Discover Bern's golden age and learn of the relationships between power, knowledge, upheaval and awakening at the time of the Helvetic Revolution.

The sequel to the exhibition "From the Early Middle Ages to the Ancien Régime" takes up approximately 330 m² and focuses on 18th and 19th century Bern. In a chronological sequence the seven rooms of the exhibition display unique objects from the golden age of an educated and gallant Bern. However, they also show the decline of the Ancien Régime and the struggle for a new constitution. Some 300 diverse exhibits including written documents, musical instruments, porcelain pieces and costumes bring the era back to life.

Some of the highlights of this exhibition are the mayoral throne from the city hall and groups of porcelain figurines depicting 18th century customs. Life-sized figures revive the ambiance of the time in the "Salon de Pourtalès". A cycle of paintings by Reinhard offers impressively realistic depictions of distinct individuals from all over Switzerland.