Johanneskirche (Bischofszell)
The St. John's Church is the Evangelical - Reformed Church of Bischofszell in the canton of Thurgau .
history
History and naming
After the region around Bischofszell was settled in the 6th or 7th century, the Bishop of Constance , Solomon I (838–871) or Solomon III. (890–919), who built the Canons of St. Pelagius . However, the place name Bischoffescella is first mentioned in a document dated November 15, 1155. In 1460 Bischofszell came under the rule of the Confederates without the Constance bishop having given up his claims to rule. In 1529 the Reformation in Bischofszell was carried out under the influence of Johannes Zwick . From then on, the town church was used for Reformed church services. As a result of the Second Kappel War , it was decided two years later that those who remained Catholic were given the right to use the church. After the Second Villmerger War , the Diessenhofener tractate laid down the rights and duties of joint ownership. The equal use of the historic church in Bischofszell continued until the 1960s.
Evangelical Reformed churches in German-speaking Switzerland usually only have one name for historical reasons. The Johanneskirche Bischofszell is an exception. Its dedication relates to the biblical bearers of the name: the evangelist John , Jesus' favorite disciple and the author of Revelation .
Development and construction history
When it became apparent in the 1960s that the parity church had to be reorganized, Catholics and Reformed people considered breaking up the parity relationship. After an industrialist had left the nail park to the evangelical community for the construction of a new church, the Johanneskirche was built in 1968–1969 according to the plans of the Zurich architect Benedikt Huber .
Building description
Exterior and bells
The church is located in the center of Bischofszell on the edge of the old town at Alte Niederbürerstrasse 2 . The polygonal church building, including the parish rooms, is dominated by a church tower that can be seen from afar , with a golden cock on top. The rooster was designed by the sculptor Hans Purtschert from Zurich.
In the bell room there is a six-part bell that was made on March 8, 1968 by the H. Rüetschi foundry in Aarau . On August 31, the bells arrived in Bischofszell. On September 2nd, the bells were raised in the tower by the school children.
| number | Weight | volume | dedication | symbol | inscription |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3524 kg | B. | Christ | Alpha and Omega | "For I am the alpha and omega, the beginning and the goal" (Rev 21,6) |
| 2 | 2093 kg | of | Matthew | Angel | "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me" (Mt 28:18) |
| 3 | 1516 kg | it | Markus | lion | «Watch, watch! Because you do not know when the time will come »(Mk 13:33) |
| 4th | 859 kg | total | Luke | bull | "Glory to God in the heights and peace on earth" (Lk 2:14) |
| 5 | 628 kg | as | John | Eagle | "You are afraid in the world, but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world" (Jn 16:22) |
| 6th | 432 kg | b | Peter | Key and fish | "But you are the chosen generation" (1 Petr. 2,9) |
Franz Purtschert designed a cross - sculpture for the inner courtyard , which marks the entrance to the church and refers to the redemption of the people through the cross of Christ . The design of the main portal, which is covered with blue enamel panels, is by the same artist. The beginning of the Gospel of John can be read on the portal : "In the beginning was the word, and the word was with God, and the word was God, and the word became flesh and dwelt among us." The cornerstone of the church is located between the main portal and the side entrance under the church tower . It bears the inscription: «In 1967 the Protestant parish of Bischofszell-Hauptwil laid the foundation stone for their church. No one can lay any other foundation than that which has already been laid: Jesus Christ himself ”(1 Cor 3:11).
Interior and artistic equipment
The visitor enters the church through a foyer . The polygonal space is shaped like a hand and is aligned with the pulpit . A gallery runs along the wall on the west side of the room . A monopitch roof , the highest point of which is above the gallery, descends towards the pulpit. Pulpit and baptismal font , together with the relief to the left of the pulpit, were formed as a plastic unit from the masonry. The relief seems to break open the wall and refers to the sentence of Jesus Christ from the Gospel of John: "I am the door." These elements were created by Peter Meister from Zurich. Martha Huber designed the communion table not as an altar , but as a dining table made of solid wood. With its round shape, it refers to the pews and the shape of the pulpit, creating a connection between the congregation and the pastor. Gian Casty from Basel created the five glass pictures that refer to the themes of Revelation:
| number | motive | Bible word |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | tree of Life | "Whoever overcomes, I will give him to eat from the tree of life, which is in paradise." (Rev 2,7) |
| 2 | The angel | "And I saw an angel who had an everlasting gospel to preach to the inhabitants of the earth and to all the nations and tribes and languages and peoples." (Rev 14,6) |
| 3 | The seven stars | "This is what he says who holds the seven stars in his right hand." (Rev 2.1) |
| 4th | The rider | 'And I looked up; and behold, a white horse, and the one sitting on it had a bow; and a wreath was given to him, and he went out victorious and to conquer. " (Rev 6,2) |
| 5 | The seven-armed candlestick | "And when I turned around, I saw seven large candlesticks." (Rev 1, 12) |
organ
In 1974 the Th. Kuhn company from Männedorf built the organ of the Johanneskirche. The prospectus was designed by the architect Benedikt Huber. Viktor Schlatter and Emil Heer were the advisors. The individual works Pedal, Hauptwerk and Positiv are clearly visible in the brochure structure. The two pedal towers rise to the left, the main work is set up above the console, the positive is on the right.
Disposition of the organ:
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
- Couple
- three fixed and two free combinations
- Slider chests
- mechanical action mechanism
- electrical stop action
literature
- Evangelical church council Bischofszell-Hauptwil (ed.): Johannes-Kirche Bischofszell. In memory of the construction and inauguration of the Johannes Church in Bischofszell. Bischofszell 1974.
- Angelus Hux, Alexander Troehler: KlangRäume. Churches and organs in Thurgau. Frauenfeld 2007.
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ Evangelical Church Council, Bischofszell-Hauptwil (ed.): Johannes-Kirche Bischofszell. 1974, pp. 43-46.
- ↑ Evangelical Church Council, Bischofszell-Hauptwil (ed.): Johannes-Kirche Bischofszell. 1974, pp. 11, 29 and 39.
- ↑ Hux, Troehler: KlangRäume. Churches and organs in Thurgau. 2007, p. 104.
- ↑ a b Evangelical church council, Bischofszell-Hauptwil (ed.): Johannes-Kirche Bischofszell. 1974, pp. 80-81.
- ↑ Evangelical Church Council, Bischofszell-Hauptwil (ed.): Johannes-Kirche Bischofszell. 1974, p. 29.
- ↑ Evangelical Church Council, Bischofszell-Hauptwil (ed.): Johannes-Kirche Bischofszell. 1974, p. 82.
- ↑ Evangelical Church Council, Bischofszell-Hauptwil (ed.): Johannes-Kirche Bischofszell. 1974, p. 35.
- ↑ Evangelical Church Council, Bischofszell-Hauptwil (ed.): Johannes-Kirche Bischofszell. 1974, pp. 19 and 39.
- ↑ Hux, Troehler: KlangRäume. Churches and organs in Thurgau. 2007, p. 104.
- ^ Organ profile ref. Johanneskirche Bischofszell TG. In: Organ directory Switzerland and Liechtenstein. Retrieved September 19, 2016.
Coordinates: 47 ° 29 '32.96 " N , 9 ° 14' 24.54" O ; CH1903: 735 748 / 261750