Brother Klaus (Zurich-Unterstrass)

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Brother Klaus church, exterior view (2013)
inside view
Chancel designed by Alfred Huber from 1971
View of the main and side aisles

The Brother Klaus Church is the Roman Catholic parish church in the Unterstrass district of Zurich . It was consecrated to Brother Klaus in 1933 as the world's first parish church .

history

Until the end of the 1920s, the “Eggenschwyler Zoo”, by the sculptor Urs Eggenschwyler (1849–1923) , was located in the area of ​​today's Evangelical Reformed Pauluskirche and the Roman Catholic parish of Brother Klaus . After his death, the area served, among other things, for the Swiss military as a place to stay on a long march. The small economy of the former zoo was maintained for many years as the "Freihof" restaurant between the two churches, before it gave way to the Brother Klaus parish center in 1978.

After more than a dozen housing estates had been rebuilt in the area of ​​today's parish Brother Klaus in the 1920s, it became apparent for both the Protestant Reformed and the Roman Catholic Church that a community was being built in the area of ​​the Milchbuck would be necessary. Almost simultaneously, the two regional churches planned and built a new building next to each other. On December 28, 1926, the Liebfrauen church building association acquired the site of today's church. The idea was to consecrate this new church in the name of Brother Klaus, who was not canonized at the time, but was first blessed. However, this could only be done with the express consent of the Pope . The Swiss bishops made a request to the Pope Pius XI. 1928 granted. The Catholic Church in Zurich-Unterstrass is the first parish church in the world to be consecrated to Brother Klaus. Shortly before, only the house chapel in the Schöneck seminary of the Bethlehem Immensee Mission Society in Emmetten , Nidwalden was also consecrated to Brother Klaus.

The foundation stone of the Catholic Church in Unterstrass was laid on March 28, 1932 and in 1932/1933 the Brother Klaus church was built according to the plans of the architect Anton Higi (1885–1951). The church was consecrated on February 19, 1933, with the main altar consecrated to brother Klaus and Karl Borromeo as co-patron saints of the church. Next to the church at Winterthurerstrasse 135 is the old rectory, which was built as an apartment building at the same time and which now houses rooms for the youth clubs and the office for the missionary of the Hungarian-speaking Catholics of Zurich.

On May 15, 1947, Pope Pius XII spoke . holy brother Klaus. Therefore, on September 28, 1947, the Brother Klaus church was consecrated a second time to the now Holy Brother Klaus. The consecration was carried out by the Bishop of Chur , Christian Caminada . On this occasion, the new bells in the church tower rang for the first time.

After the Second World War, the parish of Brother Klaus founded the daughter parish of All Saints (Zurich-Neuaffoltern) . In 1946 the Bruder Klaus Foundation bought the building site. In 1953 , a pastoral care station with an emergency church was built based on plans by Karl Higi , the son of the builder of the Brother Klaus Church . On April 26, 1956, the Bishop of Chur, Christian Caminada, elevated All Saints to a parish by decree. Between the emergency church and the rectory of Allerheiligen, Karl Higi finally built today's parish church of Allerheiligen in 1964.

Since the steadily growing parish of Brother Klaus needed more space, but too little financial means were available for the construction of a parish center, a meeting room and some were built in the apartment building on Winterthurerstrasse in 1955/1956, which also housed the parish office Group rooms built in. This renovation was carried out by the architect Karl Higi.

In 1961 a crypt was built under the church choir . It contains works by the artists Hans Christen and Max Rüedi .

After the parish succeeded in buying the "Freihof" restaurant located between the Paulus Church and the Brother Klaus Church in 1978, the construction of a parish center was planned. The building was constructed between 1978 and 1980 and inaugurated on June 29, 1980 according to the plans of the architects W. Waschle and U. Wüest, Zurich. In addition to a large hall and several other rooms for parish life, it also contains the parish office and six apartments.

With 3,836 members (as of 2017), the parish of Brother Klaus is one of the medium-sized Roman Catholic parishes in the city of Zurich.

