Swiss manholes are for the most part very unimaginative, usually simply with a chequerboard pattern, sometimes with the name of the foundry inscribed. Common throughout the country are the products of the Von Roll foundry. There are relatively few obvious imports although Pont-à-Mousson has been spotted on occasion and also Buderus and other German foundries. Not a fruitful destination for the operculist.
BERN
Bern manholes often have bears on them
Kanalisation. GE [with bear as symbol of Bern].
Tiefbauamt Bern
Giesserei Bern
Keller & Co., Bern
Alf. Marti, Bern. Seen in Thörishaus
Von Roll Werk BernMost Von Roll covers refer to Rondez, presumably the locality Les Rondez, near to Delémont where they have one of their main production centres.
Von Roll, TT. Seen on top of Simplon PassThe firm of Von Roll Casting AG produces ductile and gray cast iron products, ductile cast-iron pipes and fittings with polymer coating, valves, hydrants and municipal castings such as gully grates, manhole covers and channel gratings. The production sites at Emmenbrücke and Rondez apply the moulding method "machine-moulded green sand casting"; at the production site Choindez, they produce pipes by means of centrifugation as well as fittings by hand moulding. Founded in 1803 by Karl Dürholz who planned as a representative of the Solothurn company of Felix Brunner to set up a smelting furnace in Matzendorf but became independent with his brother when they founded the Eisenwerke der Handelsgesellschaft der Gebrüder Dürholz. The firm takes its present name from Ludwig von Roll (1771–1839) who joined the company in 1809. In 1883 von Roll acquired the works in from the Société des Forges de Vallorbe et des Rondez which had gone into liquidation.
Two further typical Von Roll covers
K.Santschi, Steffisburg. Seen in Bern.
Eisenwerk Klus. Seen in Bern, perhaps a local foundry connected with the Von Roll enterprise who opened a foundry at this location in 1810.