Reformed Church Wädenswil
The reformed church in Wädenswil is a transverse church of the late baroque and the main work of the master builder Johann Ulrich Grubenmann . It is a listed building and is known for its unusual roof structure .
history
In Wädenswil, there has probably been a church on the church hill since the Carolingian era . However, a church was first mentioned in 1270. It was originally a Romanesque hall church built in the 12th century with a geosted rectangular choir , as demonstrated by the foundation walls that were partially exposed in the course of archaeological excavations in 1962 . A tower with a pointed spire was built onto the nave to the south. During the excavations in 1962, the remains of a medieval cemetery wall and a cemetery chapel built in the 15th century with an ossuary were uncovered.
Until 1287, the barons of Wädenswil exercised church sovereignty within their rule, which in addition to Wädenswil also included the villages of Richterswil , Hütten , Schönenberg and Uetikon . For four years the sovereignty of the church lay with the Wettingen monastery before it passed in 1291 to the newly established Johanniterkomturei Wädenswil. In 1529 the community joined the Reformation by resolution of the village population , which had started ten years earlier through Huldrych Zwingli's work in nearby Zurich . In addition to religious considerations, economic and, above all, political reasons (separation from the Johanniter Commandery) may have played a role in this decision. However, it was not until 1540 that all the altars were finally removed from the church. The politically weakened Commandery was sold to the city of Zurich in 1549 for 20,000 gold guilders. However, after objections from other places in the Confederation, the purchase contract did not become legally binding until 1550. The end of the Ancien Régime in the Confederation heralded the replacement of Wädenswil from Zurich and the independence of the parish in 1798.
The Romanesque church, 14 meters wide and 26 meters long, soon proved to be too small for the growing community. Therefore it was extended by two meters in 1638 and provided with a gallery with a flight of stairs. The current rectory was built in 1752.
In 1760, due to the continuous growth of the community and the poor condition of the medieval church, a new building was considered. In 1763 the community assembly agreed to one and the standstill commissioned the Teufen master builder and bridge builder Hans Ulrich Grubenmann . It is unclear whether his project was intended as a transverse church from the start, or whether it was the intervention of subordinate Hans Caspar Blattmann that prompted him to build a transverse church. The project resulting from the planning process was ambitious and statically extremely bold. According to legend, Grubenmann is said to have convinced the standstill of the load-bearing capacity of the projected roof structure by climbing the wooden church model he had made. Between 1764 and 1767 the new church was built according to Grubenmann's plans and financed through the sale of church words . The inauguration ceremony took place on August 23, 1767 in a festive service with cantatas by Johann Jakob Nägeli . Although the church, with around 1,500 seats for a village church, was larger than average, according to Heinrich Höhn's inauguration report, “all the walkways and corridors were filled with people”.
In 1826 the church was one of the first Reformed churches in the canton to have an organ . In 1862–64 the church was completely renovated inside and out for the first time. The building has been heated since 1888 and electrically lit since 1904. Renovations took place: 1916 (outside), 1935 (tower), 1951–1952 (inside, with rebuilding of the organ gallery and partial renewal of the seating), 1983–1984 (outside) and 1998–1999 (inside).
Exterior
Facades
The church consists of a large transverse space, to which a risalit with an adjoining tower is added to the southwest . The two-storey facades are structured by sandstone pilasters , cornices and a pastel-colored frame . The lake-side main facade is divided into five axes, while the side facades are divided into three axes. Over the arched windows there are skylights in typical oval Rococo shapes. The portals are covered by sweeping baroque domes and richly decorated with rococo building sculpture made of sandstone . The filigree gargoyles, the curved portholes and the pilaster capitals set a picturesque contrast to the massive appearance of the 36 meter long ship. The north portal and the west portal can be reached via outside stairs . In the north-west corner of the church, a memorial plaque with an inscription ( 1 Petr 2,6 LUT ) reminds of the laying of the foundation stone in 1761.
Risalit
Sign with cellar gate
Portal with golden city arms
capital
Memorial plaque for the laying of the foundation stone
tower
In contrast to the baroque nave, the tower is designed in the style of the previous Romanesque building. The bell cage follows over five simple floors with two sound windows on all sides and above it the dials of the tower clock by the Ungerer brothers from 1862. Sweeping eyelashes lead into the pointed spire, the top of which reaches a height of 64 meters above ground. The tower is crowned by a tower ball , the historical documents of the parish, and by a gilded tower cock. The tower portal is provided with a wrought iron gate by the Wädenswil blacksmith Dietzinger and contains a gold-plated belt buckle, the Wädenswil coat of arms . The vestibule of the tower is divided in two by a classicist swing door. From here you can get into the church interior and through a lateral door into the upper floors of the tower. The three upper floors of the tower contain the five-part bell and the clockwork. The clockwork of the Ungerer brothers installed in 1862 was modernized in 1957 and 1975 by the Mäder company from Andelfingen. The roof structure can be reached from the third floor.
