Ogre Eats Child
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
Discover 60 curated stories about Bern in the Canton of Zurich, Switzerland — covering hidden gems, dark history, legends, weird facts and funny anecdotes.
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
A massive fire broke out in the Brunngasse in 1405, destroying over 600 houses and claiming more than 100 lives.
Brunngasse · · 💀 Dark history
During the Reformation in 1528, the Berner Münster's altars, holy images, and side buildings were demolished, and the relics of Rudolf of Bern, a supposed victim of a Jewish ritual murder, were remov…
Berner Münster · · 💀 Dark history
Two skulls found in Münsingen's ancient tombs show evidence of trepanation, a primitive surgical procedure where holes are bored into the skull, a rare and intriguing discovery.
Münsingen · · 🤯 Weird
The Kunstmuseum Bern inherited over 1,400 artworks from Cornelius Gurlitt's collection, many of which were suspected to be stolen from European Jews by the Nazis during World War II.
Kunstmuseum Bern · · 💀 Dark history
Albert Einstein lived in an apartment at Kramgasse 49 in Bern from 1903 to 1905, where he developed his theory of special relativity.
Einsteinhaus Bern · · 🏛️ Legendary
At Kramgasse 49, Albert Einstein developed his theory of special relativity and the famous equation E=mc2 during his time as a patent clerk in Bern from 1903 to 1905.
Maison d'Einstein · · 🏛️ Legendary
In 2020, the BLS AG, located at Genfergasse in Bern, was found to have overcharged the public hand by 45 million Swiss francs since 2004, leading to the resignation of CEO Bernard Guillelmon and the…
BLS AG · · 💀 Dark history
In 1522, Niklaus Manuel wrote two anti-Catholic carnival plays that were so popular, they helped spread the Reformation in Bern more effectively than the sermons of Berchtold Haller.
St Vincent Münster · · 🏛️ Legendary
Rudolf von Erlach, a knight from Bern, was killed in 1360 by his son-in-law Jost of Rudenz with the very sword he used to win the Battle of Laupen, which was hanging on the wall of Reichenbach Castle.
Reichenbach Castle · · 💀 Dark history
The Stadion Wankdorf is heavier than the Eiffel Tower due to the large amount of concrete used in its construction.
Stadion Wankdorf · · 🤯 Weird
During the 1602 Escalade, a soldier named Mercier saved Geneva by cutting the rope that held the heavy herse, a wooden and iron gate, which then fell and blocked the entrance to the city, preventing…
Porte Neuve · · 🏛️ Legendary
The Käfigturm has a dark history, having served as a prison where suspects were interrogated and detained, with graffiti on the cell doors still bearing witness to the fate of the inmates.
Käfigturm · · 💀 Dark history
Albert Einstein developed the famous equation E=mc² during his time in Bern, revolutionizing our understanding of space and time.
Einstein Museum · · 🏛️ Legendary
Karl Ludwig von Erlach, a general, was brutally killed by his own troops in Niederwichtrach after the Battle of Grauholz in 1798.
Niederwichtrach · · 💀 Dark history
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
The Gerechtigkeitsbrunnen, or Justice Fountain, features a blindfolded Justice standing over the Pope, Sultan, Emperor, and Mayor, symbolizing the power of justice over even the most powerful figures.
Gerechtigkeitsbrunnen · · 🏛️ Legendary
At the site of the current Bundeshaus Ost, a Jewish graveyard was discovered during the demolition of the old Inselspital in 1888, revealing a piece of Bern's hidden history.
Bundeshaus Ost · · 🔍 Hidden gems
The Berner Münster's construction was halted in 1521 due to weak foundations, and it wasn't completed until 1893, when the tower finally reached its full height of 100.6 meters.
Berner Münster · · 🤯 Weird
The Berner Münster's choir houses a stunning glasmalereizyklus, a cycle of stained glass windows, dating back to the 15th century, which is considered one of the most important in Switzerland.
