Universal Post Monument, Fountain and sculpture at Kleine Schanze, Switzerland
The Universal Post Monument features five female figures in bronze and stone arranged around a central globe, each representing a continent and passing letters to one another. The composition emphasizes how postal networks connected distant peoples and continents.
Created in 1909, this monument commemorates the twenty-fifth anniversary of the Universal Postal Union, the international body overseeing global postal operations. The sculpture was designed by French artist René de Saint-Marceaux and later influenced the official logo of the postal organization.
The monument displays a female figure representing Bern with her hand placed on the city's coat of arms, anchoring this work in local identity. This detail connects the sculpture to the city itself rather than just to international postal themes.
The sculpture sits within the public gardens at Kleine Schanze and provides wheelchair access for visitors. The garden setting makes it easy to combine a visit with a walk through the surrounding green space.
The sculpture by French artist René de Saint-Marceaux gained an unexpected second life when its imagery inspired the official logo of the Universal Postal Union in 1967. This design choice meant the work appeared on postal documents and stamps across the globe for decades.
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