Bubenberg memorial, Bronze memorial in Hirschengraben, Bern, Switzerland
The Bubenberg memorial displays a bronze figure clad in armor, with the right hand gripping a sword and the left hand raised in a protective gesture. The figure stands on a stone pedestal bearing inscriptions, positioned along Hirschengraben Street.
The bronze statue by Max Leu was inaugurated in 1897 at the west end of the small park on Bubenbergplatz, facing west toward Murten, the site of Bubenberg's victory. In 1930, after long debates during the square's rebuilding, it was moved to Hirschengraben and has faced north since. It was first restored and cleaned in 2015, the first such work since 1930.
The pedestal carries two quotations in German: on the left "So lange in uns eine Ader lebt, gibt keiner nach", on the right "Mein Leib und Gut ist euer eigen bis in den Tod". At the 1897 unveiling an agency report called the work a true Swiss national monument urging the Confederates to unity and selfless devotion to the fatherland.
The memorial sits on Hirschengraben Street in the city center and is freely accessible, making it easy to visit during a walk through the old town. The location allows time to examine the details of the monument and read the inscriptions up close.
The monument was originally placed at Bubenbergplatz in 1897 but was relocated to Hirschengraben in 1930 as the city underwent modernization. This relocation reflects how Bern evolved while maintaining its connection to historical figures and their legacy.
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