Berner Münster · · 🔍 Hidden gems
The Käfigturm in Bern was once a prison where up to 70 inmates were housed, and its bell was made from a captured war booty during the Thirty Years War.
Käfigturm · · 💀 Dark history
The Place fédérale in Bern was once a parking lot, but after a national competition in 1991, it was renovated and reopened in 2004 with a unique design featuring 26 jets of water representing the 26…
Place fédérale · · 🤯 Weird
The Kindlifresserbrunnen, or Fountain of the Eater of Little Children, in Kornhausplatz features a sculpture of an ogre devouring a naked child, sparking controversy over its possible antisemitic ori…
Kornhausplatz · · 💀 Dark history
The Von-Wattenwyl-Haus on Herrengasse was home to Allen Dulles, the future CIA director, during World War II. He worked as an OSS agent from this location.
Von-Wattenwyl-Haus · · 🏛️ Legendary
In 2022, Emmeril Kahn Mumtadz, the son of Indonesia's West Java Governor, was swept away by the Aare river's strong current while swimming near the Mattenschwelle weir in Bern, prompting a large-scal…
Mattenschwelle · · 💀 Dark history
In Münsingen, archaeologists discovered 220 tombs along the Aare river, with some men buried with their weapons and women and children with jewelry, revealing that the settlement was home to Celtic n…
Münsingen · · 🔍 Hidden gems
The Münsingen bath house, built in the 2nd century AD, features mosaics depicting fishes and the god Oceanus, a rare and well-preserved example of Roman-era architecture.
Münsingen · · 🔍 Hidden gems
In 2023, the Moringen arrowhead, a meteoric artifact in the Bern Historical Museum's collection, was confirmed to be of meteoric origin.
Bern Historical Museum · · 🤯 Weird
The Bernische Historische Museum returned the 'Ekeko' figurine to the National Museum of Archaeology in La Paz in 2014, after it was illegitimately acquired by Swiss naturalist Johann Jakob von Tschu…
Bernische Historische Museum · · 💀 Dark history
The museum's collection includes works by famous artists such as Paul Klee, Pablo Picasso, and Alberto Giacometti, among others.
Kunstmuseum Bern · 🏛️ Legendary
The Kunsthalle Bern was completely wrapped by Christo and Jeanne-Claude in 1968 to celebrate its 50th anniversary, making it the first building to be fully wrapped by the artists.
Kunsthalle Bern · · 🤯 Weird
In 2018, the Intendant of Bühnen Bern, Märki, resigned due to a conflict with the Schauspieldirektor Cihan Inan over a role casting decision, bringing 'Ruhe und Kontinuität' to the institution.
Bühnen Bern · · 💀 Dark history
The Dampfzentrale Bern, a former industrial building, was squatted in 1987 by various cultural groups, leading to its transformation into a contemporary culture center for dance and music.
Dampfzentrale Bern · · 🏛️ Legendary
A train derailed at the Bern train station in 1982, injuring 15 people, due to excessive speed while trying to make up for a delay.
Bern train station · · 💀 Dark history
Adrian von Bubenberg was threatened with excommunication after intervening in the inquisition of Niklaus von Flüe, a hermit, in 1469. The hermit was being questioned by the Konstanzer Generalvikar an…
Ranft · · 💀 Dark history
Adrian von Bubenberg died in 1479 from a pustular disease, likely caused by an infection with the bacterium Clostridium perfringens, which led to gas gangrene. This was a painful and deadly condition…
Bern · · 💀 Dark history
Adrian von Bubenberg, a hero of the Battle of Morat, was buried in the Saint-Vincent Cathedral, but his body was almost exhumed due to a latent excommunication.
Saint-Vincent Cathedral · · 💀 Dark history
In 1469, Adrian von Bubenberg visited the hermit Nicolas de Flüe at the Ranft, where he intervened to stop an examination that could have killed the hermit.
