Beyond paradigms
Grüessech! Bonjour! Buongiorno! Allegra!
Welcome to Bern! The greetings above represent the four official languages of Switzerland: German (or more precisely the Alemannic dialects spoken in the German-speaking parts of Switzerland), French, Italian and Rhaeto-Romanic. As reflected in its languages, Switzerland is a diverse and multicultural country which is divided into 26 largely independent cantons. The canton of Bern with its main city and the de facto Swiss capital is located on the Swiss Plateau in close proximity to the Alps.
We are pleased to welcome you in Bern where the 25th Annual Meeting of the European Association of Archaeologists (EAA) will take place from September 4-7, 2019. The event will be organised by the Institute of Archaeological Sciences at the University of Bern which offers the facilities and support for the meeting.
Bern is located in the heart of Switzerland which makes it easily reachable from all major European cities, either by public or private transportation. In the past, Bern has gained a lot of experience in hosting international congresses and events and is therefore well prepared for the demands of the venue.
Due to its interesting history, Bern is the perfect place to host an international archaeological conference. Archaeological findings go back to the Neolithic period and can still be experienced at different pile dwelling sites in the region, protected by the UNESCO World Heritage. The Old Town which is located on a spur of land in a loop of the Aare river with its medieval covered arcades and the Cathedral has been declared UNESCO World Heritage in 1983. While Bern is proud of its cultural history, there is even more offer, for example world-renowned historical and art museums. In addition, Albert Einstein´s former apartment may be visited in the city center where he has laid the foundations to his General Theory of Relativity.
Thanks to the historic charm of Bern and because of its proximity to the Swiss Alps, an attractive social program with exciting leisure activities will complement the Annual meeting.
We are looking forward to welcoming you in Bern!
Albert Hafner, Amelie Alterauge & Corinne Staeheli