page_title: Coat of arms of Bern
section_title: Heraldic beast
hierarchical_section_title: Coat of arms of Bern / Heraldic beast
caption_attribution_description: English: The founding history of Berne, as illustrated in the Tschachtlan chronicles: Duke Berchtold kills the bear. ZB Zürich MS. A 120, Abb. 2, S. 16. Deutsch: Gründungsgeschichte der Stadt Bern: Herzog Berchtold von Zähringen tötet den Bären. Tschachtlanchronik. Zentralbibliothek Zürich MS. A 120, Abb. 2, S. 16
context_page_description: The coat of arms of Bern, along with the associated flag and heraldic colours, are used both by the Swiss city of Bern and by the canton of the same name. They were also used by the former district of Bern until its abolition in 2009.
  The coat of arms of Bern is on a red field a yellow diagonal band charged with a black bear walking upwards toward the hoist. The heraldic blazon reads: Gules, on a bend or, a bear passant sable, langued, armed and vilené of the field. The flag of Bern is square and depicts the coat of arms. The heraldic colours of Bern are red and black.
context_section_description: The heraldic beast of Bern is the bear. It has long served as namesake, emblem, mascot and — at times — personification of Bern. The founding legend has it that Duke Berthold V of Zähringen vowed to choose as namesake the first animal his hunt met in the wood that was to be chopped down for the new city. Then, as Konrad Justinger's chronicle puts it:
  Nu wart des ersten ein ber gevangen, darumb wart die stat bern genempt; und gab do den burgeren in der stat ein wappen und schilt, nemlich einen swarzen bern in einem wissen schilt in gender wise.
  Then they caught a bear first, which is why the city was called Bern; and so the citizens had their coat and shield, which was a black bear in a white shield, going upright.
  The bear motif is in evidence as early as 1224 (on city seals), and has remained in use ever since. Today the city of Bern still has bears featured directly outside its Altstadt in the Bärengraben.
caption: The hunt for the bear as depicted in the Tschachtlan chronicles. Note the original coat of arms above the gate.
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