85-646: The Gümmenenkrieg was a war between the emergent city-states of Bern and Fribourg in 1331-33 in what is now Switzerland . The war pitted Bern and the new Swiss Confederation against the Habsburg -supported city of Fribourg and local nobles. It was also the first in a series of battles that brought the Habsburgs and Fribourg into prominence in the County of Burgundy . The war ended without resolving anything and led to other wars between Bern and Fribourg. In 1324, Bern purchased
170-677: A Celtic oppidum stood on the Engehalbinsel (peninsula) north of Bern, fortified since the second century BC (late La Tène period ), thought to be one of the 12 oppida of the Helvetii mentioned by Caesar . During the Roman era , a Gallo-Roman vicus was on the same site. The Bern zinc tablet has the name Brenodor ("dwelling of Breno"). In the Early Middle Ages, a settlement in Bümpliz , now
255-584: A free imperial city by the Goldene Handfeste of Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II . In 1353, Bern joined the Swiss Confederacy , becoming the eighth canton of the formative period of 1353 to 1481. Bern invaded and conquered Aargau in 1415 and Vaud in 1536, as well as other smaller territories, thereby becoming the largest city-state north of the Alps . By the 18th century, it comprised most of what
340-710: A non-governmental organization in the service of international educational development since December 1925 and joined UNESCO in 1969, after having established a joint commission in 1952. After the signing of the Atlantic Charter and the Declaration of the United Nations , the Conference of Allied Ministers of Education (CAME) began meetings in London which continued from 16 November 1942 to 5 December 1945. On 30 October 1943,
425-467: A Commission to study the feasibility of having nations freely share cultural, educational and scientific achievements. This new body, the International Committee on Intellectual Cooperation (ICIC), was created in 1922 and counted such figures as Henri Bergson , Albert Einstein , Marie Curie , Robert A. Millikan , and Gonzague de Reynold among its members (being thus a small commission of
510-482: A Preparatory Commission was established. The Preparatory Commission operated between 16 November 1945, and 4 November 1946 — the date when UNESCO's Constitution came into force with the deposit of the twentieth ratification by a member state. The first General Conference took place from 19 November to 10 December 1946, and elected Julian Huxley to Director-General. United States Army colonel, university president and civil rights advocate Blake R. Van Leer joined as
595-656: A United Nations Conference for the establishment of an educational and cultural organization (ECO/CONF) was convened in London from 1 to 16 November 1945 with 44 governments represented. The idea of UNESCO was largely developed by Rab Butler , the Minister of Education for the United Kingdom, who had a great deal of influence in its development. At the ECO/CONF, the Constitution of UNESCO was introduced and signed by 37 countries, and
680-638: A biennium, as well as links to relevant programmatic and financial documents. These two distinct sets of information are published on the IATI registry, respectively based on the IATI Activity Standard and the IATI Organization Standard. There have been proposals to establish two new UNESCO lists. The first proposed list will focus on movable cultural heritage such as artifacts, paintings, and biofacts. The list may include cultural objects, such as
765-509: A city district of Bern, was some 4 km (2 mi) from the medieval city. The medieval city is a foundation of the Zähringer ruling family, which rose to power in Upper Burgundy in the 12th century. According to 14th-century historiography ( Cronica de Berno , 1309), Bern was founded in 1191 by Berthold V, Duke of Zähringen . In 1218, after Berthold died without an heir, Bern was made
850-568: A daily maximum temperature of 24.3 °C (75.7 °F). The highest temperature recorded at Bern / Zollikofen is 37.0 °C (98.6 °F), recorded in August 2003 . On average, a temperature of 25 °C (77 °F) or above is recorded 40.7 days per year, and 6 days per year with a temperature of 30 °C (86 °F) or above at Zollikofen, and the warmest day reaches an average of 32.1 °C (89.8 °F). There are 103.7 days of air frost, and 22.3 ice days per year at Bern (Zollikofen) for
935-493: A declaration of anthropologists (among them was Claude Lévi-Strauss ) and other scientists in 1950 and concluding with the 1978 Declaration on Race and Racial Prejudice . In 1955, the Republic of South Africa withdrew from UNESCO saying that some of the organization's publications amounted to "interference" in the country's "racial problems". It rejoined the organization in 1994 under the leadership of Nelson Mandela . One of
