Ländtetor

About the building

On Mattenenge, the narrow access into the Matte quarter from the north-east, an inconspicuous arch sits in a row of houses: the Ländtetor. It is a small city gate that opened towards the River Aare, close to the former Nydegg castle at the eastern end of the old town. Of the medieval structure, mainly the arch, about three metres high, survives.

When the gate was built is not entirely certain. Paul Hofer's volumes on the art monuments of Bern, on which the Wikipedia list of Bern's cultural property relies, suggest the mid-13th century, with reinforcement or rebuilding in the early 14th century. The Historical-Topographical Lexicon of the City of Bern gives the last decade of the 13th century as the building date.

In the 18th century the gate building served as the prison of the Chorgericht, the church court. The adjoining guardroom north of the gate was called the Ramseyerloch, a name recalling a prisoner who was held there for a long time between 1700 and 1750. In 1873 the gate was walled up and disappeared from view. It was only uncovered again in 1959 and restored in 1961. Around the same time new buildings went up on Mattenenge, ready for occupation in November 1961.

Until around 1860 the western part of today's Schifflaube in the Matte was also called Ländte. The gate belongs to the Lower Old Town, part of the UNESCO World Heritage site, and is listed as cultural property of regional importance. A detail to look for: the old arch, uncovered again, in the masonry of the row of houses at Mattenenge 3.

Researched and summarised by Bärn Kit. Sources: Historisch-Topographisches Lexikon der Stadt Bern: Ländtetor · Historisch-Topographisches Lexikon der Stadt Bern: Ramseyerloch · Historisch-Topographisches Lexikon der Stadt Bern: Mattenenge · Historisch-Topographisches Lexikon der Stadt Bern: Schifflaube · Wikipedia (de): Liste der Kulturgüter in Bern/Innere Stadt (Ost) · Bauinventar der Stadt Bern: Untere Altstadt (Listeninventar) · Wikidata: Q29651708