Grave of Mikhail Bakunin

The Grave of Mikhail Bakunin in Bern marks the burial place of the Russian revolutionary and anarchist thinker who died in the Swiss capital on 1 July 1876. It lies in the Bremgartenfriedhof, one of the city's largest cemeteries, and is among the most visited graves there.

Who is buried here?

Mikhail Bakunin (1814–1876) was a leading figure of nineteenth-century European anarchism. In 1872 he took part in the founding of the Anti-Authoritarian International in St-Imier in the Swiss Jura, a body that broke with the line of Karl Marx. He spent his last years in Switzerland and died in Bern, where he was laid to rest.

Where exactly is the grave?

The Bremgartenfriedhof opened in 1865 as a replacement for the older Monbijou cemetery. The city's list of notable burials places Bakunin in section 9201, grave number 68. Take the cemetery map published by Stadtgrün Bern with you: the paths are numerous, and the headstone is modest and easy to walk past.

What will you see?

The earlier memorial plate was replaced in 2015 by a bronze portrait of Bakunin made by the Swiss artist Daniel Garbade and carrying a quotation from the revolutionary. The project was backed by Dadaists linked to Zurich's Cabaret Voltaire, the birthplace of Dada, a neat link between the anarchist tradition and the artistic avant-garde.

Visitors leave flowers and small tokens. The Swiss newspaper Le Temps reports that anarchist sympathisers sometimes pop champagne at the grave in his honour. It remains a working cemetery, so keep your voice down and respect other mourners.

Who else is buried at the Bremgartenfriedhof?

The cemetery is a convenient place to see the graves of several well-known people. According to the city's list, they include Theodor Kocher, the Nobel-winning surgeon, the socialist politician Robert Grimm, Charles Albert Gobat, who received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1902, and the singer-songwriter Mani Matter. History fans can turn the visit into a longer walk.

When should you visit?

The cemetery is open year round, and late spring and early autumn give the most pleasant walking weather. Bakunin died on 1 July, so that date is a natural moment for a visit. Check current opening hours on the City of Bern website.

Frequently asked questions

Is there an entrance fee? No. The Bremgartenfriedhof is an active municipal cemetery and free to enter.

How do I find Bakunin's grave? Look for section 9201, grave 68, and use the cemetery map from Stadtgrün Bern.

What is on the headstone now? Since 2015, a bronze portrait of Bakunin by Daniel Garbade with a quotation from him.

When did Bakunin die? On 1 July 1876, in Bern.