St. Josef (Affoltern am Albis)

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Church of St. Joseph, view from the south
Inner courtyard with an old bell
Access to the church

The Church of St. Josef is the Roman Catholic parish church of Affoltern am Albis in the canton of Zurich .

history

prehistory

Around the year 1000, a path chapel was built on the site of today's Reformed Church in Affoltern. It was a separate church from Engelberg Monastery , which was confirmed in a document by Friedrich II in 1213 . In 1303 the Engelberg monastery exchanged the rights to the churches of Affoltern and Buochs NW with the cathedral church of Konstanz . When the Reformation was carried out in Affoltern in 1526 , the collature passed to the city of Zurich and the church was henceforth used for Reformed services. Today's Reformed Church emerged from the medieval church through renovations .

Until 1807, Catholic worship was forbidden in Zurich's subject area. The Edict of Tolerance of 1807 allowed the Catholic rite again for the first time, but locally limited to the city of Zurich. The freedom of residence and freedom of belief in the Helvetic Republic and, from 1848, in the Swiss federal state allowed Catholic workers and their families to move to the Reformed canton of Zurich. The industrialization left in the area of Affoltern different companies emerge, so that the region was attractive to workers. In 1860 the Affoltern district had 322 Catholics, in 1888 it had 1013, of which 273 lived in Affoltern itself. These figures make it clear that the establishment of a Catholic parish in Affoltern seemed urgent. The domestic mission , which financially supported the establishment of Catholic parishes in the reformed cantons, enabled the opening of a mission station in Affoltern on May 30, 1887. On June 19, 1887, the first Catholic service in Affoltern since the Reformation took place in the old school building. While the first services were held alternately by the clergy from the parishes of Bremgarten AG , Muri AG and Jonen , the Capuchin monastery in Zug sent Father Patricius Kraus as the first pastor on site on October 18, 1887. On May 18, 1891, Affoltern was raised to a parish and henceforth looked after by a secular clergyman.

Building history and naming

In November 1889, a building committee was founded in Affoltern to build a church in Affoltern. In March 1892 construction began on the first Catholic church in Affoltern. This happened according to the construction plans of the Lucerne architect F. Keller, who had also built the first Catholic church in Langnau am Albis in the canton of Zurich . The construction site was on the so-called Betbur . The completed church was consecrated on December 18, 1892. St. Joseph , who is the patron saint of the workers, was chosen as the patron saint , so that a connection to the working-class families who had moved there could be established. In 1893 the rectory was completed. Until 1898 the interior of the church was done gradually. In 1909 the church in Affoltern received its bells. When the building debts had been paid off in 1910, the church was consecrated on June 10th by the Bishop of Chur , Georg Schmid von Grüneck . The church was renovated in 1955 and 1965. The public recognition of the Catholic Church in the canton of Zurich in 1963 made it possible to collect church taxes, which meant that more money was available for the establishment of Affoltern's daughter parishes. In the 1970s, the lack of suitable spaces for parish life made itself felt. In 1972, the property next to the church in Affoltern was acquired, so that there was enough space to build a new church and parish center. In 1976 a building commission was formed to build a new church. In 1977, at the request of the Zurich Monument Preservation, the cantonal building authorities declared St. Joseph's Church a building worthy of protection, which meant that the project for a new building of the church including the parish center was called into question. With a letter of April 13, 1978 from the government council of the canton of Zurich, the protection of St. Joseph's Church was withdrawn, so that nothing stood in the way of the new building of the church. In the same year an architecture competition was announced, which architect Willi Egli , Zurich could win. On March 15, 1981, the last service took place in the old St. Joseph's Church in Affoltern, which was blown up on April 9, along with the rectory . On August 15, 1981 the foundation stone was laid for the construction of today's St. Joseph's Church. On November 1, 1981, the bells for the new church were consecrated and on March 6, 1983 the new Catholic parish center was opened, and on April 9, 1983, Bishop Johannes Vonderach inaugurated the Church of St. Joseph.

