Schützenbrunnen: the banner bearer and the bear with the gun
A man in armour with a banner and a sword, between his legs a bear aiming a gun at the arcades. The Schützenbrunnen has stood in the Marktgasse for centuries.
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- Artist
- Hans Gieng (attributed)
- Year
- 1543 (figure)
- Material
- Limestone, painted
- Place
- Marktgasse, level with no. 17
- Access
- free, day and night
The Schützenbrunnen (Marksmen's Fountain) stands in the Marktgasse, level with house number 17, between the Käfigturm and the Zytglogge. The figure bears the year 1543 and is attributed to the sculptor Hans Gieng. It is one of the figure fountains of the Old Town, made in the 1540s.
Who the figure shows
On the column stands a Schützenvenner in armour, the banner bearer of the marksmen. In his right hand he holds the banner of the Gesellschaft zu Schützen (the marksmen's guild), in his left a sword. On his head he wears a beret, not a helmet. The City of Bern reads it like this: the man is not going to war, he is ready for a shooting festival.
Between his legs sits a small bear with a Büchse, a gun, aiming at the arcades. At its old site the bear aimed at the entrance of the marksmen's guild house. The Gesellschaft zu Schützen was dissolved in 1799. Since then its banner has been carried by the Reismusketen-Schützengesellschaft.
A fountain that moved several times
- In 1527 a stone fountain replaced an older wooden one.
- The figure was made in 1543. As early as 1558 the sword had to be repaired.
- In 1670 the column and the base were renewed under the direction of the Minster master builder Abraham Dünz. The basin and the pedestal followed in 1783/84.
- Until 1889 the fountain stood in the middle of the street, level with the Schützengässchen. After that it was moved to the side of the street.
- In 1939 it was moved about 50 metres and turned by 180 degrees.
- During building work in the Marktgasse, the feet of the marksman and of the bear broke off when the figure was taken down. Together with the heritage office the city found a solution: today the repaired original figure stands on the column again. In 2014 the fountain was restored.
Good to know
The fountain is freely accessible, day and night. The stop “Bern, Zytglogge” is about 80 metres away, the railway station about 600 metres. A few steps further, in front of the Käfigturm, stands the Anna-Seiler-Brunnen. A second marksman with an armed bear is on the Ryfflibrunnen in the Aarbergergasse, a messenger with a bear on the Läuferbrunnen. In December 2026 the shops in the Marktgasse open on two Sundays; the dates are in the article Sunday shopping in Bern 2026. More places: Sights in Bern.
Nearby
The People's Source of Strength90 mThe Beginning of Time (or Expulsion from Paradise)100 mKindlifresser Fountain100 mHistorical frieze100 mAdd a photo
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More sights in Bern
The figure fountains of the Old TownFountains and monumentsGerechtigkeitsbrunnen: Justitia with her eyes coveredFountains and monumentsKindlifresser FountainFountains and monumentsZähringerbrunnen: the bear in armourFountains and monumentsMoses Fountain on MünsterplatzFountains and monumentsAnna-Seiler-Brunnen in front of the KäfigturmFountains and monumentsAlso worth reading
The figure fountains of the Old TownArtRyfflibrunnen: the marksman with the little bearArtLäuferbrunnen: the city messenger with the little bearArtKunst in Bern: the mapMapData: Kultur Stadt Bern (open data “Kunst im öffentlichen Raum”), © OpenStreetMap contributors. Text: Richard Červenka, Bärn Kit. Found a mistake? Write to hallo@uebrig.ch.