46.9480° N, 7.4474° E

BERN

Most Famous People Born in Bern, Switzerland

Notable people
1,261
Peak decade
1940s
Median birth year
1934
Most distinctive
Author 2.7×

A Swiss federal capital whose bench is unusually literary and unusually scholarly for its size. Bern's distinctive professions are authors, academics, ice hockey players, architects, photographers, historians, painters, and diplomats — a combination that reflects both the federal civil service and a long Bernese tradition of humanistic learning. Paul Klee, Albrecht von Haller, and Friedrich Dürrenmatt all belong here; Einstein was not a son but wrote his 1905 miracle year in a Bern patent office.

Through the Centuries

One face per century — the most globally famous figure born in Bern during each.

What Bern Is Known For

Click any row to filter the list of people below.

Politician is Bern's biggest profession — 12% of all notables (156).

Bern over-indexes on author2.7× the global rate.

Bern under-produces football — only 0.3× the global rate.

  1. Politician156
  2. Writer77
  3. Painter66
  4. Actor64
  5. Hockey36
  6. Football34
  7. Academic31
  8. Historian30
  1. Author292.7×
  2. Academic312.4×
  3. Hockey362.4×
  4. Architect262.3×
  5. Photographer142.3×
  6. Historian302.3×
  7. Painter662.0×
  8. Diplomat141.9×
  1. Football340.3×

Profession Mix Over Time

Each band shows a profession family's share of Bern's notable births by decade. Hover the chart for the breakdown at any decade.

15001550160016501700175018001850190019502000
  • Politics & Law
  • Writing
  • Sports
  • Science
  • Art & Design
  • Film & TV
  • Other
All1,261
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1,261 notable people

1201 CARVER

Johann Hescheler

1638 - 1689

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1202 SPORT

Heidi Obrecht

Born 1942

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1203 SPORT

Theres Obrecht

Born 1944

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1204 NURSE

Rosalie Dreyer

1895 - 1987

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1205 JOURNALIST

Marco Ratschiller

Born 1974

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1206 MUSIC

Marc Fitze

Born 1974

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1207 FOOTBALL

Otto Mayer

-

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1208 DRUMMER

Marc Hellman

Born 1941

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1209 FOOTBALL

Joel Gysin

Born 1986

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1210 FOOTBALL

Carlo Streit

Born 1888

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1211 SKATER

Anina Fivian

Born 1981

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1212 ORGANIST

Jean-François Vaucher

Born 1946

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1213 ACTOR

Vera Flück

Born 1994

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1214 MILITAR

Johann Rudolph Müller von Andolfingen

1737 - 1793

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1215 POLITICIAN

Arist Rollier

1919 - 1997

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1216 POLITICIAN

Michael Kaufmann (Rektor)

Born 1954

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1217 DIPLOMAT

Santiago Salas Collantes

Born 1946

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1218 BOTSCHAFTER

Alexandre Paternotte de la Vaillée

Born 1923

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1219 GOLDSMITH

Emanuel Jenner

1657 - 1741

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1220 LAWYER

Fritz Heeb

1911 - 1994

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1221 PRESENTER

Gee-Jay

Born 1974

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1222 POLITICIAN

Claudia Omar

1947 - 2008

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1223 GENERALMAJOR

Johann Wilhelm von Ernest

1741 - 1817

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1224 DRIVER

Jean-Pierre Aeschlimann

Born 1935

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1225 BASKET

Davide Balletta

Born 1981

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1226 DIPLOMAT

Frédéric-Samuel Schmidt de Rossan

1737 - 1796

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1227 PLAYER

Claudia Weber (Snookerspielerin)

Born 1976

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1228 POLITICIAN

Rolf Schneider (Politiker)

Born 1936

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1229 POLITICIAN

Susanne Bommeli

1951 - 2011

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1230 MUSIC

Erwin Lorant

Born 1962

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1231 MUSIC

Hans Zurbrügg

Born 1944

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1232 BUSINESS

Gottlieb Fischer (Landvogt, 1736)

1736 - 1797

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1233 MAGISTRAT

Johannes von Jenner

1735 - 1787

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1234 MERCHANT

Georg Emanuel Ludwig Ziegler

1807 - 1867

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1235 POLITICIAN

Rudolf Emanuel Frisching

1698 - 1780

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1236 ARCHITECT

Paul Lindt

1859 - 1913

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1237 POLITICIAN

Stefan Hofer (Politiker, 1975)

Born 1975

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1238 ENGINEER

Franz Rudolf Jakob Rohr

1831 - 1888

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1239 MISSING

Julie von Jenner

1787 - 1860

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1240 POLITICIAN

Anton Ludwig Stürler

1725 - 1797

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1241 HOCKEY

Alfred Lack

Born 1924

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1242 GEIGE

Gustav Lütschg

1870 - 1947

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1243 MISSING

Wilhelm Emanuel Dittlinger

1718 - 1799

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1244 POLITICIAN

Brandolf Egger

1674 - 1731

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1245 POLITICIAN

Theres Giger

Born 1944

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1246 BASKET

Christian Affolter

Born 1993

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1247 DIPLOMAT

Hans Karl Frey

1916 - 1974

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1248 WINEGROWER

Bernhard Kauter

Born 1942

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1249 DIPLOMAT

Pierre-Yves Simonin

Born 1937

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1250 DIPLOMAT

Alfred Brunner (Diplomat)

1890 - 1953

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1251 ZEICHNER

Peter David Stürler

1700 - 1744

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1252 POLITICIAN

Jakob Bucher

1575 - 1617

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1253 ACADEMIC

Walter Ludwig Wilhelm Lauterburg

1861 - 1938

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1254 POLITICIAN

Mirjam Veglio

Born 1967

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1255 RATSHERR

Peter von Graffenried

1345 - 1401

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1256 POLITICIAN

Johann Rudolf Tillier (Schultheiss)

1465 - 1516

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1257 POLITICIAN

Johann Friedrich Stapfer (Jurist)

1800 - 1840

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1258 IM RUHESTAND

Alessio Carissimo

Born 1935

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1259 MILITAR

Burkhard von Erlach (Offizier)

1535 - 1566

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1260 POLITICIAN

Abraham Tillier (Politiker, 1594)

1594 - 1654

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1261 ARTIST

Hans Schärer

1927 - 1997

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