Burgerbibliothek Bern

BURGERBIBLIOTHEK
The Burgerbibliothek of Berne is a cultural institution of the Burgergemeinde of Berne. It holds administrative and private archives, a Graphics Collection, Photographic Archives and manuscripts, for the use of researchers and the general public. The Burgerbibliothek of Berne, a cultural institution of the Burgergemeinde of Berne, opens a window on to the history of Berne and Switzerland as a whole. Anyone with an interest in this field is welcome to visit the Reading Room. Originally part of the City Library, the Burgerbibliothek of Berne was founded as a separate institution in 1951. It serves as the community archives, documenting the history of the Burgergemeinde of Berne, its institutions, guilds and societies.

As a centre of expertise in Berne for private archives, and as a manuscript collection of international importance, it is unique among Swiss archives. It collects, indexes and preserves documents from the early Middle Ages to the present day and archives digital data for the long term. The Burgerbibliothek of Berne makes its holdings accessible to any interested members of the public and enhances the cultural life of the city with its events and publications.

The Burgerbibliothek of Berne (German: Burgerbibliothek Bern) is a public library located at Münstergasse 63 in Bern, Switzerland.

The origins of this institution can be traced back to the Reformation. Until 1951 it belonged jointly to the city and the University of Bern, and was supported by the Canton of Bern and by the Community of Burghers of Bern.

The collection of the library includes the illustrated late mediaeval historical chronicle Berner Chronik written by Diebold Schilling the Elder, Liber ad honorem Augusti. It contains about 30 000 pictorial documents about Bern and about 1 000 precious codices, some of them from the late antiquity.