page_title: Town hall of Bern
section_title: Building exterior
hierarchical_section_title: Town hall of Bern / Building exterior
caption_attribution_description: Deutsch: Rathaushofbrunnen mit Eingang zum Rathaushof im Hintergrund
context_page_description: The town hall of Bern is the building in Bern, Switzerland that houses the Grand Council of Bern, the Executive Council of Bern and the Grand Council of the City of Bern. The building is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site of the Old City of Berne and is a Swiss heritage site of national significance.
context_section_description: The main building is a square, three story sandstone structure. The south facade is symmetric around the large open air staircase and main entrance loggia into the upper story. The upper story has four sets of windows on each side of the main entrance. The 20th century renovation removed much of the roof over the staircase, leaving only the center section with its double pointed arch vault which was restored to its medieval appearance. The statues which adorn the clock pavilion are copies of the original polychrome statues by Master Hariman of Prague. The shield with the Bern coat of arms was originally an imperial eagle. The iron gates in the portals below the stairs are original treasure chamber doors by Michel Müller. Flanking the main entrance under the roof are the 26 shields of the 26 former districts (German: Amtsbezirke, French: districts) of the canton.  These districts lost their administrative and political significance in 2010.
  The unadorned west facade also comes from the 1940-42 renovation. A line visible on the west facade has traditionally been believed to have come from an earlier fortification.
  The 1940-42 renovation of the north facade demolished most of the later additions to the building. The only element retained was nine large, cross-windows of which eight were from the original 1417/50 construction. The 20th century renovation added an additional nine cross-windows above the earlier windows. The slender north-east tower, a symbol of the city since the 15th century, the Baroque oriel windows and the octagonal bell tower were all removed.
  The east side of the building has a square, Louis XIII style staircase tower. East of the old town hall building is the Staatskanzlei or cantonal administration building. The wing connecting the Staatskanzlei building and the town hall was built in 1664-66 by David and Abraham Edelstein. During the 1940-42 renovation a hall was added on the Postgasse side connecting the Rathaus and the Staatskanzlei. In the courtyard between the two buildings is a fountain topped with a sculpture of Hermes made in 1953 by Max Fueter.
caption: Hermes fountain in the courtyard
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