Welttelegrafen-Denkmal on Helvetiaplatz
In front of the Historical Museum, a large seated bronze woman is surrounded by groups of people. The monument recalls the International Telegraph Union, the forerunner of today's International Telecommunication Union.
- Artist
- Giuseppe Romagnoli
- Year
- Inaugurated 1922
- Material
- Bronze, two fountain basins
- Location
- Helvetiaplatz, in front of the Historical Museum
- Access
- Free, around the clock
The International Telegraph Union was founded in 1865. In it, states joined together so that telegrams could be sent across borders. For a monument, an international competition was held. It was won by the Italian Giuseppe Romagnoli from Bologna. The monument was inaugurated on 16 December 1922.
What you can see
On a wide pedestal between two fountain basins stands a group of bronze figures. A woman sits in the middle. She stands for the Telegraph Union and spreads her arms to connect the groups beside her. The groups show themes such as family, physical and intellectual work, pain, fertility and mercy. The idea is that the "souls of the peoples" are linked together.
The plate with the states
Originally a plate named the 83 founding states of the union. For the 100th anniversary in 1965 it was covered by a new plate with the names of the 128 member states of the time. The Federal Council donated this plate.
A monument for the world
The monument was restored by the Confederation in 2002/03. Like the Weltpostdenkmal on Kleine Schanze, it is one of the monuments in Bern that recall international associations. In the children's book "Mein Name ist Eugen" by Klaus Schädelin, the young narrator calls the female figure Helvetia.
Good to know
The monument stands at the end of the Kirchenfeldbrücke, directly in front of the Bern Historical Museum. It is freely accessible from all sides.
Nearby
Entrance gate with bears40 mDrinking water fountain40 mInspiration50 mStein auf Stein auf gefallenen Stein60 mAdd a photo
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Also worth reading
Weltpostdenkmal on Kleine SchanzeArtThe street is our galleryArtArt in Bern: the mapMapSources
- Wikipedia (de): Welttelegrafen-Denkmal
- itu.int: ITUMonument.aspx
- Stadt Bern, Kunstwerke im öffentlichen Raum, Objectid 733569
Data: Kultur Stadt Bern (open data “Kunst im öffentlichen Raum”), © OpenStreetMap contributors. Text: Richard Červenka, Bärn Kit. Found a mistake? Write to hallo@uebrig.ch.