New Bern was settled in 1710 by Bernese and Palatine immigrants under the auspices of Christoph von Graffenried, 1st Baron of Bernberg.
New Bern was settled in 1710 by Bernese and German immigrants. The new colonists named the settlement after Bern, Switzerland, home of their leader Christoph von Graffenried, 1st Baron of Bernberg.