Bernabrunnen: Berna in front of the Federal Palace

The Bernabrunnen (Berna Fountain) stands in the inner courtyard of the west wing of the Bundeshaus (Federal Palace), right on the Bundesgasse. On top of a tall column stands Berna, a female figure in bronze. She embodies the city and the canton of Bern. She was made by the sculptor Raphael Christen (1811–1880) and unveiled in 1863.

What the figure shows

Berna wears a cloak and on her head a mural crown, a crown shaped like a city wall with battlements. In her right hand she holds a lance, with her left she supports a shield with the Bernese coat of arms, the bear.

Below her, on the base, stand four smaller bronze figures, painted white. They represent the seasons. On the base you can see lion heads and the year 1858. The water flows into a basin in the shape of a Swiss cross.

A fountain as a picture of Switzerland

The fountain is often read like this: the base stands for the Gotthard massif, and the four jets of water stand for the rivers Rhone, Rhine, Reuss and Ticino, which rise in that area. Together with the cross in the basin, the fountain becomes a small picture of Switzerland, right next to the seat of government and parliament.

From Bern to Munich and back

• From 1852 to 1857 the Bundes-Rathaus was built, today's west wing of the Federal Palace.
• In 1856 the Bern municipal council decided to decorate the inner courtyard with a fountain. The fountain was set up in 1858.
• There was a competition for the figure. The winner's design did not convince, so in May 1858 the commission went to Raphael Christen, who had come second.
• His plaster model was finished in 1860. In October 1861 it travelled by train to Munich, to the Royal Foundry. The casting was finished in May 1863.
• On 23 September 1863 Berna was ceremonially unveiled.
• In 2016 the fountain was restored in stages. The small figures were removed for a while.

An old story says that Berna's face was modelled on a particular young woman from Bern. As early as 1894 an expert on Christen's work called this a fable: the model had been a woman from quite ordinary circumstances.

Good to know

The fountain stands on the Bundesgasse, level with the Bundeshaus West. You can see it well from the street. The nearest stop is “Bern, Bundesplatz” (bus), just under 100 metres away; the station is about 400 metres as the crow flies. Until 21 November 2026 the Federal Palace right next to it lights up in the evening: more in the article Rendez-vous Bundesplatz 2026. A second Berna sits a few steps away at the Weltpostdenkmal (Universal Postal Union Monument) on the Kleine Schanze. You will find more places nearby among the sights in Bern.