Pauluskirche (Bern)

The Pauluskirche

The Pauluskirche , a church building of the Reformed Church at Freiestrasse 8 in Bern , is considered to be the most important Art Nouveau church in Switzerland. It is a cultural asset of national importance with KGS No .: 720.

history

Construction of the new church - for the Länggasse district previously allocated to Bern's Heiliggeistkirche - began on July 28, 1902. It was given the name of the Apostle Paul on the occasion of the laying of the foundation stone on November 9th; at the same time it was consecrated to Paul's words "Faith, Hope, Love" ( 1 Corinthians 13:13).

The project came from Karl Moser , who ran an architecture office with Robert Curjel in Karlsruhe . He entrusted the construction management to a former employee, the Bernese architect Walter Joss . The actual inauguration took place on December 4, 1905; at the same time the first two pastors were appointed for the church, which then had 1200 seats.

Furnishing

While a monumental relief depicts the Apostle Paul with a sword on the facade of the cruciform building with a corner tower , the interior of the church is dominated by the stone sculpture "Christ as a Child Friend" by Oskar Kiefer . This representation, which is popularly known as Steiland due to a Bernese fusion of stone and savior and shows, among other things, a tender hand on a bare child's buttocks , was aesthetic from the start (“the rigid expression in the unsightly face of the Savior does not suit the preacher of the Gospel of love ”) and morally (“ the boy figure mentioned would like to be reworked wherever possible ”), but it has not yet been removed.

The internationally known artist Max Laeuger from Lörrach designed the glass windows .

organ

The organ made by Metzler, inaugurated in 2009, comprises 2300 pipes . It is the fourth after 1905, 1934 and 1970. The organ has the following disposition :

I Hauptwerk C – g ³
Bourdon	16 ′
Principal	8th'
Viola di gamba	8th'
Bourdon	8th'
Fifth	5 ¹ ⁄ ₃  ′
Octave	4 ′
Reed flute	4 ′
Forest flute	2 ′
Mixture IV	2 ′
Cornett	III
Trumpet	8th'

II Swell C – g ³
Dumped	16 ′
Principal	8th'
Salicional	8th'
Reed flute	8th'
Octave	4 ′
Transverse flute	4 ′
Nasard	2 ³ ⁄ ₃  ′
Octave	2 ′
Sharp V	1 ¹ ⁄ ₃  ′
Trumpets	8th'
oboe	8th'

Tremulant

III Breastwork (swellable) C – g ³
Dumped	8th'
Harmonica	8th'
Pointed flute	4 ′
Dolce	4 ′
Flautino	2 ′
Vox humana	8th'

Tremulant

Pedal C – f ¹
Pedestal	32 ′
Principal bass	16 ′
Sub bass	16 ′
Octavbass	8th'
violoncello	8th'
Bourdon	8th'
Octave	4 ′
trombone	16 ′
Trumpet	8th'

6 pairing
2 swell kicks
Composition system with register crescendo

Picture gallery

Depiction of Paul
Facade shortly after 1903
Interior of the church with stone sculpture and organ around 1905
Corner stones
capital
Fountain in front of the church
The organ on the gallery
Interior view with stone sculpture "Christ as a child friend"

literature

Jürg Keller: The Pauluskirche in Bern. (Swiss Art Guide; No. 699, Series 70); Ed. Society for Swiss Art History GSK Bern 2001, ISBN 978-3-85782-699-3 .

Web links

Commons : Pauluskirche (Bern) - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

^ Reformed Pauluskirche. In: Cultural property protection inventory with objects of national importance. Federal Office for Civil Protection FOCP , accessed on April 1, 2018 .

46.95294 7.43028Coordinates: 46 ° 57 '10.6 " N , 7 ° 25' 49" E ; CH1903: 599364 / 200207 46.95294 7.43028

[1] Reformed Pauluskirche. In: Cultural property protection inventory with objects of national importance. Federal Office for Civil Protection FOCP , accessed on April 1, 2018 .