Christ-King (Biel)
The Christ-König church is the Roman Catholic parish church in the Mett district of Biel at Geyisriedweg 31. After the church of St. Maria and Brother Klaus , it is the third Catholic church in the city of Biel. In addition to the St. Christophorus church in Wangen an der Aare, this is the only church building designed by Aargau architect Walter Moser in the canton of Bern .
history
The parish of Christ-König is the youngest and smallest of the three parishes in Biel. The immigration of Catholic workers after the Second World War made the rural village of Mett a suburb of the city of Biel, so that the establishment of a separate Catholic parish was necessary. From 1954, religious instruction in German and French began for Catholic children, and in 1958 the first service was held in a villa at Beaulieuweg 21. In 1961 the parish bought a property at Geyisriedweg 42 in which offices were set up for the development of the parish. In 1962 an architecture competition was announced, which the architect Walter Moser was able to win. In 1963 the Bishop of Basel , Franziskus von Streng , raised Christ-König to the position of parish rector. By exchanging land with the city of Biel and by purchasing a 5000 m² plot of land from the Sahligut, the area for the construction of the church was acquired. From 1963 the services were moved to the auditorium of the Geyisried school building. The groundbreaking ceremony for the rectory and parish center took place on February 20, 1967, and the foundation stone for the church was laid on September 10 . In 1968 the rectory at Geyisriedweg 31 could be moved into. On October 27, the first Holy Mass was celebrated in the new church, and on December 8, 1968, the Bishop of Basel, Anton Hänggi , inaugurated the church. For the 25th anniversary of the church, the artist Max Rüedi installed six wall paintings in the church in 1993.
Building description
Church tower and exterior
The Christ-König church is located at the intersection of Geyisriedweg and Beaulieuweg south of the Sahligut schoolhouse. Designed as a modern concrete building, the church on Geyisriedweg has a steeple which , however, only slightly towers above the church and is crowned by a concrete cross. To this day there is no bell in the existing bell house.
The visitor first arrives at a forecourt, which was built between the center and the rectory and which is separated from Geyisriedweg by a wall. As an artistic element, there is a relief on the eastern wall by the Zurich artist Alfred Huber , which shows the Lamb of God . Portals and doors lead from the inner courtyard to the chapel , the parish center, which is built into the basement of the church, and the Christ the King's Church.
Interior and artistic equipment
Due to the shape of the building area, the church is not faced , but points in a southeastern direction. The church is designed as a rectangular hall church , the walls of which give the impression of a polygonal space by staggering . The benches are arranged in five segments so that the faithful gather in a semicircle close to the altar . The walls are made of exposed concrete in the style of béton brut . In the flat ceiling , which is clad with light wood, 18 square light shafts are embedded, through which the daylight illuminates the room. The floor is covered with black slate , which rises three steps towards the altar. The altar forms the center of the choir . The ambo and baptismal font are placed on the right side of the altar, the tabernacle is on the choir wall on the left side of the altar. While the liturgical places were created from black marble by sculptor Alfred Huber , the tabernacle and the lecture cross are made of bronze . In a niche on the left side of the altar area, a bronze crescent Madonna is placed, above which is a tapestry that depicts the redemption of the people through Jesus as the King of Christ . Stained glass windows with abstract motifs complete the original furnishings of the church.
Max Rüedi's picture cycle
For the 25th anniversary of the church, the Zurich painter Max Rüedi created seven wall paintings in 1993, which are attached directly to the concrete walls. Six of these paintings tell the salvation story of Jesus Christ , which refers to the patronage of the church. Shown are (from left to right):
- the birth of Christ the Messiah King
- the entry of the king into Jerusalem
- the exalted king on the tree of life of the cross
- the humiliated king of the Jews
- the resurrected Savior King
- the new creation through the spirit of the Christ-King
The seventh picture is attached in a smaller format to the wall under the organ gallery and shows the Mother of God carrying the baby Jesus.
organ
On September 20, 1981 the organ, which had been built by Orgelbau Cäcilia Luzern, was inaugurated.
Disposition of the organ:
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- Coupling : II / I, I / P, II / P
- Tutti
- Free combinations
chapel
The chapel was built to the north of the church and is accessed from the inner courtyard through a separate portal. Just like the church, the chapel is also designed as a rectangular room, which in 1988 received three glass windows with flowing waves in yellow, red and blue tones. Daylight falls on the altar through a large light shaft, which underlines its importance. A second, smaller skylight, with its lighting, refers to the statue of Our Lady, which is attached to the wall to the left of the altar. The baptismal font, which, like the other liturgical places, was also carved from dark marble by Alfred Huber, enables baptisms to be celebrated in the chapel.
literature
- Parish Christ-König (ed.): Max Rüedi picture cycle. Flyer. Biel 1993.
- Michael Hadjikan: Roman Catholic parish Christ-König Biel. Biel 2006.
See also
List of Roman Catholic churches in the canton of Bern
Web links
Individual evidence
- ^ Website of the parish Christ-König Biel. Retrieved February 13, 2018.
- ↑ a b Michael Hadjikan: Roman Catholic parish of Christ the King Biel. P. 5.
- ↑ Parish Christ-König (ed.): Max Rüedi's picture cycle.
- ^ Organ profile Catholic Church Christ König Biel-Bienne BE. In: Organ directory Switzerland and Liechtenstein. Retrieved February 13, 2018.
Coordinates: 47 ° 8 ′ 43 " N , 7 ° 16 ′ 41.3" E ; CH1903: 587826 / 221601