History of the university
Early history - from the "Hohe Schule" to the Academy (1500-1834)
The foundations of the University of Bern were laid in the 16th century, when the Reformation created a need to train new Protestant ministers at a ‘Hohe Schule’. In 1805, as part of the reorganization of higher education, the Bernese government converted the former School of Theology into an Academy with four faculties. From then on, lawyers and physicians as well as ministers could complete a full course of study in Bern.
The old university - new beginnings and growth (1834-1900)
During the struggles between conservatives and liberals in the Regeneration period, the liberals prevailed in the Canton of Bern in 1831. In 1834, under the new liberal government, the Academy was re-established as a university. 45 lecturers taught 167 students. As the new government depended on loyal civil servants and scholars, academic admission requirements were initially kept relatively low, opening university education to broader sections of society. It was only after the founding of the Swiss federal state in 1848 that the university was able to develop under more stable political conditions. In 1885, the number of students exceeded 500 for the first time and by the turn-of-the-century, this figure had already doubled. As a result, the University of Bern was Switzerland's largest university at that time. Foreign students were responsible for the rapid growth. They formed half of the student population, most of them coming from Germany and Russia. Russian female students also helped pave the way for women to study at university after 1870.
The new university - relocation and consolidation (1900-1950)
As the city of Bern prospered in the late 19th century, the university expanded as well. The Länggass district became home to a number of university facilities; in 1903, for example, the new Main Building was inaugurated on the Grosse Schanze. The number of faculties also increased. In 1874, the Faculty of Independent Catholic Theology was established in response to the papal dogma of infallibility. In 1921, the increasingly divergent natural sciences and humanities were separated into two faculties: the Faculty of Science and the Faculty of Humanities. Three prominent figures made 1908/09 eventful years at the University of Bern. From 1908, Albert Einstein taught theoretical physics for three semesters. The following year, the Russian philosopher Anna Tumarkin was appointed associate professor, making her the first female lecturer in Europe entitled to examine doctoral students and habilitation candidates. And in 1909, the surgeon Theodor Kocher received the Nobel Prize for medicine. In subsequent years, Bern consolidated its position as a small cantonal higher education institution with around 2000 students.
The modern university - expansion and organization (1950-2000)
In the 1950s, calls grew for an expansion of university and technical education. By 1968, the University had 5,000 students and had also expanded to additional locations. This rapid growth forced a revision of the University Law. A solution was only found when a partially revised law was passed in 1989. The results included a new Executive Board of the University of Bern with a term of office of several years for the Rector and Vice-Rectors and the formation of interfaculty institutions. In 1996, a modern and fully revised University Law came into force. This transformed the University of Bern from an administrative unit of the cantonal Directorate of Education into an autonomous institution with its own legal personality. The Law also resulted in a service agreement between the higher education institution and the state, which clearly defined responsibilities. Another milestone came in 1992, when student numbers passed 10,000.
Today's university - Bologna reform and reorganization (from 2000)
The Bologna Declaration heralded the era of ECTS points and bachelor's and master's degrees. Strategic research priorities, such as climate science, were defined, and collaboration with other universities was promoted. The faculties within the university regrouped. In 2001, the Faculties of Old Catholic Theology and Protestant (Reformed) Theology merged to form the Faculty of Theology. In contrast, the Faculty of Law and Economics split into two separate faculties. In 2005, Psychology, Education and Sport Science merged to become the Faculty of Human Sciences. In 2009, the University of Bern marked its 175th anniversary with more than 50 events showcasing the University to the wider public. In the summer of 2010, the partially revised University Law was passed. This means that the Senate continues to participate, together with the Cantonal Government, in appointing the University Executive Board. The Executive Board can now appoint full professors itself, while the University can maintain its own accounts independently of the Canton.