Exhibitions and events
With our guided tours, event series and exhibitions we offer a broad, culturally and scientifically interested audience insights into current developments and the history of knowledge media or the latest research contributions from inside and outside the University of Bern.
Buch am Mittag
«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.
Text! Literatur im Gespräch
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.
«Fokus Forschung» - Talks about science
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)
Erzählcafé
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.
Text! Literatur im Gespräch
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.
Film screening: Trop Chaud – Focus on climate justice
On 1 October 2025, Service Civil International Switzerland (SCI Switzerland) and the University Library of Bern are hosting a public film and discussion evening on the topic of climate justice. The focus will be on the award-winning documentary film Trop Chaud, which follows the groundbreaking legal battle brought by Climate Seniors against Switzerland before the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR).
Living Library: Living (in) the future
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.
Science Roundtable
Take part in our interdisciplinary discussion forum on overarching questions in all facets of science. For researchers and students at the University of Bern.
Blind Date #6 – eine Kulturentführung
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)
Exhibitions
In the Münstergasse Library we show larger thematic exhibitions and smaller presentations of our treasures of old prints and special collections.
Online exhibitions
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.
Historical Library Tour
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.
Themed tours
For groups we offer thematic tours on our special collections and on our historical prints.