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MOSAIC ART
BERN CLOCK TOWER
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Ron and I are not
art collectors, and it was a little unusual for us to think about
purchasing a piece of art, especially when it was three feet tall and
weighed at least 30 pounds. However, there was something special
about this mosaic that made us decide to return to Bern on our way
back home to see if it was still available.
When we returned to
Bern by train, a couple of weeks later, the gallery was closed.
Fortunately, a nearby shop was still open and the friendly
proprietor, who also spoke English, helped us. He called the owner of
the art gallery to let him know we were there. The owner arrived and
let us in. We made our purchase.
The proprietor wrapped
it well for us, and we carefully carried it on to the train to
Frankfurt and then on to the airport the next day. There was little
airport security at that time, we just lugged the heavy package on
to the plane as a carry-on without any problems.
For the people of
Bern there is a saying: Time is always marching on, so enjoy the
next hour of your life. I will try to remember that. However, as
for the mosaic of this old clock, time has never changed.
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| BERN CLOCK TOWER (ZYTGLOGGE) |
More than six
hundred years ago the city of Bern, with its old wooden buildings,
was ravaged by the great fire of 1405. The city was then rebuilt in a
similar medieval style, but this time in stone. The original guard tower was
rebuilt, but with the addition of a clock--it became known as the Clock Tower. The mechanisms were completely updated in 1530 by
Kaspar Bruner and are still keeping the city on time.
The famous clock
doesn't just count the minutes, it also powers an hourly performance
by a dancing jester, bears, and a gilded figure name Chronos who
flips an hourglass and opens his mouth with each strike of the bell.
On the east side of the tower is an astrological clock and calendar.
For the past 40
years, Markus Mari has been presiding over the maintenance of this
mechanical wonder. He is also known as the Timekeeper of Bern. If
time permits, it would be interesting to attend one of his three
weekly tours of the tower to see and hear the pulleys, gears,
wheels. and cogs in operation.
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MECHANISMS INSIDE THE CLOCK TOWER OF BERN
*Photo courtesy of Bern Tourism
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