Christoffelturm

The Christoffel Tower ( also Christoffeltor ) was a tower near the Holy Ghost Church at the top of the hospital alley in the old town of Bern.

The tower was built from 1344 to 1346. In an open niche against the city since the mid-15th century there was a statue of St.. Christopher, who was replaced in 1498 by a 9.7 meter high figure of basswood. After the Reformation, the Christophorus figure in the middle of the 16th century was later reinterpreted as Goliath as gatekeepers and by being provided instead of the Infant Jesus, the bar and the Holy certificate with a club.

After a community vote on 15 December 1864 at the 415 supporters faced 411 opponents, the Christoffel tower was canceled in the spring of 1865 under the supervision of Gottlieb Ott; Remains of the foundations can be found in the underpass from Loebegge to Bern's Train Station. The head of the wooden figure Christophorus is located in the Historical Museum Bern, the rest was left to poor sections of the population for the firing.

On a 1372 -mentioned wells near the tower, which at first was called Christoffel fountain, a figure of the king David was placed with a crown in the 16th century. 1711 this was - suitable for reinterpretation of Christopher as Goliath - replaced by a new statue of David as a boy with a slingshot; since this fountain was called David Fountain. A second figure David was the fountain from 1778 to 1846. Thereafter, a neo-Gothic fountain was erected, which was brought to Bümplizstrasse 1919 and was originally supposed to wear a figure Rudolf von Erlach, but this was never realized.