Special session of the Swiss Parliament

First year Swiss School students visited the political center of Switzerland and the federal city of Bern. The students went for a walk through the city and looked at the sights of Bern, which is the heritage not only of Switzerland but also of the whole world: since 1983 the old city has been recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The old town is home to one of Bern’s icons, the Zitglogge Tower with its astronomical clock, designed by the Swiss watchmaker Kaspar Brunner. The chime of the Zitglogge clock deserves special attention: at the new hour visitors and residents of Bern can see a real performance of small figures with the rooster, court jester and bears.

Then the students visited the Historical Museum of Bern and the Einstein Museum, where they could see exhibits from different eras — from the Stone Age to the present, as well as curious ethnographic artifacts from different parts of the world. The most interesting part of the museum visit was the exposition devoted to the life and work of Albert Einstein. While working as a modest official at the Swiss Patent Office, he was also developing his scientific ideas, and it was in Bern where the famous physicist discovered his famous theory of relativity.

After the tour the students went to the heart of Swiss law — the Federal Palace of the Swiss Confederation. On the day of the visit, a special session was held within the walls of the Bundeshaus on environmental issues of the Confederation. It is important to say that additional special sessions are held rarely and only if the volume of cases cannot be dealt with during the regular sessions. The students had a unique opportunity to observe the process of discussing various issues as well as making decisions by voting.