XC 'TING
other appeals. Because it is
situated near the Swiss Alps,
and is surrounded on three
sides by the River Aar, the ci-
ty and its hills and bridges
provide panoramic views.
Other attractions include the
colorful outdoor market and
the town's bear pits, where
visitors look down and watch
five bears playfully leap over
logs and climb tree branches.
They're quite at home in a
town where the bear is the of-
ficial mascot. (In fact, the
name Bern is a derivative of
"ber," the German word for
bear.)
Besides medieval charm,
bear pits and panoramic
views, the Swiss capital has
special attractions for Jewish
travelers. For example, on
Munsterplatz near the
cathedral, one of the 11
historic fountains in the old
sector depicts Moses holding
the tablets. It is an elaborate-
ly carved figure showing a
bearded Moses in flowing
robes — complete with gold
fringes on the edges — proud-
ly holding up the tablets.
Another historic fountain
on Kramgasse shows Samson
fighting the lion. Like the
Moses sculpture, this, too, is
intricate, and dramatic.
A third fountain on Kor-
ngausse is of interest because
of controversy about the
theme of sculptor Hans
Gieng's creation — a con-
troversy with special implica-
tions for Jews. The sculpture
shows a seated figure, who
holds in his hand an infant.
All around him are other cry-
ing children. The man's
mouth is open and he seems
about to devour the crying
baby in his hand.
Called the Child-Eater or
Ogre Fountain, this has
sometimes been interpreted
as a reflection of anti-
Semitism in early Switzer-
land; one Jewish guide book
states that the sculpture
represents a medieval and
anti-Semitic depiction of a
Jew devouring a Christian
child.
This interpretation is now
widely discredited by both
Jews and non-Jews in Bern.
"Like so much in Bern, this
fountain can be explained in
the light of its medieval past,"
reads a press release from
Bern's tourist office, written
specifically about this foun-
tain and its theme. "Probably
this figure was simply intend-
ed to frighten children, which
was in keeping with medieval
ideas of education."
Rabbi Marcel Marcus also
dismisses the anti-Semitic in-
terpretation. "I think it's a
false interpretation," he says.
"It's just a mythical figure,
not a Jew. There is no tradi-
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