Zähringerbrunnen: the bear in armour
A bear with a helmet, swords and a flag stands in the middle of Kramgasse, with the Zytglogge behind it. It recalls the man who founded Bern.
- Artist
- Hans Hiltprand
- Year
- 1535
- Material
- Limestone, painted
- Location
- Kramgasse, at no. 66
- Access
- Free, around the clock
The Zähringerbrunnen is a little older than most of the Old Town's figure fountains, which Hans Gieng made in the 1540s. It was put up in 1535 by Hans Hiltprand.
What the figure shows
A standing bear wears armour and a helmet, with two swords in its belt. In its right paw it holds a banner, in its left a shield. Both show a golden lion on a red ground, a coat of arms that the Dukes of Zähringen also used. Between the big bear's legs sits a bear cub eating grapes.
A memorial to the city's founder
The fountain recalls Berchtold V of Zähringen, the founder of Bern. The bear refers to a legend: Berchtold is said to have killed a bear on the peninsula in the Aare while he was looking for a site for the new city. The fountain has only been called Zähringerbrunnen since the 19th century, though. Earlier it was also known as Bärenbrunnen (bear fountain) or Finstergässlibrunnen.
Good to know
The fountain stands on Kramgasse, about a hundred metres east of the Zytglogge. The bear faces east, down the street. In 1889 the basin was replaced and the figure repainted; in 2014 the fountain was restored again. Don't mix it up with the Zähringer-Denkmal (Zähringer memorial), which stands in the courtyard of the Nydeggkirche.
Nearby
Banner Bearer80 mThree Figures80 mRoof gargoyle90 mSamson Fountain (Simsonbrunnen)90 mAdd a photo
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The figure fountains of the Old TownArtGerechtigkeitsbrunnenArtArt 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.