Läuferbrunnen: the city messenger with the little bear

The Läuferbrunnen (Runner Fountain) stands on Läuferplatz, at the lower end of the Old Town, right in front of the Untertorbrücke. The figure was made around 1545, probably in the workshop of the sculptor Hans Gieng. It is one of the figure fountains of the Old Town from the 16th century.

Who the figure shows

A “Läufer” (runner) was a messenger who travelled on foot. The plaque at the fountain calls the figure a messenger of the Bern council, a man in the service of the city's council. He wears the Bernese coat of arms on his chest, the runner's spear on his shoulder and the runner's box (Läuferbüchse) on his back. With his left hand he holds the hilt of a short sword.

A young bear travels with him, equipped like a messenger as well. The bear is Bern's heraldic animal, and it appears as a companion on several Bernese fountains, for example on the Schützenbrunnen in the Marktgasse.

From the Stalden to Läuferplatz

• At first the fountain stood in front of the last house on the Nydeggstalden. Until the 17th century it was therefore called Staldenbrunnen or Brunnen beim Untern Tor (fountain by the lower gate), after the city gate at the Untertorbrücke.
• In 1827 it moved to its present square. A wash house had stood there before.
• The pillar and the basin are younger than the figure. The plaque at the fountain gives the year 1824 for both.
• The figure on the fountain is a copy from the 1950s. The original is kept in the Bern Historical Museum.
• In 2011 the City of Bern restored the fountain.

Good to know

The fountain is freely accessible, day and night. The stops “Bern, Nydegg” and “Bern, Bärenpark” are about 150 to 200 metres away. Uphill stands the Nydeggkirche, across the Aare the Bärengraben (bear pit). Like the other Old Town fountains, the Läuferbrunnen is connected to the drinking water network of Energie Wasser Bern. More in the article Fountain water in Bern. More places in the Old Town are listed under Sights in Bern.