Tower clock
City coat of arms on the tower portal
Inside of the tower
clockwork
Chimes
There are five church bells from the 19th century in the belfry :
- Big bell ( foundry Keller (Zurich-Unterstrass), 1842, tone: A; weight: 4,442 kg; saying: ( Eph 3,20-21 LUT ))
- Prayer bell (Foundry Keller (Zurich-Unterstrass), 1842, tone: C sharp; weight: 2,344 kg; saying: ( Mt 24.42 LUT ) or ( Mt 26.41 LUT ))
- Vespers bell (foundry Rüetschi (Aarau), 1895, tone: E; weight: 1'317.5 kg; saying: ( Lk 24.29 LUT ))
- Death bell (foundry Keller (Zürich-Unterstrass), 1842, tone: A; weight: 532.5 kg; saying: ( Rev 14,19 LUT ))
- Small bell (foundry Keller (Zurich-Unterstrass), 1885, tone: C sharp; weight: 268 kg; saying: ( 1 Kor 1,3 LUT ))
Big bell
Prayer bell
Vespers bell
Death knell
Little bell
Interior
Roof construction
What is remarkable about Grubenmann's building is the roof construction ( hanging truss ), thanks to which the column-free roofing of the 21 × 36 meter room at a height of twelve meters was possible. Grubenmann, who also worked as a bridge builder, created a kind of bridge construction that is planned over the interior. In essence, the stability of the construction based on the use of up to 18 meters long rafter binders and stabilizing cross ties and Gratbindern. The vault , the so-called church sky, is connected to the load-bearing roof structure by wooden hanging columns. Various techniques such as the use of metal clips and the interlocking of the girders (see picture) increase the load-bearing capacity of the construction. According to Grubenmann expert Josef Killer, the roof construction is one of the boldest in Switzerland.
Roof truss (detail)
Hanging pillars
binder
Binder (toothing shown in red)
inner space
The column-free interior is surrounded by a steeply rising U- gallery . Among the side balconies Grubenmann hanging has capitals in stucco can perform to its engineering, needs the no pillars to emphasize. The main aisles run in a cross shape towards the center of the church, where the baptismal font is located, which was only completed on August 22, 1767, one day before the inauguration. The pulpit is on the north wall of the church, making it visible from all places in the church. This corresponds to a common architectural claim of the Reformed churches, in which the sermon is the focus of the liturgy .
The entire church interior is provided with rococo stucco work , which is one of the main works of the plasterer Peter Anton Moosbrugger . The richly decorated church ceiling is characterized by three symmetrically arranged ceiling cartridges . The stitch caps above the windows are also richly decorated . The inner walls, like the outer walls, are structured by pilasters with rococo capitals. The stucco work is mainly in ornamental forms: rocailles , volutes , vases, tendrils, flowers, leaves and grapes. The stitch caps above the organ are decorated with putti heads. Behind the organ , only visible from the gallery, is the coat of arms of the master builder Grubenmann as the only colored stucco element.
Stitch caps and outer ceiling cartridge
Middle ceiling cartridge
Stucco cartridge
Stucco detail
Stucco detail
Furnishing
The pulpit made of black stucco marble with its sweeping sound cover made of rocaille stucco is one of the most important Rococo pulpits in Switzerland. Like the stucco decoration, the pulpit also comes from Peter Anton Moosbrugger. The wooden core of the pulpit was created by Hans Jakob Messmer , the builder of the Mühlehorn church . The baptismal font, which rises on an octagonal base in the center of the church, is made from real Grisons marble .
The seven colored glass windows in the pulpit wall were created in 1862 in the neo-Gothic style by Johann Jakob Röttinger . The pulpit is flanked by two small curved windows with leaf motifs in strong green. The two high arched windows show the apostles Paul (with sword and book) and Peter (with key). The ornamental decorative elements of the windows in neo-Gothic shapes are splendid. Above the pulpit there is a representation of Christ enthroned. In contrast to the apostles, who are not venerated as saints in Reformed churches, it has a nimbus . The Christ window is flanked by two ornamental colored glass windows. The other windows are equipped with slug panes.
