The Äussere Neustadt is a historic section in the Old City of Bern in Bern, Switzerland.

For almost a century the Käfigturm remained the western boundary of Bern. However, as the city grew, people began settling outside the city walls. In 1344 the city started to build a third wall to protect the growing population. By 1346 the project was finished and six new streets were protected by a wall and the Christoffelturm

Christoffelturm

The Christoffelturm was a tower built between the years 1344 and 1346. It was located in the old part of the Swiss city of Bern, in the upper section of Spitalgasse, near Holy Spirit Church....

(German: St. Christopher Tower). The Christoffelturm remained the western border of Bern until the 19th century. From 1622 to 1634 a series of defensive walls and strong points were added outside the Christoffelturm. These defensive walls, known as the Grosse Schanze and Kleine Schanze (large and small redoubt

Redoubt

A redoubt is a fort or fort system usually consisting of an enclosed defensive emplacement outside a larger fort, usually relying on earthworks, though others are constructed of stone or brick. It is meant to protect soldiers outside the main defensive line and can be a permanent structure or a...

s respectively) as well as the Schanzegraben (redoubt ditch or moat), were never used as living space for the city, though the Schanzengraben was used for a while to house the Bärengraben.

Only the four central streets (Schauplatzgasse

Schauplatzgasse

The Schauplatzgasse is one of the streets in the Old City of Bern, the medieval city center of Bern, Switzerland. It is part of the Äussere Neustadt which was built during the third expansion from 1344 to 1346...

, Spitalgasse

Spitalgasse

The Spitalgasse is one of the streets in the Old City of Bern, the medieval city center of Bern, Switzerland. It is part of the Äussere Neustadt which was built during the third expansion from 1344 to 1346. The eastern end is at Waisenhausplatz and Bärenplatz while the western end is at...

, Neuengasse

Neuengasse

The Neuengasse is one of the streets in the Old City of Bern, the medieval city center of Bern, Switzerland. It is part of the Äussere Neustadt which was built during the third expansion of the city in 1344 to 1346. It runs from Waisenhausplatz in the east toward the main train station...

 and Aarbergergasse

Aarbergergasse

The Aarbergergasse is one of the streets in the Old City of Bern, the medieval city center of Bern, Switzerland. It was originally the most important of the five streets that were part of the Äussere Neustadt, which was the section outside the city walls.One fountain, the Ryfflibrunnen on the...

) were lined with residential houses in late medieval times, while the rest of the area was devoted to agriculture and animal husbandry

Animal husbandry

Animal husbandry is the agricultural practice of breeding and raising livestock.- History :Animal husbandry has been practiced for thousands of years, since the first domestication of animals....

.