When Napoleon stole bears in Bern

Le Temps

When Napoleon stole bears in Bern

CHRONICLE. In 1798, Napoleon invaded Switzerland. To finance his warlike actions, he has the treasure of Bern in his sights. Two centuries later, notes our chronicler, Bern is the canton that is most financially dependent on the others. On 2 March 1798, Gottlieb Abraham von Jenner received an urgent mission from the Bernese government: to evacuate part of the cantonal treasury in a hurry. This was to prevent it from falling into the hands of Fre…