Grossmünster - Münsterhof 2014-05-23 12-08-43

The Grossmünster (; "great minster") is a Romanesque-style

Protestant church Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century against what its followers perceived to b ...

Zürich , neighboring_municipalities = Adliswil, Dübendorf, Fällanden, Kilchberg, Maur, Oberengstringen, Opfikon, Regensdorf, Rümlang, Schlieren, Stallikon, Uitikon, Urdorf, Wallisellen, Zollikon , twintowns = Kunming, San Francisco Zürich ...

, Switzerland. It is one of the four major churches in the city (the others being the

Fraumünster The Fraumünster (; lit. in en, Women's Minster, but often wrongly translated to urLady Minster) is a church in Zürich which was built on the remains of a former abbey for aristocratic women which was founded in 853 by Louis the German for h ...

, Predigerkirche and St. Peterskirche). Its congregation forms part of the

Evangelical Reformed Church of the Canton of Zürich The Evangelical-Reformed Church of the Canton of Zürich is a Reformed State Church in Zürich. In 2004 it had 533,000 members and 179 parishes with 900 house fellowships and 520 ordained clergy. Official language is German. It is a member of the ...

. The core of the present building near the banks of the Limmat was constructed on the site of a Carolingian church, which was, according to legend, originally commissioned by

Charlemagne Charlemagne ( , ) or Charles the Great ( la, Carolus Magnus; german: Karl der Große; 2 April 747 – 28 January 814), a member of the Carolingian dynasty, was King of the Franks from 768, King of the Lombards from 774, and the first ...

. Construction of the present structure commenced around 1100 and it was inaugurated around 1220. The Grossmünster was a monastery church, vying for precedence with the

across the Limmat throughout the Middle Ages. According to legend, the Grossmünster was founded by Charlemagne, whose horse fell to its knees over the tombs of Felix and Regula, Zürich's patron saints. The legend helps support a claim of seniority over the Fraumünster, which was founded by

Louis the German Louis the German (c. 806/810 – 28 August 876), also known as Louis II of Germany and Louis II of East Francia, was the first king of East Francia, and ruled from 843 to 876 AD. Grandson of emperor Charlemagne and the third son of Louis the P ...

, Charlemagne's grandson. Recent archaeological evidence confirms the presence of a Roman burial ground at the site.

Historical significance

Switzerland Zürich Grossmünster Zwingli Münch 1935

Huldrych Zwingli Huldrych or Ulrich Zwingli (1 January 1484 – 11 October 1531) was a leader of the Reformation in Switzerland, born during a time of emerging Swiss patriotism and increasing criticism of the Swiss mercenary system. He attended the Univ ...

initiated the Swiss-German

Reformation in Switzerland The Protestant Reformation in Switzerland was promoted initially by Huldrych Zwingli, who gained the support of the magistrate, Mark Reust, and the population of Zürich in the 1520s. It led to significant changes in civil life and state matte ...

from his pastoral office at the Grossmünster, starting in 1520. Zwingli won a series of debates presided over by the magistrate in 1523 which ultimately led local civil authorities to sanction the severance of the church from the papacy. The reforms initiated by Zwingli and continued by his successor,

Heinrich Bullinger Heinrich Bullinger (18 July 1504 – 17 September 1575) was a Swiss Reformer and theologian, the successor of Huldrych Zwingli as head of the Church of Zürich and a pastor at the Grossmünster. One of the most important leaders of the Swiss R ...

, account for the plain interior of the church. The iconoclastic reformers removed the organ and religious statuary in 1524. These changes, accompanied by abandonment of Lent, replacement of the Mass, disavowal of celibacy, eating meat on fast days, replacement of the lectionary with a seven-year New Testament cycle, a ban on church music, and other significant reforms make this church one of the most important sites in the history of the reformation and the birthplace of the Swiss-German reformation.

Burials

*Saints Felix and Regula *

Conrad Gessner Conrad Gessner (; la, Conradus Gesnerus 26 March 1516 – 13 December 1565) was a Swiss physician, naturalist, bibliographer, and philologist. Born into a poor family in Zürich, Switzerland, his father and teachers quickly realised his tale ...

Peter Martyr Vermigli Peter Martyr Vermigli (8 September 149912 November 1562) was an Italian-born Reformed theologian. His early work as a reformer in Catholic Italy and his decision to flee for Protestant northern Europe influenced many other Italians to convert a ...

Architecture

Grossmunster Portal Medieval Column Grotesque Capital

The twin towers of the Grossmünster are regarded as perhaps the most recognized landmark in Zürich. Architecturally, the church is considered Romanesque in style and thus a part of the first pan-European architectural trend since Imperial Roman architecture. In keeping with the Romanesque architectural style, Grossmünster offers a great carved portal featuring medieval columns with grotesques adorning the capitals. A Romanesque crypt dates to the 11th and 13th centuries.

Bollinger Sandstein Bollinger Sandstein or Bollingen Sandstone is a sandstone found on Obersee lake shore, namely between Bollingen and Uznach and Buechberg area, in the cantons of St. Gallen and Schwyz in Switzerland. Geography The sandstone is found on Obe ...

was used for the construction. The two towers were first erected between 1487 and 1492. Originally, they had high wooden steeples, which were destroyed by fire in 1763, following which the present neo-Gothic tops were added (completed 1787). Richard Wagner is known to have mocked the church's appearance as that of two pepper dispensers. The church now features modern stained-glass windows by Swiss artist

Augusto Giacometti Augusto Giacometti (16 August 1877 – 9 June 1947) was a Swiss painter from Stampa, Graubünden, cousin of Giovanni Giacometti who was the father of Alberto, Diego and Bruno Giacometti. He was a prominent as a painter in the Art Nouvea ...

added in 1932. Ornate bronze doors in the north and south portals by Otto Münch were added in 1935 and 1950.Global Hotel Index
accessed September 10, 2006 The church houses a

Reformation The Reformation (alternatively named the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation) was a major movement within Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the Catholic Church and in ...

museum in the cloister. The annex to the cloister houses the theological school of the

University of Zurich The University of Zürich (UZH, german: Universität Zürich) is a public research university located in the city of Zürich, Switzerland. It is the largest university in Switzerland, with its 28,000 enrolled students. It was founded in 1833 f ...