In the lunette window above the tower entrance there was another colored glass window by Röttinger until the renovation in 1950. It showed an angel praying, surrounded by a banner with the Christmas call Glory to God in the heights! ( Lk 2,14 LUT ). The window is now owned by the Wädenswil Historical Society.
The style and arrangement of the chairs largely follow the original seating from 1767, but were partially changed in the course of the interior renovation in 1951: some of the original crab chairs were replaced by benches. On the galleries, which are still furnished with crab chairs, some of the old church places with painted names and coats of arms of the owners have been preserved. Lighting fixtures, loudspeakers and cabinets from the 20th century are designed with restraint in order to minimize the impairment of the listed area.
Baptismal font and pulpit
Peter window
Paul window
Christ window
Former lunette window
Church location
organ
Earlier instruments
A first organ with 28 registers was installed in the middle gallery in 1826. It was built by Schildtknecht & Bergmann from Donaueschingen . The organ was replaced in 1867 by a new instrument with 40 registers from Orgelbau Kuhn from Männedorf . The same organ builder also built the third organ, a monumental late romantic instrument that took up the width of the entire gallery. It had 55 registers and three transmissions. The fourth organ made by Goll Orgelbau from Lucerne in 1952, with 47 registers, was visually much smaller, as parts of the organ were housed in the tower.
Späth organ
An organ from the company Späth Orgelbau from Rapperswil SG with three manuals, pedal and 41 sounding stops has been on the southwest gallery since 2001 . The organ has a neo-baroque prospectus with carvings on the case and veil boards that take up the style of the Rococo stucco. For the installation of the swell , the tower was reinsulated in order to avoid long-term damage to the pipe material. In terms of sound, the organ has both baroque and romantic components, and is therefore suitable for various organ literature. However, it is particularly predestined for organ music of the early 19th century.
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- Coupling: II / I, I / P, II / P, III / P
meaning
The church of Wädenswil is one of the oldest transverse churches in eastern Switzerland and has had a major impact on Protestant church construction in the late baroque and classicism periods . The concept with corridors crossing in the middle and a central pulpit on the wider side found many imitations in Reformed Switzerland. These include the Horgen Church , the Uster Church and the Kloten Church .
The constructions of the roof and galleries are remarkable witnesses to the craftsmanship of Grubenmann, whose main work is the church. Grubenmann's roof construction is counted among the most daring structural engineering achievements in Switzerland. The rich rococo-style interior by Peter Anton Moosbrugger is also of national importance.
use
In the church, services of the Reformed parish are held regularly . The church is also available for private baptisms and weddings . Due to the favorable seating arrangement and the festive interior, the church is a popular venue for concerts.
Other church buildings
The remains of a medieval ossuary wall were found under the churchyard . The current design of the churchyard dates from the 1960s. Opposite the main facade, the rectory from 1752 has been preserved. To the northeast of the church is the Villa Zur Rosenmatt , a factory owner's villa built around 1901, which today serves as a parish hall. The parish also owns the Sunneblick house on Schönenbergstrasse below the church. The Au church pavilion has existed in the Au district since 1972 .
Rectory
Kirchgemeindehaus Zur Rosenmatt with church
literature
- Specific
- Heinrich Höhn: True description of the new church in Wädenschwil in the years 1764–1767 . Wädenswil 1768.
- J. Höhn: For the 150th anniversary of the parish fair in Wädenswil, Wädenswil 1917.
- Jacob Pfister: History of the parish Wädenswil . J. Baumann zum Florhof printing press, Wädenswil 1930.
- The Wädenswil Church . Reformed parish of Wädenswil, 1951.
- Peter Ziegler : The excavations on the church hill in Wädenswil . Baumann printing works, Wädenswil 1963.
- Peter Ziegler: Church Wädenswil . Publishing house Stutz + Co. AG, Wädenswil 1983.
- Reformed Church Wädenswil - exterior restoration 1983/84 . Reformed parish Wädenswil, Wädenswil 1985.
- The church of Wädenswil . Publishing house Stutz + Co. AG, Wädenswil 1967.
- That's how we live. Anniversary publication of the Wädenswil parish in 1967 . Reformed parish of Wädenswil, 1967
- Reformed Church Wädenswil - interior renovation 1998/99 . Reformed parish of Wädenswil, 1999.
- The new organ in the reformed church in Wädenswil . Reformed parish of Wädenswil, 2001.
- Bernhard Billeter: The Hans-Späth-Organ of the Reformed Church in Wädenswil (Switzerland) , in: Ars Organi 49th Jhg., Issue 3, 2001, pp. 172–174.
- Peter Ziegler: Reformed Church Wädenswil . Reformed parish of Wädenswil, 2005.