Church tower and bells

The bells were cast by the H. Rüetschi bell foundry in Aarau on August 7, 1947 and rang for the first time on the occasion of the second consecration of the church to Brother Klaus on September 28, 1947.

number volume dedication
1 it Holy Brother Klaus
2 f Mother of God
3 G Charles Borromeo
4th b St. Canisius
5 c Guardian Angel

Building description

Statue of Brother Klaus on the church tower by Alphons Friedrich Magg from 1933

The Brother Klaus church was placed next to the much larger Reformed Paulus Church, which was also completed in 1933, on Milchbuckstrasse. In contrast to the Pauluskirche, to which "a wide flight of stairs to the wide square leading to the imposing tower facade", neither the space nor the money for an analogous square design was available when the Brother Klaus church was built. To draw attention to the location of the church, the church tower was placed on the corner of the busy Milchbuckstrasse. A larger than life statue of Brother Klaus made of granite was placed at the foot of the church tower . It comes from the sculptor Alphons Friedrich Magg (1891–1967). The church, which is simple in itself, has round windows with a distinctive lattice structure as a characteristic feature on the front of the church and also at the height of the belfry on the tower. Exactly the same element can also be found on the south side of the St. Martin Church (Zurich-Fluntern), also built by Anton Higi .

The main portal of the church is framed by relief panels with representations of the Old Testament . These relief panels are an early work by the sculptor Albert Schilling .

Inside, the high walls of the central nave stretch as horizontal girders directly from the organ gallery to the chancel . This is made possible by the use of reinforced concrete. Since this construction creates an interior space free of columns (apart from the two pillars of the organ gallery), the original 520 seats offer a clear view of the chancel. With today's seating, the church still offers 350 seats. The high wall above the side aisles, the continuous ribbon windows and the strong ceiling joists characterize the church.

If you compare the three churches Guthirt , Brother Klaus and St. Martin built by Anton Higi in Zurich , you can see how the architect moved from the idea of ​​a church as a longitudinal building to a church as a central building . The background to this development is the demand of the liturgical movement for the faithful to participate actively in the liturgy , which meant that the spatial separation of the celebrants and the rest of the worship community should be abolished. In this context, Johannes von Acken demanded: "Widening the main room, shortening and widening the choir, dispensing with pillars and pillars that obstruct the view."

Brother Klaus' floor plan shows that Anton Higi implemented this requirement by building the church on a greatly shortened longitudinal rectangle. Without the choir, the church interior is even wider than it is long, namely 24 meters by 21.5 meters. But by dividing the church into three naves and emphasizing the central axis, Anton Higi designed the church as a way church .

Furnishing

Original design

In the semicircular choir of the church, the concrete pillars surrounded the original high altar , the crucifix of which was flanked on the left and right by depictions of the church patron Karl Borromeo and brother Klaus. The high altar, including the bronze cross and the relief panels embossed in bronze, were created by the artist Arnold Stockmann (1882–1963), Lucerne. The entire room concept was geared towards this high altar. The transformation of 1970/1971 fundamentally changed the expression of the church.

In the left nave one was Lady -Altar which, together with the statue of Brother Klaus, which was located on the corner between the choir and the right aisle, works of sculptor Alois Payer hermit were (1878-1969) and were carved from wood. The Josefs altar in the right aisle came from the workshop of Franz Xaver Marmon, Alfons Marmon and Anton Blank , Wil SG .

Church window

The concept of the church window was based on plans by the architect Karl Higi. An architectural feature of the windows is that they were designed as continuous ribbon windows. The seven church windows in each of the two side aisles represent the Way of the Cross and were executed by the Bern painter Albin Schweri in 1949.

The windows on the high walls of the nave of the church show motifs from the Old Testament on the right and motifs from the life of Jesus on the left . They were designed by the painter Leo Steck , Bern, and used in 1949.

Starting at the organ loft, the two ribbon windows are aligned with the former high altar in the church choir. They represent the history of man in connection with God in chronological order. The six windows with the Old Testament motifs on the right-hand side begin on the first two windows with the representation of paradise ( tree of life , snake) and the expulsion from paradise (apple of knowledge, flaming sword of the angel who sends Adam and Eve out of paradise). This is followed by two windows that thematize the life of Moses (water springs from the rock, the Ten Commandments ), and the last two show elements of the Psalms and other books of the Old Testament (e.g. the panting deer according to Psalm 42).

