After the Zytglogge, this late-Gothic church gets the most attention in Bern. Its spire is the highest in Switzerland and the portal, which has 234 colored depictions of the Last Judgment, is its most famous feature. The left half of the portal depicts the saved, the right half the damned. The 170 small figures are the 15th-century originals, while the 47 larger pieces are copies, whose originals are in the local history museum.
Construction on the building began in the 15th century. The church replaced the original 12th-century chapel. In the mid-16th century, work was interrupted due to the Reformation, iconoclasm and other events. The church was finally completed in the 19th century.
Most of the church’s treasures were destroyed during the Reformation. Only a few stained-glass windows and the portal sculpture survived.
Outside is a notable 18th-century fountain depicting Moses pointing to the Second Commandment.
6 Responses to Berner Münster