{{Short description|Former tower (1346–1865) in Bern, Switzerland}}[[Image:Christoffelturm1860.jpg|right|thumb|200px|A picture depicting the tower, and its statue of Saint Christopher, about 5 years before removal]] The '''Christoffelturm''' was a tower built between the years 1344 and 1346, which featured a prominently displayed statue of Saint Christopher. It was located in the old part of the Swiss city of Bern, in the upper section of Spitalgasse, near Holy Spirit Church.
After a political decision on December 15, 1864, the Christoffelturm was removed by Gottlieb Ott, a Swiss building contractor. Ott began the destruction of the tower in spring of the following year.<ref name="dig">{{Cite web|url=http://www.iam.unibe.ch/~booga/gallery/christoffel/index.html|title=www.iam.unibe.ch|access-date=14 April 2007|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050126143855/http://www.iam.unibe.ch/~booga/gallery/christoffel/index.html|archive-date=26 January 2005}}</ref>
The decision to remove the tower, which had become a landmark of sorts, was not met without opposition,<ref name="fig">{{Cite web|url=http://www.g26.ch/bern_christoffelturm.html|title=The Fight for Christoffelturm|access-date=14 April 2007|language=German|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927001545/http://www.g26.ch/bern_christoffelturm.html|archive-date=27 September 2007}}</ref> and the motion of removal succeeded only by a 415 to 411 vote.
During an extended period of time, other statues existed near or actually on the site where the tower used to stand. These included a statue of King David, both as a boy holding a slingshot, and as a man. An early 20th century plan to erect a figure of the Bernese knight Rudolf von Erlach was never realised.
== Other towers in Bern == Bern's other medieval guard towers are the Zytglogge and the Käfigturm. These towers still stand today.
=== Zytglogge === In the Zytglogge (Clock Tower), a figure of the Greek god Kronos or Chronos strikes the bell atop the tower each hour.<ref name="swit">{{Cite web|url=http://switzerland.isyours.com/e/guide/bern/zytglogge.html|title=Bern: The Zytglogge|access-date=14 April 2007}}</ref>
The tower was originally of wood, when it was built sometime between 1218 and 1220.<ref name="swit" /> It survived until sometime in the very early 15th century, when it was burned down in the fire that struck the city in 1405.<ref name="Zyt">{{Cite web|url=http://www.g26.ch/berninfo_zeitglockenturm.html|title=Zytglogge the Time Bell|access-date=14 April 2007|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070223211006/http://www.g26.ch/berninfo_zeitglockenturm.html|archive-date=23 February 2007}}</ref>
However, it was rebuilt with a new stone design, and has stood ever since. It was when it was rebuilt that it was fitted with a clock. The clock too, however, soon broke, and was left unserviced and broken for 122 years before 1530, when Caspar Brunner installed a new well-functioning mechanism.<ref name="swit" />
=== Käfigturm === The Käfigturm (Cage Tower), built 1256, ceased to be a prison in 1897.<ref name="kaf">{{Cite web |url=http://www.berninfo.com/en/navpage-SightsBET-AttractionsBET-32481.html |title=Käfigturm information |access-date=14 April 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070129054412/http://www.berninfo.com/en/navpage-SightsBET-AttractionsBET-32481.html |archive-date=29 January 2007 }}</ref>
== Notes == {{Reflist}}
== External links == *[https://web.archive.org/web/20070927001545/http://www.g26.ch/bern_christoffelturm.html Information on Christoffelturm] *[https://web.archive.org/web/20050126143855/http://www.iam.unibe.ch/~booga/gallery/christoffel/index.html Information on Christoffelturm] *[http://switzerland.isyours.com/e/guide/bern/zytglogge.html Information on Zytglogge] *[https://web.archive.org/web/20070927193002/http://www.berninfo.com/en/navpage-SightsBET-AttractionsBET-32481.html Information on Käfigturm]
{{Old City of Bern}} {{Authority control}} {{Coord|46.948|N|7.44|E|region:CH-BE_type:landmark|display=title}}
Category:Buildings and structures completed in 1346 Category:Towers completed in the 14th century Category:Towers in Switzerland Category:Old City (Bern)