Abraham Dünz the Elder

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Abraham Dünz the Elder (* approx. April 4, 1630 in Bern ; † before April 12, 1688 ibid) was foreman of the construction works at the Bern Minster and builder of numerous churches in the Bernese countryside.

Life

He was the son of a glass painter from Brugg and after training as a stonemason in the Bern minster hut and years of traveling, he was elected minster foreman in Bern in 1660. From 1664 he was a member of the Grand Council .

plant

Church of Gränichen
Church of Chêne-Pâquier
Church of Othmarsingen
Meiringen Church

Dünz's achievement for the development of the Reformed sacred building in Switzerland is the introduction of different types of churches which do justice to the theological concepts and the specific liturgical needs of the Reformed in a special way. The reformed worship service focuses on the sermon and the sacrament of baptism . This means that the pulpit and baptismal font must be visible from all parts of the nave . In addition, in Protestantism , the central concept of the general priesthood makes a choir room separated from the lay nave obsolete.

Among the innovations of Abraham Dünz the type of the choirless rectangular hall should be mentioned. This can have a closing pulpit wall ( Reformed Church Gränichen ) or a polygonal closure ( Reformed Church Gampelen ), which is not to be interpreted as a choir. Another influential building scheme is that of the Querkirche , which Dünz first implemented in what is now Switzerland with the construction of the oval church of Chêne-Pâquier . In the case of transverse churches, the pulpit is on the longer side of the church interior and the stalls are arranged around the pulpit, reminiscent of the Greek theater .

In addition to the importance of Dünz for the further development of the reformed church building in Switzerland, it is noticeable that he implemented a considerable number of different floor plans for churches.

Buildings (selection)

Dünz planned and supervised the construction of approx. 40 country churches, a. a. in:

In addition to these new buildings or extensive renovations, minor modifications were made

literature

  • Georg Germann: The Protestant Church Building in Switzerland. From the Reformation to Romanticism. Zurich 1963.

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Dünz, Abraham the Elder
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Foreman of the Bauhütte at the Bern Minster
DATE OF BIRTH around April 4, 1630
PLACE OF BIRTH Bern
DATE OF DEATH before April 12, 1688
Place of death Bern