- Peter Ziegler: The Röttinger Windows in the Reformed Church of Wädenswil , in: Yearbook of the City of Wädenswil 2015, pp. 105–111.
- Peter Ziegler: The Wädenswiler church bells, in: Yearbook of the City of Wädenswil 2017, Wädenswil 2017, pp. 65–54.
- Anna Schori: Grubenmann's masterpiece. The Reformed Church was built 250 years ago, in: Yearbook of the City of Wädenswil 2017, Wädenswil 2017, pp. 35–41.
- Michael D. Schmid: The Querkirche of Wädenswil in an international context, in: Yearbook of the City of Wädenswil 2017, Wädenswil 2017, pp. 43–54.
- General
- Johann Heinrich Kägi: History of the rule and community Wädensweil. A celebration for the centenary of the consecration . Rüegg zum Florhof, Wädenswil 1867.
- Emil Aftergut: Reformed Churches in the Canton of Zurich from the Reformation to Romanticism (Diss. University of Zurich), Berlin 1922, pp. 35–36.
- Joseph Killer: The works of the master builders Grubenmann - A building history and structural engineering research work . Federal Technical University. Gebr. Leemann and Co., Zurich 1942. ( doi : 10.3929 / ethz-a-000091759 )
- Eugen Steinmann: Hans Ulrich Grubenmann . Joint publishing house Arthur Niggli AG, Niederteufen / Schläpfer & Co. AG, Teufen.
- Andreas FA Morel: Andreas and Peter Anton Moosbrugger, On the stucco decoration of the Rococo in Switzerland . Society for Swiss Art History, Bern 1973.
- Zurich churches. Directory of the Evangelical Reformed Churches in the Canton of Zurich , Wallisellen 1975, p. 60.
- Hans Haller: Art trips in Switzerland , Zurich 1976, p. 68.
- Rosmarie Nüesch-Gautschi: Master builder Hans Ulrich Grubenmann von Teufen , Teufen 1985.
- Peter Ziegler: Tour I through Wädenswil. Publishing house Stutz + Co.AG, Wädenswil 1989.
- Waedenswil. Schönenbergstrasse. Reformed Church. Vers. No. 538 , in: Zürcher Denkmalpflege. 11th report 1983-1986 , Zurich 1987, pp. 323–327.
- Peter Ziegler: The former Wädenswil in the picture. Verlag Stutz + Co. AG, Wädenswil 1992, pp. 108-112.
- Peter Ziegler: Churches and chapels around Lake Zurich . Th. Gut Verlag, Stäfa 2000.
- E. Stockmeyer: The transverse space principle in the Zurich country churches around 1800. A contribution to the problem of Protestant church building. In: Das Werk 30, 1943, pp. 61–64.
- Heinrich Schneider: Voyage of Discovery - Reformed Church Building in Switzerland. Zurich 2000.
- Georg Germann: The Protestant Church Building in Switzerland. From the Reformation to Romanticism . Zurich, 1963, pp. 117–122.
- Settlement and architectural monuments in the canton of Zurich . Th. Gut Verlag, Stäfa 1993, p. 85.
- Art guide through Switzerland - Volume 1. Society for Swiss Art History GSK, Bern 2005.
- Reto Gadola: Structure and spatial form in Grubenmann's churches , in: TEC21 2012. TEC21
- Peter Ziegler: How the Reformation prevailed in the rule of Wädenswil, in: Yearbook of the City of Wädenswil 2017, Wädenswil 2017, pp. 117–127.
- Michael D. Schmid: transversely built. Querkirchen in the canton of Zurich , Stutz Medien, Wädenswil 2018.
Individual evidence
- ↑ Veronika Feller-Vest: Wädenswil. In: Bernard Andenmatten (arrangement), Petra Zimmer and Patrick Braun (ed.): Helvetia Sacra, 4th department, volume 7, part 1 Die Johanniter, pp. 514-536, Schwabe Verlag, Basel, 2006
- ^ Heinrich Höhn: Real description of the new church in Wädenschwil in the years 1764–1767. Wädenswil 1768.
- ↑ Joseph Killer: The works of the master builders Grubenmann - A building-historical and structural research work . Federal Technical University. Gebr. Leemann and Co., Zurich 1942.
Web links
- Ref. Church Wädenswil on the website of the Evangelical Reformed Church Community Wädenswil
- Models of the Reformed Church in Wädenswil in the Grubenmann Museum Teufen
- Site on the engineering work of Grubenmann of the BTU
Coordinates: 47 ° 13 '42.4 " N , 8 ° 40' 18.4" E ; CH1903: 693,387 / 231570