St. Peter and Paul (Sarnen)

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Parish Church of St. Peter and Paul, view from the southwest

The parish church of St. Peter and Paul is a baroque Catholic church building in the oldest, south-western part of the village of Sarnen in Switzerland . The hall church was built between 1739 and 1742 and is a listed building as a cultural asset of national importance .

Building history

The predecessor churches

Excavations in 1980 and a Carolingian piece preserved in the eastern tower indicate that a church or chapel was already standing before the year 1000. In the middle of the 12th century this building was replaced by a new building. The masonry of this Romanesque church has been preserved on the lower five floors of the eastern tower .

In the middle of the 15th century this church was transformed into a Gothic church and consecrated in 1459 in honor of the apostles Peter , Paul and Jakobus . In 1554 the belfry and roof structure of the tower were renewed. In 1605 the church received its first organ and in the further course of the 17th century some baroque extensions: in 1614 an early baroque high altar was built, in 1621 the choir was extended, in 1636 a Sebastian altar and a first tower clock were installed. The brother claus picture of the Kriens painter Josef Remigi Budmiger from 1737 shows the Gothic church at that time with a pointed roof on the main nave, the choir extension from 1621 on the north side, and the attached Romanesque tower on the south side of the choir.

The baroque building

In 1723 the parish decided to rebuild the dilapidated church. Governor Just Ignaz Imfeld was the principal responsible for the project . He commissioned the builder Joseph von Brüel from Bregenz , who had already built the parish churches in Küssnacht and Schattdorf , with the planning . However, von Brüel died in 1738. Franz Singer (1701–1757) from the Lechtal was hired as the new master builder . The demolition of the old church began on April 7, 1739. When the foundations were exposed, master builder Singer explained that they were too weak to support the planned new building. So on May 1, 1739, the parish decided to expand the project. It was decided to build the church with a double tower portal facade in the south and the choir in the north, perpendicular to the original, the usual orientation.

The roof structure of the church was erected in September 1740. On August 4 and 5, 1742, the Constance Auxiliary Bishop Franz Karl Fugger consecrated the church to the three title saints Peter, Paul and Jakobus. The tower of the old church was now incorporated into the portal facade as the east tower and had a baroque onion dome. Due to a lack of funds, the west tower was only completed up to the height of the nave and served as a staircase to the gallery. The side altars were erected by 1743, the side altars in the choir by 1753, and the paneling in the nave was completed in 1761. Donors coats of arms on the side altars testify to financial donations for which Just Ignaz Imfeld went on a begging trip in 1742.

In 1784 the east tower was completed according to the original idea.

Later changes

The west tower was not completed until 1881, probably also as a political signal in the Swiss culture war . The church facade was given a different color. A statue of Peter by the Sarner sculptor Wilhelm Gut was erected on the front gable.

In 1883 the interior was extensively renovated. The stucco was made more sober, in white and gray with gold plating. The painter Louis Niederberger from Kerns painted the lunettes above the side altars and also painted over some of the baroque ceiling paintings.

In 1905 the church received electric light, in 1934 heating, and in 1942 the sacristy on the east side was enlarged.

In the spring of 1964, the canton of Obwalden was shaken by an earthquake that severely damaged the church and, above all, its vault. With the restoration of the damage, the church was also completely restored from 1966 to 1970. The restorers largely returned the church to its baroque condition and pushed back the classicist and historicist influences. They restored the multicolored stucco, removed the 19th century paintings, replaced the glazing and covered the floor with sandstone slabs. The onion domes got a different shape. Three window openings in the mezzanine of the portal facade were closed. The colors of the outer facade were also brought back into the baroque version.

building

In a dominant position on the slope, with the facade facing the Sarnersee , the church looks into the distance. A flight of stairs welcomes the visitor. The sloping double towers frame the portal side. A striking surrounding cornice at the height of the tower clocks continues on the main building as an eaves and visually connects the portal with the main building.

Interior of the church

Access to the interior is through a portal vestibule. The bright hall church is divided into three naves and three bays . The last of these yokes protrudes a little on the sides, so that a cross-shaped floor plan is suggested. The large side walls of the nave are structured by pilaster strips that emphasize the vertical. The central nave continues in the elongated choir , which ends in an apse . The two side aisles are continued in two sacristies on either side of the choir.

