Innere Neustadt (Bern)

The Innere Neustadt is a historic section in the Old City of Bern in Bern, Switzerland.

File:Stadtviertel und Quartiere der Altstadt von Bern.jpg

The Viertel and Quartiere of the old city. (click to enlarge)

As the population in the Zähringerstadt increased, the city expanded beyond the original city wall. The second oldest neighbourhood, the Innere Neustadt (Inner New City) or the Savoy City, was built during the city's first westward expansion in 1255, between the first western wall guarded by the Zytglogge tower and the second wall, guarded by the Käfigturm (German: Prison Tower). Its central feature is the broad Marktgasse (Market Alley). The other three streets built during this expansion came to be known as Kochergasse, Amthausgasse and Zeughausgasse.

The original city wall between the Zähringerstadt and the Innere Neustadt was demolished during the expansion and Kornhausplatz grew up in the area of the wall. The original city gate became the Zytglogge. After the fortification of the Äussere Neustadt the Käfigturm wall, the western edge of the Innere Neustadt, was demolished and Bärenplatz and Waisenhausplatz were built in the newly cleared space.

The Bundeshaus was built along the southern edge of the both the Innere and Äussere Neustadt in 1902.