In 1848 the city of Bern was chosen as capital of the Swiss Confederation.
(For its history until 1831, when the city administration was separated from that
of the Canton of the same name see here)
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CHIEF EXECUTIVES
City Presidents
Stadtpräsidenten
1832 - 1848 Karl Zeerleder 1780 - 1851
1849 - 1863 Friedrich Ludwig von Effinger 1795 - 1867
1864 Christoph Albert Kurz 1806 - 1864
1864 - 1888 Otto von Büren 1822 - 1888
1888 - 1895 Eduard Müller 1848 - 1919
1895 - 1899 Franz Lindt 1844 - 1901
1900 - 1918 Adolf von Steiger 1859 - 1925
1918 - 1920 Gustav Müller 1860 - 1921
1920 - 1937 Hermann Lindt 1872 - 1937
1937 - 1951 Ernst Bärtschi 1882 - 1976
Swiss Cantons in the period 1848 - 1945 included :
(notes)
Argovia since 1803
Appenzell Innerrhoden since 1513 / 1597 (3)Appenzell Ausserrhoden since 1513 / 1597
Basle - Town since 1501 / 1833 (3)Basle - Country since 1501 / 1833
Berne since 1553
Fribourg since 1481
Geneva since 1814
Glarus since 1352
Grisons since 1803
Lucerne since 1332
Neuchâtel since 1815
Nidwalden since 1291 (3)Obwalden since 1291
Sankt Gallen since 1803
Schaffhausen since 1501
Schwyz since 1291
Solothurn since 1481
Thurgovia since 1803
Ticino since 1803
Uri since 1291
Valais since 1815
Vaud since 1803
Zug since 1352
Zürich since 1351
notes
(1) The style "Canton" (Kanton, Canton, Cantone, Chantun) was
the one used in the Federal Constitution. Other styles like
Stand, Repubblica, etc. were however also used.
(2) Most new cantons joining the Confederation had been states
or territories of the Holy Roman Empire, like the three
founding cantons.
Some of these states and territories had first been allies
Zugewandter Orte) to the Confederation (Grisons, Wallis, ...)
or to some of its cantons (Geneva, Neuchâtel, ...) before actually
joining.
A third group of cantons comprised those formed in the early
19th century when territories which, till then, had been
subject to some of the Cantons (Argovia, Thurgovia, ...) -
the so-called Gemeine Herrschaften - were re-organized as
separate member states.
(3) Appenzell joined as a whole in 1513. In 1597 it was divided
into two half-cantons, acting independently of each other.
Basle joined as a whole in 1501, being divided into two half-
cantons in 1833.
Nidwalden and Obwalden were the two half-cantons of the
original canton Unterwalden.
The division into half-cantons only was important as far as
the representation of the cantons to the Council of States
was concerned, each of the half-cantons electing one of the
two delegates to which the whole canton was entitled.
For all other issues the half-cantons were fully independent
of each other, the reason why they are listed here as separate
cantons.
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