The central nave and the choir are covered by a continuous barrel vault . The side aisles, however, are vaulted by transverse barrels.

Furnishing

Church interior

Stucco

The stucco work was created at the same time as the ceiling paintings from 1740 and are among the best in central Switzerland . It is believed that they were made by the Wessobrunn artisan Joseph Rauch. As a loose network that concentrates around the painted images and the transverse arches emphasizes that cover Regency -Ornamente stucco the vault. Rod and snail motifs, lambrequin and palmette shapes, floral motifs, leaves, twigs and buds serve as decorative elements . Individual mascarons can be found in the main mirrors. Individual elements of the emerging Rococo such as shells and rocailles can already be found. The arrangement of the ornaments is repeated strictly symmetrically around the main fields and from yoke to yoke.

With their polychrome color scheme of gray, green, pink and ocher-colored pastel tones, the stucco decorations support the spatial effect without pushing themselves too much into the foreground and set the paintings a graceful frame that supports their effect.

Ceiling painting

Large ceiling paintings in the nave: Church consecration, Ascension Day, Christmas scene

The ceiling paintings of the vault were created by Josef Anton Hafner , who came from Türkheim . The ensemble of images consists of three large and 19 medium-sized and smaller paintings as well as 36 depictions in cartouches . The church fathers Jerome , Augustine , Ambrosius and Gregory the Great are depicted in the four corners . The three large ceiling mirrors in the main nave show - in the order from the choir to the organ gallery - the Christmas scene, Ascension Day and the consecration of the church. On the depiction of the consecration of the church, the builder Just Ignaz Imfeld is shown at the bottom right, who holds the church to the consecration of John the Baptist and Nikolaus von Myra, who are seated above him . The apostles Peter, Paul and James are depicted in the vaults of the side aisles.

Altars

The high altar is the work of the two Vorarlberg residents Hans Georg Ludwig and Matthias Willenrath . Mighty pairs of stucco marble columns enclose the altarpiece by a Lombard painter, which was purchased in 1975. It shows a crucifixion scene with Mary and John, Saints Agatha and Peter. Karl Borromeo , who is seen as the protector of Switzerland, kneels in front of it. The old Swiss national coat of arms, which was used until the middle of the 18th century, is affixed above the altarpiece. The altar decoration comes from Franz Ignaz Schmid from Weissenburg ; the picture above the coat of arms showing Niklaus von Flüe , by Karl Anton Schmid .

The two sideboards on either side of the high altar are also by Karl Anton Schmid. They show the forms of the early Rococo. The altarpieces show Maria am Berge Carmel on the left with the Saints Aloisius and Stanislaus and on the right the Saints Sebastian , Philipp Neri and Felix von Cantalice . Both images are open on public holidays. Behind it are the retables : the left contains a precious Madonna figure, the right, if one follows the view of the believers, the bones of the catacomb saint Julian . These relics were solemnly transferred from Rome to the Sarner parish church in March 1746 - an example of the cult of relics that had a climax in the Baroque period.

The four side altars, magnificently designed with stucco marble and gilded decorations, come from the aforementioned Hans Georg Ludwig and Franz Moosbrugger from Vorarlberg . Two of these altars are combined in pairs to form a double altar. The altars are dedicated to Saints Anna , Joseph , Mary and James. The Anna Altar shows the donor's coat of arms from Prince Abbot Gerold Haimb , the Joseph Altar that of Prince Abbot Coelestin Gugger and the Marien Altar that of Nikolaus Imfeld II , the brother of the builder. There are relics of catacomb saints in the predella niches of the altars. On top of the entablature of the altars there are colored statues of saints by Nikolaus Rösch .

pulpit

Sermon pulpit

The stucco marble pulpit was designed by Hans Georg Ludwig and Mathias Willenrath. The sweeping pulpit is covered by a richly structured sound cover , which is crowned by a trumpet angel.

Baptismal font

The octagonal font from the old church received a massive substructure in 1685 by Heinrich Spichtig. At the edge of the basin, Adam and Eve's expulsion from paradise and the four evangelists are shown in relief. The wooden superstructure dates from the 19th century; the Baptist figure on it is of modern date.