The six windows on the left side of the nave show motifs of the life and work of Jesus. The first window announces the birth of Jesus with the star of Bethlehem . The second window, with the JHS symbol lying on straw in the crib, deals with the birth in Bethlehem. The motif of the crane tearing its chest open to nourish its young refers in the third window to charity . The fourth window focuses on the meal community (vine, fish, chalice, praying hands). Good Friday is anticipated in the fifth window (cross with sacrificial lamb , flaming Heart of Jesus with a crown of thorns , darkened sun). And the sixth window deals with belief in the resurrection of the dead ( phoenix , anchor as a symbol of hope , angel with trumpet).

The six windows in the choir were created on the occasion of the second consecration of the church in 1947 by the painter Leo Steck, Bern. They show the city of Jerusalem in cubic forms as the backdrop for the monumental cross of the original high altar. In the glass windows of the choir there are also the symbols of the four evangelists and in the middle window the symbols of the priesthood and the sacrificial death of Christ (chalice, hand of God, which points out of the cloud to the crucifixion, as well as the dove of the Holy Spirit , which is on seemed to lower the crucified one above the high altar).

All the church windows in the main nave and in the choir of the church show numerous angels , who related the entire spatial program to the original crucifixion of Christ at the high altar.

Today's design

Tabernacle, Lecture Cross and Eternal Light by Alfred Huber from 1971

After the liturgical reform of the Second Vatican Council , the parish began redesigning the church space. At the same time as the exterior and interior renovation of the church in 1970/1971, the artist Alfred Huber , Rümlang redesigned the chancel. The original high altar could not remain in the choir due to lack of space and was replaced by a wooden people's altar . The stone pulpit , which was located on the corner of the left aisle and choir of the church, was also no longer used. It was exchanged for an ambo in the choir room that matched the new altar . Instead of the large crucifix of the high altar, a simple cross with a body was hung above the new people's altar. The pulpit was replaced by a tabernacle and a lecture cross , both made of metal and decorated with enamel work. And on the right corner between the choir and aisle is the old stone-made baptismal font , which was moved from the entrance area of ​​the church to the front near the altar. At the same time as the redesign of the choir, the two side altars were dismantled and the ceiling redesigned. The artist Max Rüedi took up the colors of the existing church windows in his ceiling painting and thus created a bridge from the older pieces of furniture to the newer works in the church. On the right side of the chancel there is a sculpture by the artist Alois Spichtig , which depicts Brother Klaus. On the ground floor of the church tower there is a prayer niche with a statue of the Virgin Mary. A representation of the vision of Brother Klaus with the face of God made of cement is embedded in the wall.

Meditation picture by Brother Klaus

Picture by Max Rüedi based on the meditation picture of brother Klaus from 2000

In 2000 the church received another new artistic work: based on the meditation picture of Brother Klaus, which is located in the parish church of Sachseln and was created around 1480, the artist Max Rüedi painted a meditation picture for the Church of Brother Klaus. It is located on the front wall of the left aisle and symbolically shows the relationship between God and human beings and all of creation. The meditation picture shows Brother Klaus' vision , according to which three rays lead to God and three other rays emanate from God. In the modern version by Max Rüedi, the representation of God from 1480 was omitted, since man should not make an image of God. There are six representations around these rays, two of which always correspond. In the first circle on the top left, man and woman are represented, they stand for the whole of creation in its wealth and its problems; the snake with its healing and destructive dimension also belongs to this image of creation. The second at the bottom right is assigned to this first circular image. It represents the morning meal , two fish and the chalice: God who wants to be food for people. The third circle image shows the birth of Jesus Christ in the stable at the bottom left : God who, lying among the animals, has given up all his power. The fourth circle picture, which is assigned to the third, is to be found at the top and shows the cross with rainbow and summer bird as a sign of the resurrection. The fifth circle above shows the bound hands of Jesus and the rooster that crows betrayal into the world: a sign of human inability to be drawn into the divine. The sixth circle picture finally shows, as an answer to the fifth, the dove , which flies from the fire: a sign of the incomprehensible divine freedom, which brings out and transforms destructive things. The six circular images overlap and are shown on a changing color background; thereby the picture refers to the lively, unpredictable relationship between God and man.

crypt

The stained glass window in Max Rüedi's crypt from 1962
Hans Christen's crypt from 1961

