covering the 15th and 16th centuries, characterized by an effort to revive and surpass ide ...

choir stalls in Switzerland. There are 21 seats on the ''Evangelisten'' side and 27 on the ''Epistel'' side. The stalls are richly carved with both animals and images of daily life. In 1517, the town council hired Bernhard Burenfind from

Solothurn Solothurn ( , ; french: Soleure ; it, Soletta ; rm, ) is a town, a municipality, and the capital of the canton of Solothurn in Switzerland. It is located in the north-west of Switzerland on the banks of the Aare and on the foot of the Weissens ...

to build the stalls. He began selecting and cutting oak wood for the stalls. However, for an unknown reason, he did not complete the work and was not asked to complete any other projects in Bern. On 26 September 1522, Bern tried to hire a master carpenter from

Schaffhausen Schaffhausen (; gsw, Schafuuse; french: Schaffhouse; it, Sciaffusa; rm, Schaffusa; en, Shaffhouse) is a town with historic roots, a municipality in northern Switzerland, and the capital of the canton of the same name; it has an estimate ...

for 30 pounds. In the same year, Niklaus Manuel and three others were sent to

Geneva Geneva ( ; french: Genève ) frp, Genèva ; german: link=no, Genf ; it, Ginevra ; rm, Genevra is the second-most populous city in Switzerland (after Zürich) and the most populous city of Romandy, the French-speaking part of Switzerland. Situa ...

to examine the choir stalls there. On 5 December 1522, Jacob Ruess and Heini Seewagen from Schaffhausen were hired to complete the work on the stalls. They were paid much more than the 30 pounds that Bern had wanted to pay. They were paid 300 pounds in 1522, followed by 150 in the next year, 300 in 1524. They finished the work in 1525. The original stalls were repaired and renovated in 1863–64 and the carvings were repaired in 1897.

Organ

The first

organ Organ may refer to: Biology * Organ (biology), a part of an organism Musical instruments * Organ (music), a family of keyboard musical instruments characterized by sustained tone ** Electronic organ, an electronic keyboard instrument ** Hammond ...

in the cathedral was built nearly 200 years after construction was completed. The first great organ was built in 1726–30. The town council voted to have the organ built on 5 June 1726. They hired Gottlieb Leuw from Bremgarten in September 1726. By January 1730 his work was nearly finished and the town began searching for an organist. While the main organ was finished in 1730, the ornamentation and finish work continued until 1736. This first organ had 38

organ stop An organ stop is a component of a pipe organ that admits pressurized air (known as ''wind'') to a set of organ pipes. Its name comes from the fact that stops can be used selectively by the organist; each can be "on" (admitting the passage of ai ...

s, with a breast and back work as well as an echo work with pedals. In 1746, the council decided that the organ needed to be rebuilt. On 16 September 1748, they reached an agreement with Victor Ferdinard Bossart to do so. On 1 June 1752, they signed a contract with Johann August Nahl to do the exterior decoration on the new organ. The rebuilt organ had 43 organ stops, and was built in a late-

baroque The Baroque (, ; ) is a style of architecture, music, dance, painting, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished in Europe from the early 17th century until the 1750s. In the territories of the Spanish and Portuguese empires including ...

style. It was renovated in 1827. When the new organ balcony and screen were built in 1845–48 above the western entrance by Beat Rudolf von Sinner, the organ was completely rebuilt and was known as the second organ. The organ builder Friedrich Haas from

Winterthur , neighboring_municipalities = Brütten, Dinhard, Elsau, Hettlingen, Illnau-Effretikon, Kyburg, Lindau, Neftenbach, Oberembrach, Pfungen, Rickenbach, Schlatt, Seuzach, Wiesendangen, Zell , twintowns = Hall in Tirol (Austria ...

increased the number of stops to 55. The number of consoles was changed to three. The third organ was built in 1903–04 by Friedrich Groll from

Lucerne Lucerne ( , ; High Alemannic: ''Lozärn'') or Luzern ()Other languages: gsw, Lozärn, label= Lucerne German; it, Lucerna ; rm, Lucerna . is a city in central Switzerland, in the German-speaking portion of the country. Lucerne is the capital o ...

. While the exterior remained virtually untouched, the interior was rebuilt.

Pneumatic Pneumatics (from Greek ‘wind, breath’) is a branch of engineering that makes use of gas or pressurized air. Pneumatic systems used in industry are commonly powered by compressed air or compressed inert gases. A centrally located and ...

tubes, slider chests and a mechanical action were added to the organ. However, the sound produced by this new organ was unpleasant. The interior of the organ was completely rebuilt in 1930. The 1930 organ is the current one in the cathedral. It was restored in 1998–1999. The organ is currently used for a series of concerts throughout the year.

Bell tower

The tower is open to the public, for a small fee. The lower viewing platform requires a climb up 254 steps and provides a view over Bern and perhaps as far as the

Alps The Alps () ; german: Alpen ; it, Alpi ; rm, Alps ; sl, Alpe . are the highest and most extensive mountain range system that lies entirely in Europe, stretching approximately across seven Alpine countries (from west to east): France, Sw ...

. The upper spire is also accessible by climbing an additional 90 steps from the lower platform. The largest bell in the tower is a 10.5 ton bell which was cast in 1611. It is the largest bell in Switzerland. The bells in the tower are rung daily at noon and at 6 p.m. It is possible to stand near the bells when they are rung, but it is necessary to cover one's ears to prevent hearing damage.

Münsterplattform (Minster Terrace)

The Minster Terrace (in German: Münsterplattform) was built during 1334 and the mid 15th century as a large churchyard. During the Protestant Reformation the paintings and statues of the cathedral altars were dumped in the churchyard. Some of the art work has been found in archeological digs conducted on the terrace. During the 20th century, the terrace was changed from a graveyard to an open plaza. Lime and chestnut trees were planted and pathways were laid out, providing a pleasant park in the old city. The terrace towers over the ''Matte'' section of the old city and the

References

External links

Old Cathedral PhotographOverall Cathedral ViewCathedral Organ
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bernermuenster.ch

Travelogue of Bern Cathedral
– via YouTube
A history of Berne Munster
{{Authority control Cathedrals in Switzerland Old City (Bern) Minster Cultural property of national significance in the canton of Bern Minster Gothic Revival church buildings in Switzerland Churches in the canton of Bern 15th-century churches in Switzerland