Organs

The baroque organ, built in 1747 by Christoph Joseph Pallez from Auvergne , has not been preserved. In 1846 the brothers Franz Anton and Johann Nepomuk Kiene built a new organ in neo-baroque style. In 1910–1912 it was redesigned as a romantic instrument by Friedrich Goll . With a fundamental intonation, pneumatic action , pocket drawer and high-pressure whistle, it corresponded to the taste of the time. The Späth brothers from Rapperswil restored the organ again in 1971–1972 and returned it to its original state. The slider chest instrument has 34 registers with 2376 pipes. The action is mechanical, the registration electric.

I Hauptwerk C – g 3
Gedacktpommer 16 ′
Principal 8th'
Tube bare 8th'
octave 4 ′
Hollow flute 4 ′
Sesquialter II 2 23
Schwiegel 2 ′
mixture 1 13
Trumpet 8th'
II upper structure C – g 3
Suavial 8th'
Dumped 8th'
Unda maris 8th'
Praestant 4 ′
Pointed flute 4 ′
Nasat 2 23
Night horn 2 ′
Oktavlein 1'
Sharp 1'
Dulcian 16 ′
III Swell substation C – g 3
Wooden dacked 8th'
Salicet 8th'
Reed flute 4 ′
Principal 2 ′
Fifth 1 13
Cymbel 12
Vox humana 8th'
Tremulant
Pedals C – f 1
Principal bass 16 ′
Sub bass 16 ′
octave 8th'
Pipe pommer 8th'
mixture 5 13
octave 4 ′
Bombard 16 ′
prong 4 ′
  • Coupling : II / I, III / I, III / II, I / P, II / P, III / P

On the left choir gallery is a small Renaissance organ. It is one of the best preserved specimens of its kind in central Switzerland. The pipework has been cleared out several times over the years. Under the guidance of the organ specialist Werner Endner, the Goll company from Lucerne restored the organ to its original condition. The organ has six registers and is tuned in the middle .

Others

The carved choir stalls and councilor chairs in the rear area as well as the crowning of the choir galleries and the doors were created by Ferdinand Rösch . The choir stalls show putti making music , figures of David and Cäcilia as well as representations from church music.

lobby

Epitaph by Anton Franz Bucher

The groin vault of the vestibule is decorated with ocher-colored stucco bands. Two baroque grave tablets by Johann Imfeld; † 1649, and Johann Peter Imfeld; † 1678, are attached here, as well as the lavish epitaph of Landammann Anton Franz Bucher from 1754. The artistically designed door to the church interior is equipped with rich ironwork on the inside.

Tower chapel

The small chapel Maria vom Gute Rat on the ground floor of the west tower was consecrated in 1742. The pastor at the time, Niklaus Wirz, had it furnished in 1744 at his own expense. The small rural baroque altar has a draped canopy . It shows a late Gothic Pietà in the retable niche , with the helpers Blasius and Erasmus to the side . At the top of the altar is a painting of Mary for good advice, surrounded by angels, in a richly decorated frame that is based on a famous original, the miraculous image of Genazzano . The antependium at the bottom of the altar shows, made using the Scagliola technique, the transfer of this miraculous image from the city of Scutari, besieged by the Turks, via Rome to Genazzano .

The choir arch crucifix of the old church and stations of a cross from 1744 are attached to the left side wall . There are also votive tablets from the 18th and 19th centuries on the walls .

Bells

All bells are in the older, eastern tower. The first six form the main bell, while the seventh is only used as a soloist.

