Bern

Bern is Switzerland’s de facto capital and federal administrative center, situated on a bend of the Aare River. Its medieval old town is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Federal Palace of Switzerland: The seat of Switzerland’s Federal Assembly and Federal Council in Bern. This building anchors Bern’s role as the country’s federal administrative center.
Zähringer: A medieval Swabian noble dynasty that founded or developed several towns in present-day Switzerland and Germany. The dynasty’s Duke Berchtold V founded Bern in 1191.
Swiss National Library: Switzerland’s national library, which collects and preserves publications relating to the country. Its Bern headquarters make the city a center for preserving Swiss documentary heritage.
Capital of Switzerland: The national-capital role in Switzerland, which is assigned in practice to Bern without a formal constitutional designation. Bern performs the capital’s functions, but Swiss law does not formally designate a capital.
Federal Council of Switzerland: Switzerland’s seven-member executive authority, elected by the Federal Assembly. Its presence in Bern makes the city the center of federal executive government.
Berchtold V, Duke of Zähringen: A Zähringer duke who founded Bern in 1191 and died in 1218. His founding of the town begins Bern’s documented urban history.
University of Bern: A public research university founded in 1834 and located in Bern, Switzerland. The university adds a major academic role to Bern’s federal and administrative functions.
Zürich: Switzerland’s largest city and a major financial and cultural center. Zürich is larger and more economically prominent, while Bern hosts federal institutions.
Federal Assembly of Switzerland: Switzerland’s bicameral national legislature, consisting of the National Council and Council of States. Both chambers meet in Bern’s Federal Palace.
Old Swiss Confederacy: A loose alliance of Swiss communities and territories that developed from the late medieval period. Bern joined the Confederacy in 1353 and became a major territorial power within it.

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