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#17330854996121020-536: A full member. As a result, the United States withdrew its funding, which had accounted for about 22% of UNESCO's budget. Israel also reacted to Palestine's admittance to UNESCO by freezing Israeli payments to UNESCO and imposing sanctions on the Palestinian Authority , stating that Palestine's admittance would be detrimental "to potential peace talks". Two years after stopping payment of its dues to UNESCO,
1105-543: A global movement in 1990 to provide basic education for all children, youths and adults. In 2000, World Education Forum in Dakar , Senegal, led member governments to commit for achieving basic education for all in 2015. The World Declaration on Higher Education was adopted by UNESCO's World Conference on Higher Education on 9 October 1998, with the aim of setting global standards on the ideals and accessibility of higher education . UNESCO's early activities in culture included
1190-613: A member as well. The Constitution was amended in November 1954 when the General Conference resolved that members of the executive board would be representatives of the governments of the States of which they are nationals and would not, as before, act in their personal capacity. This change in governance distinguished UNESCO from its predecessor, the ICIC, in how member states would work together in
1275-593: A member of the Municipal Council. Contrary to most other municipalities, the executive government in Bern is selected by means of a system of Proporz . The mayor is elected as such as well by public election while the heads of the other directorates are assigned by the collegiate. The executive body holds its meetings in the Erlacherhof , built by architect Albrecht Stürler after 1747. As of 2021 , Bern's Municipal Council
1360-585: A peace treaty which returned everyone to the pre-war borders, with nothing exchanged except for prisoners. The peace treaty, however, did allow Bern to settle with the Barons of Weissenburg in 1334. Bern was able to occupy Wimmis and Unspunnen in the Bernese Oberland and begin to expand into the Oberland. Bern's continued expansion was at the expense of the feudal lords in the surrounding lands and in 1339 it led to
1445-444: A platform for the dialogue between cultures and provide a forum for international debate". Since March 2006 it has been available free online, with limited printed issues. Its articles express the opinions of the authors which are not necessarily the opinions of UNESCO. There was a hiatus in publishing between 2012 and 2017. In 1950, UNESCO initiated the quarterly review Impact of Science on Society (also known as Impact ) to discuss
1530-403: Is State Chronicler ( Staatsschreiber ) since 2008. He has been elected by the collegiate. The Stadtrat of Bern for the mandate period of 2021–2024: The City Council (de: Stadtrat , fr: Conseil de ville ) holds legislative power . It is made up of 80 members, with elections held every four years. The City Council decrees regulations and by-laws that are executed by the Municipal Council and
1615-549: Is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with the aim of promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It has 194 member states and 12 associate members, as well as partners in the non-governmental , intergovernmental and private sector . Headquartered in Paris , France, UNESCO has 53 regional field offices and 199 national commissions. UNESCO
1700-490: Is another example of an early major UNESCO project in the field of natural sciences. In 1968, UNESCO organized the first intergovernmental conference aimed at reconciling the environment and development, a problem that continues to be addressed in the field of sustainable development . The main outcome of the 1968 conference was the creation of UNESCO's Man and the Biosphere Programme . UNESCO has been credited with
1785-450: Is corrupted and manipulated by Israel's enemies... we are not going to be a member of an organisation that deliberately acts against us". 2023 saw Russia excluded from the executive committee for the first time, after failing to get sufficient votes. The United States stated its intent to rejoin UNESCO in 2023, 5 years after leaving, and to pay its $ 600 million in back dues. The United States
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#17330854996121870-406: Is devoted to transport infrastructure. Power and water infrastructure, as well as other special developed areas, made up 1.2% of the city, while another 6.5% consists of parks, green belts, and sports fields. Of Bern's total land area, 32.8% is heavily forested. Of the agricultural land, 13.3% is used for growing crops and 4.4% is designated to be used as pasture. Local rivers and streams provide all
