The fourth volume of the series "Berner Zeiten, Bern's Golden Age. The 18th Century Rediscovered" reflects in its title a judgment by European intellectuals and travelers who depicted the Republic of Bern as a model community in Europe during the waning days of the Ancien Régime. Numerous contributions to the history of social, economic, scientific, and cultural life reflect this oft-quoted judgment. A picture emerges of an era full of tensions and dynamics, which was by no means solely characterized by stagnation and persistence. Rather, it was precisely in the late Ancien Régime that crucial foundations were laid for the transition to modernity. These foundations continued to influence the revolutionary era and unfolded their full creative power into the 19th century.