Weltpost Denkmal (Universal Postal Monument), Bern

The Universal Postal Monument (Weltpost Denkmal) is a significant cultural and historical landmark located on the Kleine Schanze in Bern. It commemorates Bern as the founding city and headquarters of the Universal Postal Union, which has been in operation since 1874.

The monument features a bronze sculpture titled "Autour du monde" ("Around the World"), crafted by French sculptor René de Saint-Marceaux (1845–1915). Saint-Marceaux won an international competition in 1903 to create this sculpture, and the monument was inaugurated on October 4, 1909, after a substantial expenditure of approximately 200,000 Swiss francs.

Situated behind a large fountain basin, the sculpture is set on an artificial rock formation. A spring emerges at the base of this formation, leading up to a cloud pillar at the peak, symbolizing the majestic Bernese Alps. The cloud appears as if trying to ascend into space and supports a globe surrounded by five female figures representing the continents. These figures are depicted passing letters to one another, a motif that illustrates the global connectivity facilitated by the postal service.

Adjacent to the main sculpture is a granite base where a statue of Berna, personifying the city of Bern, is seated. Berna's right-hand rests on the city’s coat of arms, adding a local emblematic touch to the international theme of the monument.

This motif of the globe and the five continents exchanging letters was later adopted as the symbol of the Universal Postal Union in 1967 and has been featured on over 800 stamps worldwide as of 2009. It also appears on International Response Slips (IAS).