1955-461: Is governed by the General Conference composed of member states and associate members, which meets biannually to set the agency's programs and budget. It also elects members of the executive board, which manages UNESCO's work, and appoints every four years a Director-General, who serves as UNESCO's chief administrator. UNESCO and its mandate for international cooperation can be traced back to a League of Nations resolution on 21 September 1921, to elect
2040-510: Is largely medieval and has been recognised by UNESCO as a Cultural World Heritage Site . Perhaps its most famous sight is the Zytglogge (Bernese German for "Time Bell"), an elaborate medieval clock tower with moving puppets. It also has an impressive 15th century Gothic cathedral, the Münster , and a 15th-century town hall. Thanks to 6 kilometres (4 miles) of arcades, the old town boasts one of
2125-451: Is made up of two representatives of the SP ( Social Democratic Party ), and one each of CVP ( Christian Democratic Party ), GFL ( Grüne Freie Liste a.k.a. Green Free List, who is the newly elected mayor since 2017), and GB ( Green Alliance of Bern ), giving the left parties a very strong majority of four out of five seats. The last regular election was held on 29 November 2020. Dr. Jürg Wichtermann
2210-458: Is the fifth-most populous city in Switzerland, behind Zürich , Geneva , Basel and Lausanne . The Bern agglomeration, which includes 36 municipalities, had a population of 406,900 in 2014. The metropolitan area had a population of 660,000 in 2000. Bern is also the capital of the canton of Bern , the second-most populous of Switzerland's cantons . The official language is German , but
2295-536: Is today the canton of Bern and the canton of Vaud . The city grew out towards the west of the boundaries of the peninsula formed by the river Aare . The Zytglogge tower marked the western boundary of the city from 1191 until 1256, when the Käfigturm took over this role until 1345. It was succeeded by the Christoffelturm (formerly located closer to the site of the modern-day railway station) until 1622. During
2380-467: Is used for agricultural purposes, while 17.21 km (6.64 sq mi) or 33.3% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 23.76 km (9.17 sq mi) or 46.0% is settled (buildings or roads), 1.08 km (0.42 sq mi) or 2.1% is either rivers or lakes, and 0.14 km (0.054 sq mi) or 0.3% is unproductive land. Of the developed area of Bern, 3.1% consists of industrial buildings, 22.3% housing and other buildings, and 12.9%
2465-714: The 2015 federal election for the Swiss National Council the most popular party was the PS which received 34.3% of the vote. The next five most popular parties were the Green Party (17.4%), the UDC (12.4%), and the FDP/PLR (9.9%), glp/pvl (9.4%), and the BDP/PBD (7.0%). In the federal election, a total of 48,556 voters were cast, and the voter turnout was 56.0%. The Municipal Council of
2550-404: The 2019 federal election for the Swiss National Council the most popular party was the PS which received 28.7% (-5.6) of the vote. The next five most popular parties were the Green Party (25.2%, +7.9), the pvl (13.5%, +4.1), the UDC (9.5%, -2.9), PLR (4.2%, -2.8), and the BDP/PBD (7.0%). In the federal election a total of 49,030 votes were cast, and the voter turnout was 56%. In
2635-801: The Acropolis of Athens (Greece). The organization's work on heritage led to the adoption, in 1972, of the Convention concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage. In 1976, the World Heritage Committee was established and the first sites were included on the World Heritage List in 1978. Since then important legal instruments on cultural heritage and diversity have been adopted by UNESCO member states in 2003 (Convention for
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2720-468: The Battle of Laupen against Fribourg. 46°56′42″N 7°14′42″E / 46.945°N 7.245°E / 46.945; 7.245 Bern Bern ( Swiss Standard German: [bɛrn] ), or Berne ( French: [bɛʁn] ), is the de facto capital of Switzerland , referred to as the " federal city ". With a population of about 133,000 (as of 2022 ), Bern
2805-577: The Catholic Church . Of the rest of the population, there were 1,874 members of an Orthodox church (or about 1.46% of the population), there were 229 persons (or about 0.18% of the population) who belonged to the Christ Catholic Church , and there were 5,531 persons (or about 4.30% of the population) who belonged to another Christian religion. There were 324 persons (or about 0.25% of the population) who were Jewish , and 4,907 (or about 3.81% of
