{{Short description|Square in Bern, Switzerland}} {{Infobox street | name = Kornhausplatz | native_name = | image = Kornhausplatz.jpg | caption = | former_names = | postal_code = 3011 | addresses = | length = | width = | location = Old City of Bern, Bern, Switzerland | client = | owner = | current_tenants = | sector = | category = | coordinates = {{coord|46|56|54.67|N|7|26|50.99|E}} | commissioning_date = | construction_start_date = | completion_date = 1405 | inauguration_date = | demolition_date = | main_contractor = | cost = }}
The '''Kornhausplatz''' is a plaza in the Old City of Bern, the medieval city center of Bern, Switzerland. It is on the edge of the Zähringerstadt which was built during the founding of the city in 1191, though the plaza wasn't built until later. It is located near the Kornhausbrücke (''Kornhaus'' bridge) and the Zytglogge clock tower. It is part of the UNESCO Cultural World Heritage Site that encompasses the Old City.
==History== thumb|Old City of Bern with Kornhausplatz highlighted [[File:Bern - panoramio (33).jpg|thumb|left|upright|Kindlifresser fountain on Kornhausplatz looking toward the ''Kornhausbrücke''.]]
Kornhausplatz was originally the ditch around the first city wall.<ref name=Weber>{{cite book |title= Historisch-topographisches Lexikon der Stadt Bern |last= Weber |first= Berchtold |year= 1976 |url= http://www.digibern.ch/weber/weber_k.html#Kornhausplatz |access-date= 22 February 2010 |url-status= dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20090425180751/http://www.digibern.ch/weber/weber_k.html#Kornhausplatz |archive-date= 25 April 2009 }}{{in lang|de}}</ref> Following the Great Fire of 1405 the ditch (known as the ''Steininbrügg-Graben'') was filled in to form a plaza. For about three centuries, it was known as ''Platz'' (literally: plaza or place). In 1545 or 1546 the ''Kindlifresserbrunnen'' (Bernese German for ''Child Eater Fountain'') was built by Hans Gieng in place of a wooden fountain on the ''Platz''. Originally it was known as ''Platzbrunnen'' (Place Fountain), though the current name was used first in 1666.
In 1711-1715 the ''Kornhaus'' (German for ''granary'') was built on the western side of the ''Platz''.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.digibern.ch/weber/weber_k.html#Kornhaus |title=Weber - Kornhaus |language=de |publisher=Digibern.ch |access-date=2014-08-17 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090425180751/http://www.digibern.ch/weber/weber_k.html#Kornhaus |archive-date=2009-04-25 }}</ref> Following the construction of the Kornhaus, the ''Platz'' was known as Kornhausplatz or ''Kornmarkt'' (Grain market).
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==References== {{Commons category|Kornhausplatz}} {{reflist}}
{{Old City of Bern}}
{{coord|46|56|54.67|N|7|26|50.99|E|region:CH|display=title}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kornhausplatz}} Category:Squares in Bern Category:Old City (Bern)