The invention of bronze five thousand years ago was a groundbreaking technological leap that revolutionised human life. The desire for raw materials led to an extensive long distance trade network that linked the Near East, Egypt and Europe to a hitherto unknown degree, both economically and culturally. A global Bronze Age world arose. But it not only brought cultural progress. The new metal also prompted the permanent establishment of wealth, dominion and war. “And then came Bronze!” transports us to this fascinating era. The “Bronze Hand of Prêles”, found in 2017 in the Bernese Jura, is one of the outstanding testimonies to the Bronze Age in Europe. It is the oldest replica of a human body part in bronze known in Europe, and places the Bernese Seeland on a level with advanced civilizations at that time in Babylon, Crete and Troy. The exhibition is core to the focus topic for the Bernisches Historisches Museum in 2024, “Bronze”. It is accompanied by a rich variety of supporting events and educational offers.