2890-751: The International Campaign to Save the Monuments of Nubia , launched in 1960. The purpose of the campaign was to move the Great Temple of Abu Simbel to keep it from being swamped by the Nile after the construction of the Aswan Dam . During the 20-year campaign, 22 monuments and architectural complexes were relocated. This was the first and largest in a series of campaigns including Mohenjo-daro (Pakistan), Fes (Morocco), Kathmandu (Nepal), Borobudur (Indonesia) and
2975-951: The Jōmon Venus of Japan, the Mona Lisa of France, the Gebel el-Arak Knife of Egypt , The Ninth Wave of Russia, the Seated Woman of Çatalhöyük of Turkey, the David (Michelangelo) of Italy, the Mathura Herakles of India, the Manunggul Jar of the Philippines, the Crown of Baekje of South Korea, The Hay Wain of the United Kingdom and the Benin Bronzes of Nigeria. The second proposed list will focus on
3060-1173: The Stadthaus (Town Hall). The last regular election of the City Council was held on 29 November 2020 for the mandate period ( German : Legislatur , French : la législature ) from 2021 to 2024. The City Council consist of 23 (-1) members of the Social Democratic Party (SP/PS) including two seats by the junior party JUSO , 11 (+3) Green Liberal Party (glp/pvl) including two member of its junior party jglp , 10 (+1) Green Alliance of Bern (GB) , 8 (-1) The Liberals (FDP/PLR) including one seat by its junior partner JF / DL , 7 (-2) Swiss People's Party (SVP/UDC) , 7 (-1) Grüne Freie Liste (GFL) (Green Free List), 3 (+1) Junge Alternative (JA!) (or Young Alternatives), 3 (+1) Alternative Linke Bern (AL) , 2 (-1) Conservative Democratic Party (BDP/PBD) , 2 (-) Christian Democratic People's Party (CVP/PDC) , 2 (-) Evangelical People's Party (EVP/PEV) , 1 (-) Swiss Party of Labour (PdA) , and 1 Grüne alternative Partei (GaP) (or Green alternative Party). In
3145-528: The Thirty Years' War , two new fortifications – the so-called big and small Schanze (entrenchments) – were built to protect the whole area of the peninsula. After a major blaze in 1405, the city's original wooden buildings were gradually replaced by half-timbered houses, and subsequently the sandstone buildings which came to be characteristic for the Old Town. Despite waves of pestilence that hit Europe in
3230-428: The United Nations member states (except Israel and Liechtenstein ), as well as Cook Islands , Niue and Palestine . The United States and Israel left UNESCO on 31 December 2018, but the United States rejoined in 2023. As of June 2023 , there have been 11 Directors-General of UNESCO since its inception – nine men and two women. The 11 Directors-General of UNESCO have come from six regions within
3315-471: The executive government of the City of Bern and operates as a collegiate authority . It is composed of five councillors ( German : Gemeinderat/-rätin , French : conseiller/conseillère municipal(e) ), each presiding over a directorate (de: Direktion , fr: direction ) comprising several departments and bureaus. The president of the executive department acts as mayor (de: Stadtpräsident , fr: Le Maire ). In
3400-582: The national parliament , government and part of the federal administration, can also be visited. Albert Einstein lived in a flat at the Kramgasse 49, the site of the Einsteinhaus , from 1903 to 1905, the year in which the Annus Mirabilis papers were published. UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization ( UNESCO ; pronounced / j uː ˈ n ɛ s k oʊ / )
3485-450: The socialist First and Second Internationals were held in Bern, particularly during World War I when Switzerland was neutral; see Bern International . The city's population rose from about 5,000 in the 15th century to about 12,000 by 1800 and to above 60,000 by 1900, passing the 100,000 mark during the 1920s. Population peaked during the 1960s at 165,000 and has since decreased slightly, to below 130,000 by 2000. As of September 2017,
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3570-586: The 14th century, the city continued to grow, mainly due to immigration from the surrounding countryside. During the 18th century, the city of Bern was at one point the largest shareholder in the South Sea Company , a British joint-stock company which was involved in the Atlantic slave trade . From 1689 to 3 March 1798 in the town was printed, in French , the biweekly newspaper Gazette de Berne , which reflected
3655-819: The Directors-General of UNESCO since its establishment in 1946 is as follows: This is the list of the sessions of the UNESCO General Conference held since 1946: Ahmet Altay Cengizer Biennial elections are held, with 58 elected representatives holding office for four years. [REDACTED] Finland [REDACTED] Portugal [REDACTED] Turkey [REDACTED] Albania [REDACTED] Belarus [REDACTED] Bulgaria [REDACTED] Cuba [REDACTED] Grenada [REDACTED] Jamaica [REDACTED] Saint Lucia [REDACTED] Saint Vincent and