  • Maria Königin , g sharp, H. Rüetschi AG , Aarau 1956, ~ 5,000 kg.
  • St. Jakob , h, Mauritius Schwarz, Luzern 1599, ~ 3'800 kg. Inscription (sic): ZV DER ER GODES VND MARIA I LVTET ME + ALL GOD'S SAINTS HE ME + ALL THUNDERSTORMS I DISTRIBUTED + ALL DEATH I WEEP . In addition to the year, it shows depictions of Christ on the cross and the apostles.
  • St. Peter , cis', Jakob Rüetschi, Aarau 1837, 2'265 kg.
  • St. Paul , e ', H. Rüetschi AG, Aarau 1970, ~ 1'100 kg.
  • Brother Klaus , fis', H. Rüetschi AG, Aarau 1956, 850 kg.
  • St. Katharina , gis', H. Rüetschi AG, Aarau 1956, 620 kg.
  • Weather bell , dis '', probably 14th century, ~ 200 kg. Inscription in Latin Gothic letters: SVBRIMAS ‣ AERIA ‣ MALA ‣ CVM ‣ SONO ‣ VIRGO ‣ MARIA ‣ AMEN ‣ DAS ‣ VERG ‣ VAR ("Suppress the evils of the air through my sound, Virgin Mary. Amen."). VERG ‣ VAR is said to stand for the ferry company on the Alpnachersee , which probably donated this bell in the 14th century.

Church treasure

The church treasury contains a collection of liturgical implements and vestments from the 14th century to the more recent past. This includes:

  • A silver processional cross from the first half of the 14th century, adorned with rock crystals and semi-precious stones at the ends of the cross. In the 16th century, the arms of the cross were covered with chased leaf and flower tendrils.
  • A gothic, silver-gilt tower monstrance from around 1460.
  • A silver processional cross from the second half of the 16th century, which shows the gilded body of Christ on the front and a figure of Mary on the crossing of the back. The ends of the cross are adorned with colored stones and crystals.
  • A goblet from 1903 made of 18- carat gold.
  • Chalices from the 15th to 19th centuries.
  • A holy oil vessel from the 16th century.
  • A drinking cup from the early 17th century.
  • An incense boat from 1646.
  • A ciborium and a reliquary monstrance from the end of the 17th century.
  • An agate crucifix from 1781.
  • Mass vestments from the 18th and 19th centuries.

Chapel of St. Michael

Late Gothic wooden ceiling in the ossuary chapel

The outwardly simple ossuary chapel of St. Michael stands west of the church building. It was consecrated in November 1501. In 1763 the bones piled up in the chapel were cleared out and the interior was renovated. In 1886, the Basel architect Eduard Vischer-Sarasin renovated the chapel in a neo-Gothic style. 1966–1969 the chapel was restored and returned to its pre-1886 condition.

Inside, a richly ornamented late Gothic wooden ceiling is impressive. It is divided transversely into three parts. The lengthways boards form a regular structure of two adjacent empty boards and three boards decorated with paintings, flat carvings and tracery carvings. In the middle runs a lettering (sic): disz werch hat made petter tischmacher from ure in the jar do man zakt from the birth xpy (Christi) m ccccc and v iar , which refers to the cabinet maker Peter Wisdanner from Uri and the year 1505 refers.

On the left side wall hangs a panel of Mary with the 14 helpers in need , dated 1501 , which is attributed to Hans Leu the Elder .

The crucifixion group from the 17th century comes from the old church. In 1971, instead of the neo-Gothic altar from 1886, a late Gothic triptych , presumably from Catalonia , was discontinued. The altar block is decorated with a sandstone relief from the 16th century. It represents an angel with the handkerchief of Christ and also comes from the old church.

The Stockmann and Wirz families from Obwalden have had the right to be buried in the ossuary since the end of the 17th century at the latest. The epitaph by Landammann Wirz von Rudenz, 1605–1680, and memorial plaques on the back wall, renewed in 1970, refer to it.

source

  • Ivo Zemp: The parish church of St. Peter and Paul in Sarnen. (Swiss Art Guide, No. 787/788, Series 79). Ed. Society for Swiss Art History GSK. Bern 2006, ISBN 978-3-85782-787-7 .

Notes and individual references

  1. Information on the main organ
  2. According to Ivo Zemp, this refers to storms and thunderstorms, Zemp: The parish church of St. Peter and Paul in Sarnen, p. 33

Web links

Commons : Sarnen - Parish Church St.Peter  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Coordinates: 46 ° 53 ′ 37 "  N , 8 ° 14 ′ 18"  E ; CH1903:  six hundred and sixty thousand nine hundred forty-two  /  one hundred ninety-three thousand nine hundred and twenty-one