The parish of Affoltern am Albis with its 6,661 members (as of 2017) is one of the larger Catholic parishes in the canton of Zurich. The parish with the two churches St. Josef in Affoltern and St. Antonius in Obfelden is responsible for the places Affoltern, Aeugst am Albis , Hedingen , Obfelden and Ottenbach ZH .

Daughter parishes

Between 1897 and 1910, church services were held in Rifferswil for the 300 or so Catholics in the Oberamt by Zug Capuchins and religious instruction was given to the children. When the Sacred Heart Chapel was consecrated in 1910 in Hausen am Albis on the building site purchased in 1908 , pastoral care in the Oberamt was transferred from Rifferswil to Hausen. In 1922 Hausen was made an independent parish of the Heart of Jesus and separated from Affoltern.

In 1931 the Knonau mission station was built for the communities of Maschwanden , Mettmenstetten and Knonau . The Sunday service was initially held in Niederwil ZG and was looked after by the parish of Hausen. In 1934 the Sunday service was relocated to the Uttenberg / Knonau Sennhütte . In December 1934, the building land Im Rüteli was bought in Mettmenstetten to build a chapel. In September 1935 the construction of a simple church from military barracks began. In February 1935 Mettmenstetten was raised to parish rectorate. On December 22, 1935, St. Burkard's Church was consecrated. On March 18, 1941, the Bishop of Chur, Laurenz Matthias Vincenz elevated Mettmenstetten to a parish.

In 1955 a building site was bought in Obfelden for the construction of the later St. Antonius Church . In the 1980s, a parish center was built next to the Antoniuskirche, which is structurally designed so that a new building of the Antoniuskirche would be possible. However, since there is enough space in the Antoniuskirche, the church was not rebuilt. In the 2010s the Antoniuskirche was renewed inside. Obfelden has remained part of the Affoltern parish to this day (as of 2014).

In 1959 the restaurant Zum Bahnhof was bought in Bonstetten , where the first service was celebrated in December 1961. In June 1965 the hall was converted into a church and consecrated on October 3, 1965. At this point in time Bonstetten was appointed parish rectorate. In 1980 the St. Mauritius Church was renewed, Bonstetten raised to an independent parish and separated from Affoltern. In autumn 2014, the Antoniuskirche will be demolished and a parish center tailored to the needs of the parish will be built, including a new Antoniuskirche.

Building description

Bell tower

Church tower and exterior

Between the Seewadelstrasse and the railway embankment, the church of St. Josef rises on a small hill with its parish center and rectory. Due to the topographical location of the church is not faces east but, facing north. From the center of the village, the visitor can reach St. Josef's Church either on foot through a railway underpass or via Seewadelstrasse . From both directions the visitor walks through an entrance to the church designed as a gate. At the gate-like entrance from Seewadelstrasse there is a bell from the first St. Joseph's Church. An inner courtyard is formed by the two building complexes church / parish center and parsonage / parsonage offices. All parts of the building have a façade made of gray-colored cement stones. Both the rectory and the church were built to be the same height. The ensemble of buildings is dominated by the elongated upper facade of the church, which is closed on its southern side by the church tower of the same height. The church tower contains a three-part chime that sounds in the Te Deum motif e, g, a. The bells were cast by H. Rüetschi , Aarau.

number Weight diameter volume dedication inscription
1 1100 kg 1240 mm e 1 Trinity The blessing of the Triune God be upon us at all times. Amen.
2 630 kg 1030 mm g 1 St. Mary Mary Mother of God, We flee under your protection and umbrella, Holy Mother of God.
3 460 kg 930 mm a 1 Brother Klaus Frid is always in Got, the Got is Frid.