3740-622: The League of Nations essentially centred on Western Europe ). The International Institute for Intellectual Cooperation (IIIC) was then created in Paris in September 1924, to act as the executing agency for the ICIC. However, the onset of World War II largely interrupted the work of these predecessor organizations. As for private initiatives, the International Bureau of Education (IBE) began to work as
3825-791: The Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage ) and 2005 ( Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions ). An intergovernmental meeting of UNESCO in Paris in December 1951 led to the creation of the European Council for Nuclear Research , which was responsible for establishing the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) later on, in 1954. Arid Zone programming, 1948–1966,
3910-431: The United States and Israel lost UNESCO voting rights in 2013 without losing the right to be elected; thus, the United States was elected as a member of the executive board for the period 2016–19. In 2019, Israel left UNESCO after 69 years of membership, with Israel's ambassador to the UN Danny Danon writing: "UNESCO is the body that continually rewrites history, including by erasing the Jewish connection to Jerusalem... it
3995-425: The administration. The delegates are selected by means of a system of proportional representation . The sessions of the City Council are public. Unlike members of the Municipal Council, members of the City Council are not politicians by profession, and they are paid a fee based on their attendance. Any resident of Bern allowed to vote can be elected as a member of the City Council. The parliament holds its meetings in
4080-412: The bridge-head at Laupen , which brought Bern into the Fribourg controlled Sense and Saane valleys. The city of Fribourg and a number of minor nobles became concerned about Bernese territorial ambitions and began to ally with each other. In 1331, the Lords of Weissenburg , Turn and Gruyere besieged Mülenen Castle , which was held by a pledge against a loan by a citizen of Bern. Bern responded to
4165-447: The city of Bern decided against having twinned cities except for a temporary (during the UEFA Euro 2008 ) cooperation with the Austrian city Salzburg . Bern has a population (as of December 2020 ) of 134,794. About 34% of the population are resident foreign nationals. Over the 10 years between 2000 and 2010, the population changed at a rate of 0.6%. Migration accounted for 1.3%, while births and deaths accounted for −2.1%. Most of
4250-442: The city was named after a pre-existing toponym of Celtic origin, possibly *berna "cleft". The bear was the heraldic animal of the seal and coat of arms of Bern from at least the 1220s. The earliest reference to the keeping of live bears in the Bärengraben dates to the 1440s. No archaeological evidence that indicates a settlement on the site of today's city centre prior to the 12th century has been found so far. In antiquity,
4335-412: The commission, the Nobel Peace Prize laureate Seán MacBride ). The same year, UNESCO created the International Programme for the Development of Communication (IPDC), a multilateral forum designed to promote media development in developing countries. In 1993, UNESCO's General Conference endorsed the Windhoek Declaration on media independence and pluralism, which led the UN General Assembly to declare
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#17330854996124420-413: The construction rate of new housing units was 1.2 new units per 1000 residents. As of 2003 the average price to rent an average apartment in Bern was 1108.92 Swiss francs (CHF) per month (US$ 890, £500, €710 approx. exchange rate from 2003). The average rate for a one-room apartment was 619.82 CHF (US$ 500, £280, €400), a two-room apartment was about 879.36 CHF (US$ 700, £400, €560), a three-room apartment
4505-429: The date of its adoption, 3 May, as World Press Freedom Day . Since 1997, UNESCO has awarded the UNESCO / Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize every 3 May. UNESCO admitted Palestine as a member in 2011. Laws passed in the United States after Palestine applied for UNESCO and WHO membership in April 1989 mean that the United States cannot contribute financially to any UN organization that accepts Palestine as
4590-422: The diffusion of national science bureaucracies. In the field of communication, the "free flow of ideas by word and image" has been in UNESCO's constitution since it was established, following the experience of the Second World War when control of information was a factor in indoctrinating populations for aggression. In the years immediately following World War II, efforts were concentrated on reconstruction and on
