With the Department of Swiss History, its two chairs and assistant lecturership, the Institute of History at the University of Bern places a strong emphasis on the study and communication of Swiss history. It takes into account Bern's role as capital city and the presence of important national cultural institutions and research centres (Federal Archives, National Library). The two chairs of the department (Chair Holenstein: Late Middle Ages to the early 19th century - Chair Berger Ziauddin: Swiss and Modern General History from the 19th to the 21st century) and the assistant lecturership offer a cross-epoch and cross-border approach. The history of Switzerland represents an attractive laboratory for historical research due to the high complexity of conditions and circumstances in such a small geographical area and the wide spectrum of easily accessible sources. Methodological diversity and the breadth of topics characterise the profile of the department, which views Swiss history - in contrast to traditional national historical constrictions - fundamentally as the history of Switzerland's interconnectedness with its European and global environment.
