Who can quickly identify the capital of Switzerland? Most people might assume the capital is the famous industrial city of Zurich, the international political hub of Geneva, or even the third-largest city, Basel. However, this city, arguably the most low-profile capital in the world, smiles and says: My name is Bern!
In fact, for a long time, Switzerland did not have a true capital. This was because Switzerland was a confederation for a long period, a loose alliance of independent cantons under a broad framework. Therefore, the capital of Switzerland could be said to have shifted from one place to another; wherever the Federal Assembly met, that was the capital of Switzerland.
To put an end to the turmoil that shook the Helvetic Republic and to rebuild the Swiss Confederation, Napoleon Bonaparte mandated that the assembly rotate annually among six "Vorort" cantons (Fribourg, Solothurn, Lucerne, Bern, Zurich, and Basel). During the Restoration period following the Napoleonic era, this political structure was retained, though the number of Vorort cantons was reduced to three: Bern, Zurich, and Lucerne.
As for why Bern ultimately became the capital of Switzerland, it was primarily because the city performed well in all aspects without standing out too much, unlike Zurich, which risked becoming a "tall poppy." To maintain balance, the council members did not want to grant Zurich more status, and Lucerne was considered even less suitable, as it had previously led a coalition of cantons in opposition to the formation of the new federal state.
Bern, the model student, not only benefited from its central location in Switzerland and the support of the French-speaking cantons but also offered the necessary land for free—and so, it became the capital!
As history shows, it was precisely Bern's low-profile nature that led to it becoming the Swiss capital. Today, Bern remains unassuming, uninterested in competing for records or high performance, and is so obscure among the world's capitals that many people do not even recognize it. However, when it comes to scenery, Bern is second to none.