The University of Bern is located in the German-speaking region of the capital of the canton of Bern in the central and western Switzerland. Bern is the fourth largest city in Switzerland and has been the political and cultural center of Switzerland since the establishment of the Federal Government here in 1848. The Al River divides Bern into the old city on the west bank and the new city on the east bank. Bern is known as Bear City, Spring City and Watch Kingdom. The University of Bern has a history dating back to the Seminary established in the early sixteenth century, when it was built to train Puritan priests for the Reformation. It is a university without walls and without sports fields.