  • Historic bell from 1909

  • Tower cross of the previous church

  • Roof construction, detail

Interior and artistic equipment

inside view
Ceramic relief St. Josef by Ruth Meyer-Züllig

Via the inner courtyard, the visitor arrives in a foyer , to which an L-shaped corridor has been built, which leads to both the church and the halls on the upper floor of the building. In the basement there are further rooms of the parish center. The interior of the church has a rectangular floor plan, which is completed by a round choir wall . To the left and right of the chancel, the floor plan of the church area widens, so that the idea of ​​the Second Vatican Council of a communal celebration of pastors and congregations finds spatial expression. The church has a few square windows on the east side. Most of the light is directed into the interior of the church through the large arcade of light in the roof. A wooden structure supports the church roof including the arcades on the pillars of the church. The church floor is sloping so that the chairs and benches have a good view of the chancel. The baptismal font is at the lowest point of the chancel . The baptismal font has a fountain-like round shape into which an isosceles cross is embedded. The floor around the baptismal font has a square shape, in the corners of which there are the Easter candlesticks and the lecture cross on the south side, and the tabernacle and ambo on the north side . The altar stands a little higher between these two elements . The choir wall is arched and has wooden elements on which a crucifix was attached. During larger church services, the western wall to the hall can be opened to offer additional seating. The organ is located on the east wall of the church. On the south side of the church there is a Latvian-like closure that allows the Way of the Cross to be visible from the church . On the back of the rood screen a statue of Our Lady and a contemporary relief of the church patron St. Joseph were attached. The relief was designed by Ruth Meyer-Züllig (1921–2010) and shows Joseph sleeping before he set off for Egypt with Mary and the baby Jesus . A hand that nudges Joseph symbolizes the angel who advises him to leave for Egypt.

organ

Ebell organ from 1973

In 1896 the first organ was donated to the Catholic Church in Affoltern. Today's instrument comes from the organ building workshop Peter Ebell, Kappel aA, and was created in 1973.

I main work C–
Pommer 16 ′
Principal 8th'
Double flute 8th'
Viol flute 8th'
octave 4 ′
recorder 4 ′
Nazard 2 2 ⁄ 3  ′
Octave flute 2 ′
third 1 3 ⁄ 5  ′
Mixture II
II Plant C–
Voix humana 8th'
Bourdon 8th'
Reed flute 4 ′
Principal 2 ′
Larigot 1 1 ⁄ 3  ′
Tremulant
Pedals C–
Sub bass 16 ′
Principal 8th'
trombone 8th'

literature

  • Episcopal Ordinariate Chur (ed.): Schematism of the Diocese of Chur. Chur 1980.
  • Katholische Kirchgemeinde Affoltern aA (Hrsg.): Church of St. Joseph Affoltern am Albis. Affoltern 1983.

Web links

Commons : Josef Affoltern Albis  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Episcopal Ordinariate Chur (ed.): Schematism of the Diocese of Chur. P. 185.
  2. ↑ Episcopal Ordinariate Chur (ed.): Schematism of the Diocese of Chur. P. 185.
  3. ↑ Katholische Kirchgemeinde Affoltern aA (Ed.): Church of St. Joseph Affoltern am Albis. P. 6.
  4. ↑ Episcopal Ordinariate Chur (ed.): Schematism of the Diocese of Chur. P. 185.
  5. ↑ Katholische Kirchgemeinde Affoltern aA (Ed.): Church of St. Joseph Affoltern am Albis. Pp. 5–12 and 15, 20, 24.
  6. ↑ Catholic Church in the Canton of Zurich (Ed.): Annual Report 2017. P. 82.
  7. ↑ Katholische Kirchgemeinde Affoltern aA (Ed.): Church of St. Joseph Affoltern am Albis. Pp. 6-7.
  8. ↑ Church history on the website of the parish Hausen − Mettmenstetten (PDF).
  9. ↑ Katholische Kirchgemeinde Affoltern aA (Ed.): Church of St. Joseph Affoltern am Albis. Pp. 10-12.
  10. ↑ Episcopal Ordinariate Chur (ed.): Schematism of the Diocese of Chur. P. 192
  11. ↑ Katholische Kirchgemeinde Affoltern aA (Ed.): Church of St. Joseph Affoltern am Albis. P. 21.
  12. ^ Works by Ruth Meyer in public space. Retrieved December 21, 2016.
  13. ↑ Katholische Kirchgemeinde Affoltern aA (Ed.): Church of St. Joseph Affoltern am Albis. P. 6.

Coordinates: 47 ° 16 '44.92 "  N , 8 ° 26' 56.7"  E ; CH1903:  six hundred seventy-six thousand four hundred fifty  /  236964