4675-447: The early work of UNESCO in the education field was a pilot project on fundamental education in the Marbial Valley, Haiti, which was launched in 1947. Following this project one of expert missions to other countries, included a 1949 mission to Afghanistan. UNESCO recommended in 1948 that Member countries should make free primary education compulsory and universal. The World Conference on Education for All , in Jomtien , Thailand, started
4760-401: The economic powerhouse of Zürich, while Catholic and conservative Lucerne had been part of the Sonderbund during the war a year before. In addition, Bern had a more central location and was supported by the French-speaking cantons due to proximity to them. However, the constitution doesn't define Bern as official capital of Switzerland, but as the seat of government. A number of congresses of
4845-424: The first animal he met on the hunt, and this turned out to be a bear. It has long been considered likely that the city was named after the Italian city of Verona , which at the time was known as Bern in Middle High German . The city was sometimes referred to as Bern im Üechtland to distinguish it from Verona. As a result of the finding of the Bern zinc tablet in the 1980s, it is now more common to assume that
4930-411: The identification of needs for means of mass communication around the world. UNESCO started organizing training and education for journalists in the 1950s. In response to calls for a " New World Information and Communication Order " in the late 1970s, UNESCO established the International Commission for the Study of Communication Problems, which produced the 1980 MacBride report (named after the chair of
5015-529: The influence of science on society. The journal ceased publication in 1992. UNESCO also published Museum International Quarterly from the year 1948. UNESCO has official relations with 322 international non-governmental organizations (NGOs). Most of these are what UNESCO calls "operational"; a select few are "formal". The highest form of affiliation to UNESCO is "formal associate", and the 22 NGOs with formal associate (ASC) relations occupying offices at UNESCO are: The institutes are specialized departments of
5100-400: The largest canton of the Confederacy as it stood during the Restoration and until the secession of the canton of Jura in 1979. On 28 November 1848, a majority of the new Swiss Federal Assembly deputies chose Bern as the Federal City (seat of the government) of the newly created Swiss federal state , ahead of Zürich and Lucerne . Bern was chosen as not to concentrate all the power in
5185-424: The longest covered shopping promenades in Europe. Since the 16th century, the city has had a bear pit, the Bärengraben , at the far end of the Nydeggbrücke to house its heraldic animals. The four bears are now kept in an open-air enclosure nearby, and two other young bears, a present by the Russian president, are kept in Dählhölzli zoo. The Federal Palace ( Bundeshaus ), built from 1857 to 1902, which houses
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#17330854996125270-401: The main spoken language is the local variant of the Alemannic Swiss German dialect, Bernese German . In 1983, the historic old town (in German : Altstadt ) in the centre of Bern became a UNESCO World Heritage Site . It is notably surrounded by the Aare , a major river of the Swiss Plateau . Although fortified settlements were established since antiquity, the medieval city proper
5355-415: The mandate period 2021–2024 ( Legislatur ) the Municipal Council is presided by Stadtpräsident Alec von Graffenried . Departmental tasks, coordination measures and implementation of laws decreed by the City Council are carried by the Municipal Council. The regular election of the Municipal Council by any inhabitant valid to vote is held every four years. Any resident of Bern allowed to vote can be elected as
5440-413: The most recent ice age . The two mountains closest to Bern are Gurten with a height of 864 m (2,835 ft) and Bantiger with a height of 947 m (3,107 ft). The site of the old observatory in Bern is the point of origin of the CH1903 coordinate system at 46°57′08.66″N 7°26′22.50″E / 46.9524056°N 7.4395833°E / 46.9524056; 7.4395833 . The city
5525-545: The municipality. There were 49,873 married individuals, 9,345 widows or widowers and 9,468 individuals who are divorced. As of 2000 , there were 67,115 private households in the municipality, and an average of 1.8 persons per household. There were 34,981 households that consist of only one person and 1,592 households with five or more people. In 2000 , a total of 65,538 apartments (90.6% of the total) were permanently occupied, while 5,352 apartments (7.4%) were seasonally occupied and 1,444 apartments (2.0%) were empty. As of 2009 ,
