You’re listening to…

… Maria Rosina Jenni (1851–1925), who is speaking about her family history.

It is 1905 in Ostermundigen. Maria Rosina lives in this house with her husband Christian Jenni. Her only daughter married a year ago and moved to Bern.

Ostermundigen has grown considerably and now consists not just of farmsteads but also of settlements for manual workers. The proximity to the city of Bern and favourable train links facilitate this growth.

Maria Rosina’s great grandfather, Bendicht Gosteli, built this very house in 1797. He was a drillmaster for the military and a wealthy man. Maria Rosina’s grandfather, Christian Gosteli, also held high-ranking offices. But he was also a man who enjoyed life and liked dancing. Christian Gosteli had no male descendants, and he was the last Gosteli to live in the house. His daughter – Maria Rosina’s mother – married Christian Liechti in 1834. It was he who had the sandstone oven installed…

… on which you are very welcome to sit!