Ranft · · 🏛️ Legendary
Karl Stauffer-Bern attempted suicide in the Botanischen Garten in Bern before taking his own life in Florence.
Botanischer Garten · · 💀 Dark history
Gonzague de Reynold, a controversial Swiss writer, was called an 'Esel in Bern' by Albert Einstein, reflecting his contentious views on politics and society.
University of Bern · · 🏛️ Legendary
The PostFinance Arena in Bern has witnessed a record-breaking average attendance of 16,290 spectators per match, making it the most-attended hockey arena in Europe for 18 consecutive seasons.
PostFinance Arena · · 🏛️ Legendary
In 2004, the CP Berne hockey team won the championship title in a thrilling finale against HC Lugano, with a winning goal scored by Mark Weber in the last minute of the game.
PostFinance Arena · · 🏛️ Legendary
At the Stadion Wankdorf, a single red seat stands out among the black and yellow seats, and it's occupied by a notable personality at every game.
Stadion Wankdorf · · 🤯 Weird
The Stadion Wankdorf in Bern has a unique feature - a solar power plant integrated into its roof, which was the largest of its kind in the world in 2008.
Stadion Wankdorf · · 🤯 Weird
The Stade de Suisse, also known as the Stade du Wankdorf, has a unique feature: it has been equipped with both natural and artificial turf at different times, with the artificial turf being installed…
Stade de Suisse · · 🤯 Weird
The PostFinance Arena in Bern has the largest standing room capacity in the world, with 9,778 spectators able to stand and watch a game.
PostFinance Arena · · 🤯 Weird
The PostFinance Arena holds the European record for average attendance, with 16,399 spectators per game in the 2016-2017 season.
PostFinance Arena · · 🏛️ Legendary
The Zibelemärit, a traditional onion market, has a legendary origin story dating back to 1405, when farmers from nearby areas helped with the cleanup after a devastating fire in Bern and were rewarde…
Old Town · · 🏛️ Legendary
In the aftermath of a devastating fire that ravaged Bern in 1405, the city granted permission to neighboring farmers from Fribourg to sell their onions once a year as a token of gratitude for their h…
Old Town · · 🏛️ Legendary
The Battle of Laupen, a pivotal event in Bern's history, took place in 1339, where the Bernese army, despite being outnumbered, defeated the Freiburg forces, leading to Bern's permanent accession to…
Laupen · · 🏛️ Legendary
During the Battle of Laupen, the white cross was used as a field sign by the Swiss combatants for the first time, marking the beginning of a lasting symbol of Swiss identity.
Laupen · · 🏛️ Legendary
The Laupenkrieg, a conflict between the city of Bern and a coalition of western Swiss nobles, ended in a decisive victory for Bern in 1339, with the Bernese army defeating a force of around 12,000 me…
Laupen · · 💀 Dark history
The Bärengraben, a bear pit in Bern, has been home to bears since 1513 and is a popular tourist attraction.
Bärengraben · · 🏛️ Legendary
The Blutturm, a historic tower in Bern, was once used as a torture chamber and got its name from the German word 'Blut', meaning 'blood'.
Blutturm · 💀 Dark history
The University of Bern's medical faculty found that alternating currents (AC) are more dangerous than direct currents (DC) due to their ability to cause cardiac arrest. This research was conducted in…
University of Bern · · 💀 Dark history
In the 15th century, Ulrich von Lommis, a Bürger and Ratsherr in Zürich, was killed in the Schlacht bei St. Jakob an der Sihl, a battle that took place on July 22, 1443. According to legend, he used…
St. Jakob an der Sihl · · 🏛️ Legendary
A mysterious suicide occurred at 111, rue des Vignes, where a 28-year-old man named Jacques Verdier was found dead with a cryptic note and a sealed envelope addressed to the commissaire de police.
Rue des Vignes · · 💀 Dark history
💀 Dark history · 😂 Funny · 🔍 Hidden gems · 🏛️ Legendary · 🤯 Weird
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