The Münstergasse is one of the streets in the

Old City of Bern The Old City (german: Altstadt) is the medieval city center of Bern, Switzerland. Built on a narrow hill bordered on three sides by the river Aare, its compact layout has remained essentially unchanged since its construction during the twelfth ...

, the medieval city center of Bern, Switzerland. It is part of the

Zähringerstadt The Zähringerstadt is a historic section in the Old City of Bern in Bern, Switzerland. The first expansion of Bern occurred as the city was founded in 1191. This central and oldest neighbourhood was known as the ''Zähringerstadt'' ( Zähri ...

which was built during the foundation of the old city in 1191. However, until 1967 it was parts of several other streets. It runs along the

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 denominatio ...

and it is part of the

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...

Cultural

World Heritage Site A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...

that encompasses the Old City.

History

On 1 November 1967 the Münstergasse was created from several other streets. Portions of ''Kesslergasse'' (Nr. 34-78 and 31–61), the northern section of Münsterplatz (Nr. 26–32) and the ''Kirchgasse'' (Nr. 2-24) were merged into Münstergasse. A university library is situated in Number 61. ''Kesslergasse'' was first mentioned in 1576 as the new name of the western portion of ''Kirchgasse''. The westernmost section, between ''Finstergässchen'' and ''Hotelgasse'', was known as ''Vor den Barfüssern'' around 1600 and in the 19th Century was known as ''Bei der Ankenwaag'' or ''Ankenlaube'' or ''Salzlaube''. ''Kesslergasse'' was the fur processing marketplace in the 15th Century. In 1514 it became the butter market and in 1778 it became the

butcher A butcher is a person who may slaughter animals, dress their flesh, sell their meat, or participate within any combination of these three tasks. They may prepare standard cuts of meat and poultry for sale in retail or wholesale food establishm ...

s' market. Münsterplatz came into existence in 1430 when the church yard of St. Vinzenzen's Church was demolished to make way for a grand plaza in front of the new cathedral. At some time before 1506, two houses on

Herrengasse The Herrengasse (meaning in German language: "Street of the Lords" or "Lords Lane") is a street in Vienna, located in the first district Innere Stadt. History The street existed during Roman times as part of the limes highway system. The first w ...

were demolished to allow the plaza to expand westward. It expanded again, at some time before 1528, when three houses in what would become Münstergasse were demolished. The name Münsterplatz was commonly used in the 19th Century and became official in 1881. ''Kirchgasse'' was the original name for a both Junkerngasse and a portion of Münstergasse. In 1576 the name was only applied to the section that ran past the cathedral, as the Junkerngasse section had been renamed ''Edle Gasse'' ("Noble Lane") and would become Junkerngasse in the 17th Century. In 1967 the name became unofficial when it was renamed to be part of Münstergasse.Weber-Kirchgasse
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References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Munstergasse Streets in Bern Odonyms referring to a building Odonyms referring to religion Old City (Bern)