Exhibitions and events

«30 minutes of research for a broad, interested audience« is the concept behind the «Buch am Mittag« series. In this series, visitors are given an insight into current research topics in the humanities and social sciences in the form of an easy-to-understand, compact and gripping short presentation.

Program & detailed information (in German)

In the series of talks «Text! - Literatur im Gespräch» authors talk about how, when and where they write, how they do their research and how they deal with raw material. They provide insight into their work and the process of creating their texts.

Program & further details (in German)

What motivates students in Eastern Europe? What shapes their lives and perspectives between the lecture hall, everyday life and political engagement? In the Swiss Library of Eastern Europe (SOB) series of events entitled «Learning for what? Students in Eastern Europe between education and politics», the focus is on students, their everyday lives and their activities. The series comprises a total of six lectures.

Program & further details (in German)

Everyone has something to tell, even if their experiences seem unspectacular and mundane. In the «Erzählcafé» (storytelling cafés), participants talk about personal experiences on a predefined topic. The conversations are moderated and are followed by coffee and tea. Everyone is welcome at the storytelling café, even those who just want to listen.

Further information (in German)

How do we want to live tomorrow? The Living Library at the Münstergasse Library on 5 November is dedicated to this question. With insights into alternative forms of living, sustainable construction and research projects on cooperatives and green alleys.

Program & further details (in German)

In this series of talks, researchers from the University of Bern share the fascination of their fields of research and talk about their everyday lives.

Program & further details (in German)

Take part in our interdisciplinary discussion forum on overarching questions in all facets of science. For researchers and students at the University of Bern.

Program & further details

Celebrate Bern's culture with us for an evening and play an active role in shaping it: The Blind Date takes you behind the scenes of Bern's cultural institutions, involves you in the creative work and you can toast to it together later. Who you spend the evening with remains a secret. The University Library of Bern is one of them.

Further information (in German)

In the Münstergasse Library we show larger thematic exhibitions and smaller presentations of our treasures of old prints and special collections.

Program & further details (in German)

In spring 2026, the cities of Bern and Thun will once again host a major reading festival: from 25 April to 2 May 2026, ‘Bern liest ein Buch’ will take place for the fifth time, while ‘Thun liest ein Buch’ will join in for the second time. For one week, everything will revolve around a shared book, its author and the many discussions and events that arise from it. The University Library of Bern is represented on the board of the association of the same name and is actively involved in the planning and implementation of the festival. It also organises its own events, which will be published here at a later date. Book suggestions for the 2026 festival can now be submitted to kontakt@bernliesteinbuch.ch.

Website Bern liest ein Buch

We can usually only show the treasures in our climate-controlled showcases for three months. However, the images of the exhibits and their explanations are still accessible in our online exhibitions.

Virtual showcases

During a one-hour guided tour through the renovated building of the Münstergasse Library, you will learn about the history of this oldest public cultural institution in Bern, its holdings and its services.

Dates of the guided tours (in German)