Federal Palate

The federal Palais is the seat of the Gouvernement (Federal council) and of the Parliament Suisse (National council and Conseil of the States).

It dominates the federal place of Bern.

After the foundation of the Federal state in 1848, the Federal council and the Parliament use initially various buildings of Bern. The Hotel of the government (current western wing) is built as of 1852. Inaugurated the June 5th 1857, it includes/understands then 2 rooms, one for the National council, the other for the Council of the States, as well as rooms of meeting for the government, 96 offices for the federal administration and a housing for the chancellor of the Confederation. Today, the Federal council holds to with it his weekly sessions in a room of the 1st stage offering a sight on the Aar.

Drawn by the Architect Hans Wilhelm Auer, the current palate is inaugurated on April 1st 1902 after 8 years of work and an investment of more than 7 million frank to build a building of 3742 m ². It is inserted between the old Hotel of the government, oldest of the 3 bodies of building constituting current federal Palais, and the wing is built between 1888 and 1892. It constitutes the harmonious completion of a line of buildings of which it is the most remarkable realization. By its architecture, it is representative of the end of the 19th century.

The rooms of the National council and the Council of the States are renovated in 1993 and 2001. The palate is the subject currently of a complete restoration which will be completed in 2008.

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