In 1961, the architect Karl Higi built a small crypt under the choir of the church. This can be reached via a staircase from the left aisle of the church. In 1962 the artist Hans Christen designed the chancel of the crypt with an altar, an ambo, a wall cross and two candlesticks. In the crypt there is a large Pietà carved from wood and the first church window by the artist Max Rüedi . It was used in May 1962 and - based on a vision of Brother Klaus - shows the works of mercy . In the left part of the window, the hand of God can be seen above, which is the whole of creation (shown in a circle with sun, moon and tree) presented to the two outstretched human hands. In the lower field is the Jesus word I was thirsty to read. Shown is the hand of the crucified, who reaches for an upturned empty glass. In the middle window above the motto is the word Jesus love one another as I have loved you. Below a cross, a driving away automobile is shown, the driver of which leaves the injured person behind after a traffic accident without paying attention to him. With this depiction, the artist Max Rüedi refers to the relevance of the Jesuan words even in times of technical progress. In the right window above the rainbow can be seen as a sign of the covenant between God and man, below a rose that grows from heaven to earth as a symbol of divine love. In the lower segment the seven spiritual works of mercy can be read as formulated in the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC 2447): comforting the sad, teaching the ignorant, advising the doubting, correcting the erring, forgiving injustice, patiently bearing annoying people, for the living and Praying dead. In addition to a glass window in the Wasserkirche , this church window is the only one in the city of Zurich that depicts an automobile .

organ

View to the organ gallery
Mathis organ from 1974

On March 7, 1933, the first organ in the church was consecrated. It was built by Orgelbau AG Willisau and had 21 stops and two manuals. In 1974 this organ was replaced by a new one from the organ building company Mathis , Näfels. The new instrument has 34 registers on three manuals including pedals .

The disposition :

I Swell C – g 3
Bourdon 8th'
Viol 8th'
Unda maris 8th'
Principal 4 ′
Coupling flute 4 ′
Nasat 2 2 ⁄ 3  ′
Pointed flute 2 ′
third 1 3 ⁄ 5  ′
Plein jeu IV 2 '
Dulcian 16 '
Schalmey 8th'
II Hauptwerk C – g 3
Pommer 16 ′
Principal 8th'
Reed flute 8th'
Octave 4 ′
Night horn 4 ′
Octave 2 ′
Sesquialtera II 2 2 ⁄ 3  ′
Mixture III-IV 1 1 ⁄ 3  ′
Sharp II – III 2 ⁄ 3 ′
Trumpet 8th'
III Breastwork C – g 3
Wooden dacked 8th'
Flute 4 ′
Principal 2 ′
Larigot 1 1 ⁄ 3  ′
Mixture II-III 1 ⁄ 2 ′
shelf 8th'
Pedal C – g 1
Praestant 16 ′
Principal 8th'
Tube bare 8th'
Octave 4 ′
Mixture III 2 2 ⁄ 3  ′
trombone 16 ′
prong 8th'
  • Coupling: I / II, III / II, I / P, II / P, III / P (all coupling designed as moves and steps)
  • Changeover: Mixtur HW, Trompete HW, Schalmey SW, Plein jeu SW, Trombone Ped, Zinke Ped
  • mechanical play and stop action
  • Slider chests
  • Air humidification system in the organ substructure

Appreciation

The Brother Klaus Church is one of the early reinforced concrete churches in the city of Zurich. For the architect Anton Higi, the challenge was to build a representative church on the small property. "With the clear staggering in cross-section and the connection of the nave and choir in one building, the architect succeeded not only in creating a well-usable church, but also a worth seeing church that fits into the cityscape."

See also

literature

  • Guido Kolb: 100 years of St. Peter and Paul. Zurich 1974.
  • Episcopal Ordinariate Chur (ed.): Schematism of the Diocese of Chur. Chur 1980.
  • Maria Rast and Josef Jurt: The Parish Brother Klaus Zurich 1933–1983. Zurich 1983.
  • Henri Truffer: Association of Roman Catholic Churches in the City of Zurich. Zurich 1989.
  • Robert Schönbächler: Churches and places of worship in the city of Zurich. New Year's Gazette Industriequartier / Aussersihl. Zurich 2012.
  • Fabrizio Brentini: The Catholic Church of St. Martin in Zurich-Fluntern. Society for Swiss Art History. Bern 2013.
  • City of Zurich, Office for Urban Development (Ed.): Catholic Churches of the City of Zurich. Inventory of Monument Preservation of the City of Zurich. Zurich 2014.

