Käfigturm: History of Bern's Prison Tower

What began as a medieval defensive gate became a cage for the city's criminals, holding prisoners for nearly 500 years. Observe the imposing baroque facade of this 1644 tower rising above Marktgasse, complete with its historic clock and bell.

From City Gate to Cage Tower

Built around 1256 during Bern's second westward expansion, the Käfigturm originally served to guard the western border. The structure sat along the main route between the Nydegg bridge and the Zytglogge. When the city expanded further west toward the Church of the Holy Ghost around 1345, the structure lost its primary defensive purpose.

Following the Great Fire of Bern in 1405, which damaged the former prison at the Zytglogge, detainees were relocated to the former gatehouse. The structure was outfitted with holding cells and cages. It earned the name Käfigturm, translating to "Cage Tower," and housed up to 70 inmates—including debtors and common offenders—until the prison closed in 1897.

Baroque Architecture and Hidden Details

The deteriorating medieval structure was entirely demolished and rebuilt between 1641 and 1644. Initiated by Joseph Plepp and completed by Antoni Graber, the new 49-meter-tall tower was designed in an early Baroque and late Renaissance style. It features heavy grey-green Molasse sandstone masonry topped by a steep, greenish weathered copper roof with corner turrets and a clock spire.

The tower holds several historical curiosities. A bell cast in 1643 features a Latin inscription asking that its sound ward off and terrify evil spirits. Additionally, a mechanical clock mechanism installed between 1690 and 1691 operates on a traditional hand-wound 36-hour cycle.

A Modern Civic Center

By 1886, growing traffic in the modernizing city led to a petition to demolish the entire tower. The cantonal government rejected the plan, opting instead to demolish adjacent annexes to improve passageways. Today, the central arched portal at ground level remains open, allowing the regular sounds of foot traffic and trams to filter through the heavy stone archway.

After serving as the Cantonal State Archives from 1897 until 1977, the Käfigturm found a new civic purpose. Since 1999, the upper levels have housed the Polit-Forum Bern. This space operates as a public venue for events, debates, and interactive exhibitions focused on democracy, politics, and civic rights.