Rathausgasse, Murten

Do you know why Rathausgasse in Murten is also known as "Elefantengasse"?

In the summer of 1866, an American circus made a guest appearance in Murten. An elephant act thrilled the numerous spectators. The next morning, the population was awakened by the frightening cry that the bull elephant had killed its keeper and was now rampaging through the town.

The elephant was eventually driven back into a stable. Two cannons with ammunition were hurriedly ordered from the Freiburg arsenal and arrived at 11 o'clock. The elephant was finally killed with this 6-pounder cannon.

The bullet is on display in the Murten Museum and the elephant's skeleton in the Natural History Museum in Bern.

Many buildings and alleyways carry stories with them. Thanks to the building survey, we can make our contribution to the renovation and preservation of these buildings and preserve historical anecdotes such as that of Elefantengasse.