Helvetia Sacra

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The Helvetia Sacra manual , published between 1964 and 2007, systematically records the Catholic institutions in Switzerland . It describes it historically from its foundation to its dissolution (or until today), whereby institutional aspects are primarily taken into account. The first volume appeared in 1972, the final volume with the index in 2007. A total of approx. 20,000 pages in 28 volumes or 34 sub-volumes have been compiled by 233 authors from Switzerland and abroad and describe the history of approx. 1000 church institutions 24,500 biographical notes on their superiors .

Objective of the work

The Helvetia Sacra presents the history of the dioceses , collegiate monasteries , monasteries and convents in Switzerland. Short biographies of the superiors supplement these descriptions. In-depth historical research is made possible with the bibliographies and directories of archival sources contained therein .

The registration of institutions ends in 1874, since the Swiss Federal Constitution forbade the establishment of new monasteries and the establishment of new dioceses without the approval of the federal government. Although the two constitutional articles were repealed in 1973 and 2001, respectively, Helvetia Sacra only manages spiritual institutions that were established in Switzerland up to that year.

Editing and financing

The editorial office and secretariat were based at the Basel-Stadt State Archives .

The work was financed for the most part by the Swiss National Science Foundation for the Promotion of Scientific Research . From 1980 to 2007 the Helvetia Sacra Foundation was also on hand, receiving contributions from cantons, institutions of the Catholic Church, banks and private individuals. From 1972 to 2007 the annual work reports were published in the Swiss History Journal . As a result, Helvetia Sacra also became a section of the Swiss History Society from 1982 to 2007 .

Board of Trustees and Editor

The Helvetia Sacra Board of Trustees that edited the volumes was always made up of at least seven historians working in Switzerland. These, often university professors and archivists in the four parts of the country, also made contact with their universities, archives and authorities.

The presidents of the board of trustees were:

  • 1964–1976: Albert Bruckner, Basel
  • 1976–1985: Dietrich Schwarz , Zurich
  • 1985–1994: Laurette Wettstein, Lausanne
  • 1994–2002: Fritz Glauser, Lucerne
  • 2000–2007: Anton Gössi, Lucerne

The volumes were published by

Chronicle and issues

The two-volume handbook “Helvetia Sacra” by Egbert Friedrich von Mülinen was published in Bern in 1858 and 1861. Rudolf Henggeler , monastery archivist at Einsiedeln Abbey , wanted to reissue it in three volumes a hundred years later. When he published the first fascicles in 1961 , they were received critically. At the suggestion of the Swiss National Fund for the Promotion of Scientific Research, a “Board of Trustees for the Revision of Helvetia Sacra” should supplement literature and archival documents. This board of trustees included: Georg Boner , Albert Bruckner (President), Anton Largiadèr, Henri Meylan, Dietrich Schwarz and Oskar Vasella . It quickly became clear that a revision alone was not enough. In November 1964, the research application that the Board of Trustees had submitted to the Swiss National Science Foundation was approved - it provided for a complete revision, taking into account the archival sources. This was the beginning of the new Helvetia Sacra.

The ecclesiastical institutions are classified in the manual in nine so-called departments, which are numbered with Roman numerals. The tenth section contains the final work, the index .

  • Division I: Archbishoprics and Dioceses
    • Volume 1: Swiss Cardinals. The Apostolic Legation System in Switzerland. Archbishoprics and dioceses I (Aquileja, Basel , Besançon , Chur ), edited by several authors, edited by Albert Bruckner, Bern, 1972
    • Volume 2: Archbishoprics and Dioceses II . The diocese of Constance . The Archdiocese of Mainz . The diocese of St. Gallen , edited by several authors, edited by Brigitte Degler-Spengler, Basel / Frankfurt am Main, 1993
    • Volume 3: Archbishoprics and Dioceses III . The diocese of Geneva . The Archdiocese of Vienne-Dauphiné , by Louis Binz, Jean Emergy and Catherine Santschi, edited by Jean-Pierre Renard, Bern, 1980 (in the original Volume 3: Archidiocèses et diocèses III. Le diocèse de Genève. L'archidiocèse de Vienne en Dauphiné, par Louis Binz, Jean Emery et Catherine Santschi, rédaction Jean-Pierre Renard, Berne, 1980)
    • Volume 4: Archbishoprics and Dioceses IV . The diocese of Lausanne (VIth century to 1821), Lausanne and Geneva (1821–1925) and Lausanne, Geneva and Friborg (since 1925), group of authors, edited by Patrick Braun, Basel / Frankfurt am Main, 1988 (in the original Volume 4: Archidiocèses et diocèses IV. Le diocèse de Lausanne (VIe siècle – 1821), de Lausanne et Genève (1821–1925) et de Lausanne, Genève et Friborg (depuis 1925), par un groupe d'auteurs, rédaction Patrick Braun, Bâle / Francfort-sur-le-Main, 1988)
    • Volume 5 / Volume 5: Archdioceses and Dioceses V / Archidiocèses et diocèses V. The Diocese of Sion / Le diocèse de Sion. The Archdiocese of Tarentaise / L'archidiocèse de Tarentaise, edited by several authors / par un groupe d'auteurs, edited by / rédaction Patrick Braun, Brigitte Degler-Spengler, Elsanne Gilomen-Schenkel, Basel 2001
    • Volume 6: Archbishoprics and Dioceses VI . The Diocese of Como . The Archdiocese of Gorizia . The apostolic administration of Ticino , then the diocese of Lugano . The Archdiocese of Milan . Various authors, edited by Patrick Braun and Hans-Jörg Gilomen , Basel / Frankfurt am Main, 1989 The Archdiocese of Milan. (in the original Volume 6: Arcidiocesi e diocesi VI. La diocesi di Como. L'arcidiocesi di Gorizia. L'amministrazione apostolica ticinese, poi diocesi di Lugano. L'arcidiocesi di Milano, autori vari, redazione Patrick Braun e Hans-Jörg Gilomen , Basilea / Francoforte sul Meno 1989.)
  • Department II: Collegiate Centers
  • Division III: The orders with Benedictine rule
  • Division IV: The orders with Augustinian rule
  • Department V: The Order of St. Francis
  • Department VI: The Carmelites in Switzerland
  • Department VII: The Regular Clerics
  • Department VIII: The Congregations in Switzerland
  • Division IX: The Humiliates in Italian-speaking Switzerland and The Beguines and Begarden in Switzerland
  • Department X: Register, edited by Arthur Bissegger, Patrick Braun, Elsanne Gilomen-Schenkel, Doris Tranter and Petra Zimmer, with CD-ROM, Basel 2007, ISBN 978-3-7965-2295-6

Web links

References and comments

  1. ↑ Petra Zimmer: At the end of the “Helvetia Sacra” - a review. In: Basler Zeitschrift für Geschichte und Altertumskunde . Volume 108, 2008, pp. 5-11, doi: 10.5169 / seals-391680 .