Web links

Commons : Brother Klaus Zurich  - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Article on Wikipedia on Brother Klaus Church
  2. ^ Website of the Reformed Church Zurich-Paulus, section Church history. Retrieved June 18, 2013.
  3. ^ City of Zurich, Office for Urban Development (Ed.): Catholic Churches of the City of Zurich. Inventory of Monument Preservation of the City of Zurich. P. 32.
  4. ↑ Article on Wikipedia on Brother Klaus Church
  5. ↑ Schönbächler: Churches and Houses of God of the City of Zurich , p. 63.
  6. ^ Truffer: Association of Roman Catholic Churches in the City of Zurich. P. 156.
  7. ^ Truffer: Association of Roman Catholic Churches in the City of Zurich. P. 156.
  8. ↑ Maria Rast and Josef Jurt: The parish brother Klaus. Pp. 22, 23 and 26.
  9. ↑ Maria Rast and Josef Jurt: The parish brother Klaus. P. 25.
  10. ↑ Maria Rast and Josef Jurt: The parish brother Klaus. Pp. 42-46.
  11. ↑ Catholic Church in the Canton of Zurich: Annual Report 2017. p. 84.
  12. ^ City of Zurich, Office for Urban Development (Ed.): Catholic Churches of the City of Zurich. Inventory of Monument Preservation of the City of Zurich. Pp. 32-34.
  13. ↑ Schönbächler: Churches and Houses of God of the City of Zurich , p. 66.
  14. ↑ Maria Rast and Josef Jurt: The parish brother Klaus. P. 11
  15. ^ Rainald Fischer, in: Guido Kolb: 100 years of St. Peter and Paul. P. 196
  16. ^ City of Zurich, Office for Urban Development (Ed.): Catholic Churches of the City of Zurich. Inventory of Monument Preservation of the City of Zurich. P. 34.
  17. ↑ Brentini: The Catholic Church of St. Martin in Zurich-Fluntern. Pp. 19-21.
  18. ↑ Johannes von Acken: Christocentric Church Art. Quoted from: Brentini: The Catholic Church of St. Martin in Zurich-Fluntern. P. 21.
  19. ↑ Brentini: The Catholic Church of St. Martin in Zurich-Fluntern. P. 21.
  20. ↑ Maria Rast and Josef Jurt: The parish brother Klaus. P. 10.
  21. ^ Rainald Fischer, in: Guido Kolb: 100 years of St. Peter and Paul. P. 196
  22. ↑ Maria Rast and Josef Jurt: The parish brother Klaus. Pp. 10-11.
  23. ↑ Maria Rast and Josef Jurt: The parish brother Klaus. P. 10.
  24. ↑ Maria Rast and Josef Jurt: The parish brother Klaus. P. 21.
  25. ↑ Maria Rast and Josef Jurt: The parish brother Klaus. P. 21.
  26. ↑ Maria Rast and Josef Jurt: The parish brother Klaus. Pp. 33-34.
  27. ↑ Griete Rüedi-Mattes, text on the art card of the meditation picture by Max Rüedi
  28. ↑ Maria Rast and Josef Jurt: The parish brother Klaus. P. 25
  29. ↑ Information on the stained glass window by Max Rüedi on October 11, 2013.
  30. ^ Truffer: Association of Roman Catholic Churches in the City of Zurich. P. 156.
  31. ↑ Maria Rast and Josef Jurt: The parish brother Klaus. Pp. 10-14.
  32. ↑ Maria Rast and Josef Jurt: The parish brother Klaus. P. 35.
  33. ↑ Information from Orgelbau Mathis, Näfels
  34. ↑ Urs Baur: Brother Klaus. In: City of Zurich, Office for Urban Development (Ed.): Catholic Churches of the City of Zurich. Inventory of Monument Preservation of the City of Zurich. P. 34.

Coordinates: 47 ° 23 '39 "  N , 8 ° 32' 40.1"  E ; CH1903:  six hundred and eighty-three thousand four hundred and eighty-six  /  249847