Bern-Netzwerk Interview: StattLand and Thun Castle

We’re here at the Bern Generation House – a place where the past, present and future come together through dialogue and storytelling. That’s very much your area too, right?

Adrian: Absolutely. At StattLand, we have so many stories to tell – about today’s Bern, yesterday’s Bern, and even tomorrow’s Bern. We have plenty of material, and the city itself is our stage.

Yvonne: At Thun Castle, we also bring many stories to life. As a historical museum, our mission is to preserve the material heritage of different generations – a bit like a treasury of stories. Unlike StattLand, where the perfect plot is at the heart of things, our focus is often the castle itself, or a particular painting or historical object. We present these in ways that make them engaging. And on guided tours, visitors can dive even deeper.

Adrian: There are many ways to approach storytelling. What’s essential for us – and for our audience – is always to create a link to the present. That way, we meet people where they are. It creates relevance – and that’s what we aim for.

Letting visitors immerse themselves in stories remains a powerful way of conveying culture. What are your thoughts on this?

Adrian: We’ve been working with actors for over 30 years – it’s an accessible and engaging approach. It allows us to be playful or provocative and go beyond simply presenting facts.

Yvonne: At Thun Castle, stories also play a central role. During the pandemic, we were inspired by another Bern Network member who used a ghost that always opened with: “What I’m about to tell you is the truth.” Of course, not everything was true – but that was the charm. As a historical museum, truth is a sensitive topic. But this ghost gave us a creative way to explore it. Our nighttime flashlight tours, where the ghost makes appearances, are very popular and enjoyable.

Adrian: That’s exactly what I meant by the freedom acting allows. We also test other formats – recently a 3D audio walk in the PROGR. Participants explored the space alone for 64 minutes, guided by a voice in their ears. Behind the scenes, it was like staging a theatre performance. It was a one-off event. Our regular programme includes city walks, guided tours and audio walks. Audio formats also help us preserve and reuse earlier content.

Yvonne: I find that very inspiring. StattLand always brings fresh ideas. Even if we can’t adopt everything directly, it’s incredibly valuable to see what others are doing. Despite having over 70,000 entries per year, we are still a small team at Thun Castle. Our new five-year strategy focuses on visibility – including through digital tools. Audio will play a key role in that.

Is there potential for joint offerings here?

Adrian: Yes, for example in the area of digital mediation. During the presentation by the gaming agency at the last Bern-Vernetzer workshop, I kept thinking about augmented and virtual reality – topics that haven’t really taken hold in Bern yet.

At StattLand, we’ve been discussing these ideas for some time, but it’s too big to manage alone. To implement something like this, you need financially strong partners and a broad network. It would definitely be exciting if someone in the network wanted to team up with us and other institutions to create a virtual staging of the Bern destination. The technology could be shared – and we all have plenty of stories to tell.

Yvonne: Absolutely. Even the exchange of experiences is valuable. Just being able to ask about pricing or hear what experiences others have had with different providers – that already saves time and builds trust. You don’t have to start from scratch.

Are there other potential collaborations, appearances or projects currently in the works?

Yvonne: Definitely. This spring we launched a family ticket: we sell the Stockhorn together with Thun Castle – and they do the same. It's a test during a quieter period to see whether visitors combine the two attractions. What’s great is how this came about. Just a few years ago, I didn’t even know the team at Stockhorn personally. Now we know each other well and better understand what’s possible and what’s not – and why. There’s also a historical connection: the mayors of Thun were Bernese patricians elected from the Grand Council. That could link nicely with StattLand’s town hall tour. And in the present? Our temporary exhibition on 125 years of FC Thun offers great potential. Football is a shared theme.

Adrian: FC Thun is celebrating too? That fits well – at the last Bern Network workshop, I spoke with the Bern Historical Museum, which is preparing an exhibition on 125 years of BSC Young Boys. Out of that came a project: we’re supporting a group of YB fans developing an audio walk about the club’s history. That’s exactly what the network is great for – new ideas emerge. Some come to life, some don’t – and that’s perfectly fine.

Yvonne: From the beginning, my goal was to better connect Thun Castle with Bern. Through the Bern Network, I’ve come closer to different players and it’s become easier to start conversations. We’re being included, can contribute and take part in shaping things – perhaps even with the football theme, by adding a note in our exhibition that YB is also celebrating and what’s happening in Bern. We welcome many visitors from Bern, but I’m convinced it also works the other way. That we can draw attention to Bern’s great offers among guests who spend time in the Thun Lake region or Interlaken – creating an exchange of footfall between regions.

Thank you, Yvonne and Adrian, for these valuable insights. We look forward to continuing to accompany the development of the Bern Network and the activities of its partners.