5610-436: The necessity for an international organization was expressed in the Moscow Declaration, agreed upon by China , the United Kingdom, the United States and the USSR. This was followed by the Dumbarton Oaks Conference proposals of 9 October 1944. Upon the proposal of CAME and in accordance with the recommendations of the United Nations Conference on International Organization (UNCIO), held in San Francisco from April to June 1945,
5695-399: The opinions of Bern, usually hostile to the politics of Pre-revolutionary France . Bern was occupied by French troops in 1798 during the French Revolutionary Wars , when it was stripped of parts of its territories. It regained control of the Bernese Oberland in 1802, and following the Congress of Vienna of 1814, it newly acquired the Bernese Jura . At this time, it once again became
5780-582: The organization that support UNESCO's programme, providing specialized support for cluster and national offices. UNESCO awards 26 prizes in education, natural sciences, social and human sciences, culture, communication and information as well as peace: International Days observed at UNESCO are provided in the table below: As of July 2023 , UNESCO has 194 member states and 12 associate members. Some members are not independent states and some members have additional National Organizing Committees from some of their dependent territories . UNESCO state parties are
5865-445: The organization's fields of competence. As member states worked together over time to realize UNESCO's mandate, political and historical factors have shaped the organization's operations in particular during the Cold War , the decolonization process, and the dissolution of the Soviet Union . Among the major achievements of the organization is its work against racism, for example through influential statements on race starting with
5950-401: The organization: West Europe (5), Central America (1), North America (2), West Africa (1), East Asia (1), and East Europe (1). To date, there has been no elected Director-General from the remaining ten regions within UNESCO: Southeast Asia, South Asia, Central and North Asia, Middle East, North Africa, East Africa, Central Africa, South Africa, Australia-Oceania, and South America. The list of
6035-404: The period of 1981–2010, as well as 14.1 days of snowfall, 36.7 days of snow cover per year and the average amount of snow measured per year is 52.6 centimetres (20.7 in). On average, January is the coldest month, with a daily mean temperature of −0.4 °C (31.3 °F), and a daily minimum temperature of −3.6 °C (25.5 °F). The lowest temperature ever recorded at Bern (Zollikofen)
6120-468: The population (as of 2000 ) speaks German (104,465 or 81.2%) as their first language, Italian is the second most common (5,062 or 3.9%) and French is the third (4,671 or 3.6%). There are 171 people who speak Romansh . As of 2008 , the population was 47.5% male and 52.5% female. The population was made up of 44,032 Swiss men (35.4% of the population) and 15,092 (12.1%) non-Swiss men. There were 51,531 Swiss women (41.4%) and 13,726 (11.0%) non-Swiss women. Of
6205-535: The population in the municipality, 39,008 or about 30.3% were born in Bern and lived there in 2000. There were 27,573 or 21.4% who were born in the same canton, while 25,818 or 20.1% were born somewhere else in Switzerland, and 27,812 or 21.6% were born outside of Switzerland. As of 2000 , children and teenagers (0–19 years old) make up 15.1% of the population, while adults (20–64 years old) make up 65% and seniors (over 64 years old) make up 19.9%. As of 2000 , there were 59,948 people who were single and never married in
6290-485: The population) who were Muslim . There were 629 persons who were Buddhist , 1,430 persons who were Hindu and 177 persons who belonged to another religion. 16,363 (or about 12.72% of the population) belonged to no religion, are agnostic or atheist , and 7,855 persons (or about 6.11% of the population) did not answer the question. On 14 December 2014 the Haus der Religionen was inaugurated. The structure of Bern's city centre
6375-514: The resident population stood at 142,349, of which 100,000 were Swiss citizens and 42,349 (31%) resident foreigners. A further estimated 350,000 people live in the immediate urban agglomeration . Bern lies on the Swiss plateau in the canton of Bern, slightly west of the centre of Switzerland and 20 km (12 mi) north of the Bernese Alps . The countryside around Bern was formed by glaciers during
