BEM, JOSEF (1795-185o), Polish soldier, was born at Tarnow in Galicia, and was educated at the military school at Warsaw. Joining a Polish artillery regiment in the French service, he took part in the Russian campaign of 1812, and brilliantly distinguished himself in the defence of Danzig (Jan.— Nov. 1813) . On returning to Poland he was for a time in the Russian service, but lost his post, and his liberty as well for some time, for his outspokenness. In the Polish War of Independence his skill as an artillery officer won for the Polish general Skrynecki the battle of Igany (March 8 1831) , and he distinguished himself at the indecisive battle of Ostrolenka (May 26) . He took part in the desperate defence of Warsaw against Prince Paskievich (Sept. 6-7 1831). Then Bern escaped to Paris, where he supported himself by teaching mathematics. In 1848 he attempted to hold Vienna against the imperial troops, and, after the capitula tion, hastened to Pressburg to offer his services to Kossuth. He was entrusted with the defence of Transylvania at the end of 1848, and in 1849, as the general of the Szeklers (q.v.), he performed miracles with his little army, notably at the bridge of Piski (Feb. 9), where, after fighting all day, he drove back an immense force of pursuers. After recovering Transylvania he was sent to drive the Austrian general Puchner out of the Banat of Temesvar. Bern defeated him at Orsova (May 16), but the Russian invasion recalled him to Transylvania. From July 12-22 he was fighting continually, but finally, on July 31 his army was annihilated by overwhelming numbers near Segesvar (Schassburg), Bern only escaping by feigning death. Bern was in command and was seriously wounded in the last pitched battle of the war, fought on Aug. 9 at Temesvar. On the collapse of the rebellion he fled to Turkey, adopted Mohammedanism, and under the name of Murad Pasha served as governor of Aleppo, where, at the risk of his life, he saved the Christian population from being massacred by the Muslims. Here he died on Sept. 16 185o. The tiny, withered, sickly body of Bern was animated by heroic temper. Even the rough Szeklers re garded him with superstitious reverence. A statue to his honour has been erected at Maros-Vasarhely, but he lives still more en duringly in the verses of the patriot poet Sandor Petofi.