Facts about Bern
In 1353, Berne joined the young Swiss Confederation, becoming a leading member of the new state.
In 1831, the city became the capital of the Canton of Berne, and in 1848, when the Swiss confederation was replaced with a centralized federal government, Berne became the Swiss capital.
Very few people still speak the Mattenenglisch, a language game used in the former workers' quarter of Matte, but several words have found their way into Bernese German.
The majority of Bernese are Protestant, and belong to the Swiss Reformed Church, a state church, although autonomous.
The Canton of Berne is known for cattle breeding and cheese making, most notably Emmental cheese.
Berne has a temperate climate, with cold, cloudy, rainy/snowy winters averaging 28.4°F (-2°C) in January, and cool to warm, cloudy, humid, occasionally showery summers, averaging 62.6°F (17°C) in July.
The regional division ended when W?adys?aw I the Elbow-high (1261-1333) united the various principalities of Poland.
Berne has a University, spread over several buildings in the Lдnggasse quarter, a University of Applied Science, and several vocational schools.
Duke Berchtold V of Zдhringen (1160-1218) founded Berne proper in 1191, possibly attracted by the existence of an ancient castle there.
The city of Berne, the capital of Switzerland, was founded in the twelfth century and developed over the centuries with a consistent and coherent planning concept.
Berne is served by Berne Airport, located outside the city near the village of Belp.
Bern Rail Station connects the city to the national and international train network.
During the time of the Thirty Years' War (1618–1648) two new fortifications, the so-called big and small Schanze (entrenchment), were built to protect the peninsula, enabling Berne to grow and prosper.
French troops occupied Brussels from 1746 to 1748, although the city revived with an economic upturn in the late eighteenth century.
The Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II made Berne an Imperial Free City in 1218, after Berthold died without an heir.
In 1528, Roman Catholics and Reformers clashed in Berne, resulting in the city becoming a Protestant stronghold.
Despite a major fire in 1405, after which much of the city was rebuilt in sandstone, and substantial construction efforts in the eighteenth century, Berne's old city has retained its medieval character.
Theaters include: Berne Theatre, Schlachthaus-theater, Tojo Theater, the Theater on the Effinger-Street and Narrenpack Theater.
Berne lies in the Swiss plateau section of the Canton of Berne, somewhat west of the center of Switzerland, and 12 miles (20km) north of the Swiss Alps.
The city of Berne is governed by an 80-member legislative council (Stadtrat) and a five-member executive council (Gemeinderat).
Very few people still speak the Mattenenglisch, a language game used in the former workers' quarter of Matte, but several words have found their way into Bernese German.
Berne features substantial Roman Catholic and Christian Catholic minorities, and the small Jewish community.
After a fort at Biha? fell in 1592, only small parts of Croatia remained unconquered.
The earliest settlement in the area of Berne was founded on the Engehalbinsel (the Narrow Peninsula) to the north of the later city center around 300 to 200 B.C.E.
Most of Berne's residents speak German, or more specifically, Bernese German, which is a high-Alemannic dialect.
The city of Berne is important for manufacturing printing products, chocolate, machinery, electrical equipment, chemical, and pharmaceutical products.
A number of congresses of the socialist First and Second Internationals were held in Berne, particularly during World War I.
Annual festivals include: Gurtenfestival, BeJazz Summer and Winter Festival, Berner Tanztage, Internationales Jazzfestival Bern, Taktlos-Festival, Queersicht film festival, and the Buskers festival.
The name Bern can stand for Bдr(e)n, meaning "bears," and can refer to the city and its heraldic beast.
The city of Berne is important for manufacturing printing products, chocolate, machinery, electrical equipment, chemical, and pharmaceutical products.