6460-465: The siege aggressively and called on its allies, Solothurn , Biel and Murten . The combined Bernese army marched on the castle at Gümmenen (now part of Mühleberg ) on the Saane river and destroyed it and surrounding fortifications as well as the nearby settlement. Schönfels Castle, which was near Grasburg Castle , and the castle at Aeschi were also destroyed. In 1333, Queen Agnes of Austria mediated
6545-500: The water in the municipality. According to the Köppen Climate Classification , Bern has an oceanic climate ( Cfb ) closely bordering on a humid continental climate ( Dfb ). The closest weather station near Bern is located in the municipality of Zollikofen , about 5 kilometres (3 mi) north of the city centre. The warmest month for Bern is July, with a daily mean temperature of 18.3 °C (64.9 °F), and
6630-510: The world's living species, such as the komodo dragon of Indonesia, the panda of China, the bald eagle of North American countries, the aye-aye of Madagascar, the Asiatic lion of India, the kākāpō of New Zealand, and the mountain tapir of Colombia, Ecuador and Peru. UNESCO and its specialized institutions issue a number of magazines. Created in 1945, The UNESCO Courier magazine states its mission to "promote UNESCO's ideals, maintain
6715-520: Was about 1040.54 CHF (US$ 830, £470, €670) and a six or more room apartment cost an average of 2094.80 CHF (US$ 1680, £940, €1340). The average apartment price in Bern was 99.4% of the national average of 1116 CHF. The vacancy rate for the municipality, in 2010 , was 0.45%. The historical population is given in the following chart: From the 2000 census , 60,455 or 47.0% belonged to the Swiss Reformed Church , while 31,510 or 24.5% were members of
6800-407: Was founded by the Zähringer ruling family, probably in 1191 by Berthold V, Duke of Zähringen . Bern was made a free imperial city in 1218 and, in 1353, it joined the Swiss Confederacy , becoming one of its eight early cantons. Since then, Bern became a large city-state and a prominent actor of Swiss history by pursuing a policy of sovereign territorial expansion. Since the 15th century, the city
6885-896: Was founded in 1945 as the successor to the League of Nations ' International Committee on Intellectual Cooperation . UNESCO's founding mission, which was shaped by the events of World War II , is to advance peace , sustainable development and human rights by facilitating collaboration and dialogue among nations. It pursues this objective through five major programme areas: education, natural sciences , social / human sciences , culture and communication/information. UNESCO sponsors projects that improve literacy , provide technical training and education, advance science, protect independent media and press freedom , preserve regional and cultural history , and promote cultural diversity . The organization prominently helps establish and secure World Heritage Sites of cultural and natural importance. UNESCO
6970-594: Was originally built on a hilly peninsula surrounded by the river Aare , but outgrew natural boundaries by the 19th century. A number of bridges have been built to allow the city to expand beyond the Aare. Bern is built on very uneven ground. An elevation difference of up to 60 metres exists between the inner city districts on the Aare ( Matte , Marzili ) and the higher ones (Kirchenfeld, Länggasse). Bern has an area, as of 2013 , of 51.62 km (19.93 sq mi). Of this area, 9.42 km (3.64 sq mi) or 18.2%
7055-461: Was progressively rebuilt and acquired its current characteristics. Bern was made the Federal City in 1848. From about 5,000 inhabitants in the 15th century, the city passed the 100,000 mark in the 1920s. The etymology of the name "Bern" is uncertain. According to the local legend, based on folk etymology , Berthold V, Duke of Zähringen , the founder of the city of Bern, vowed to name the city after
7140-577: Was readmitted by the UNESCO General Conference that July. UNESCO implements its activities through five programme areas: education, natural sciences, social and human sciences, culture, and communication and information. UNESCO does not accredit institutions of higher learning. The UNESCO transparency portal has been designed to enable public access to information regarding the Organization's activities, such as its aggregate budget for
7225-466: Was −23.0 °C (−9.4 °F), recorded in February 1929, and typically the coldest temperature of the year reaches an average of −12.8 °C (9.0 °F) for the period of 1981–2010. The municipality is administratively subdivided into six districts ( Stadtteile ), each of which consists of several quarters ( Quartiere ). The Municipal Council (de: Gemeinderat , fr: conseil municipal ) constitutes
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