Gallery

File:Heinrich Bullinger Grossmunster Zurich.jpg, Statuary relief of

on the southern exterior wall File:Switzerland Zürich Grossmünster Charlemagne Münch 1935.jpg,

on the bronze doors by Münch (1935) File:Grossmuenster Kirche Fassade.jpeg, Facade of the monastery building, now housing the theological faculty of the

File:ZürichGrossmünsterKreuzgang-pjt.jpg, Cloister File:Zürich - Grossmünster - Sicht vom Grossmünster Karlsturm IMG 6398.JPG, Same building as seen from ''Karlstower'' File:Grossmünster stained glass.jpg, Stained Glass from inside the church by Swiss artist Augusto Giacometti added in 1932 File:Zürich - Grossmünster IMG 0237.jpg, Grossmünster as seen from

Münsterhof Münsterhof (literally: Fraumünster abbey courtyard) is a town square situated in the Lindenhof quarter in the historical center of Zürich, Switzerland. Münsterhof is the largest town square within the ''Altstadt'' (old town) of Zürich, and i ...

File:Zürich - Grossmünster Karl der Grosse IMG 0236.jpg,

'sitting' at the southern tower, the so-called ''Karlsturm'' File:Zürich - Grossmünster Krypta Karl IMG 1303.JPG, Crypt with original Charlemagne statue (15th century) File:Zürich - Grossmünster Krypta Decke IMG 1305.jpg, Crypt, heraldry File:Grossmünster - Innenansicht IMG 6436 ShiftN.jpg,

Nave The nave () is the central part of a church, stretching from the (normally western) main entrance or rear wall, to the transepts, or in a church without transepts, to the chancel. When a church contains side aisles, as in a basilica-type ...

and stained glass windows by Augusto Giacometti File:Zürich Grossmünster 01.jpg, Stained glass windows created by

Sigmar Polke Sigmar Polke (13 February 1941 – 10 June 2010) was a German painter and photographer. Polke experimented with a wide range of styles, subject matters and materials. In the 1970s, he concentrated on photography, returning to paint in the 1980s ...

in 2009 File:Zürich Grossmünster 02.jpg,

Metzler Metzler is a surname. It may refer to: * Alex Metzler (1903–1973), American baseball player *Brenton Metzler, American producer *Chris Metzler, American filmmaker * George Metzler (1912–1949), American racecar driver * Jan Metzler (bor ...

-Organ made 1960 File:Grossmünster - Innenansicht IMG 6430 ShiftN.jpg, Nave, sight to the Chorus File:Zürich - Grossmünster Portal IMG 1296.JPG, Portal File:Zürich - Grossmünster Detail IMG 1298.JPG, Reliefs (portal, left side) File:Zürich Grossmünster 06.jpg, Reliefs (portal, right side) File:Zürich - Grossmünster IMG 0232.jpg, Details at the northern wall File:Zürich - Grossmünster - Kapelle Helferei IMG 1312.JPG, Chapel, fountain and so-called 'Helferei' building File:Zürich - Grossmünster - Wasserkirche IMG 1154 ShiftN.jpg, The towers and

Wasserkirche The ''Wasserkirche'' ("Water Church") of Zürich, first mentioned as ''ecclesia Aquatica Turicensi'' around 1250 and as ''wazzirkilcha'' in 1256, is a church built on a small island in the Limmat, situated between the two main churches of medi ...

with a view of the Limmat File:Evening on the Limmat.jpg, Grossmünster as seen from the Limmat File:Grossmünster. model 2.jpg, A model of Grossmünster, made for the blind

Cloister

The cloister of former ''Grossmünster Chorherrenstift'' dates from the late 12th century AD and was part of the canons (''Chorherrenstift'') which was repealed in 1832, and gave place of the girls' school ''Carolinum''. The cloister was dismantled and integrated into the new building those reconstruction was based on the original elements of the architecture, but includes numerous interpretations. The cloister was renewed in 2009, its sandstone elements were cleaned, and the interior garden redesigned in cooperation with the foundation

ProSpecieRara ProSpecieRara, the "Schweizerische Stiftung für die kulturhistorische und genetische Vielfalt von Pflanzen und Tieren" ("Swiss foundation for the cultural and genetic diversity of plants and animals"), is a non-profit charitable organization de ...

. The compilation of the cultural and historical ornamental plants is inspired by the natural scientist and polymath

who found his final resting place in the cloister.

Carolinum and Heritage site of national significance

The cloister of former ''Grossmünster Chorherrenstift'' dates from the late 12th century AD and was part of the canons (''Chorherrenstift'') which was repealed in 1832, and gave place of the girls' school '' Carolinum''. The ''Grossmünster'' church building is owned by the Canton of Zürich, and the annex building being the former

cloister A cloister (from Latin ''claustrum'', "enclosure") is a covered walk, open gallery, or open arcade running along the walls of buildings and forming a quadrangle or garth. The attachment of a cloister to a cathedral or church, commonly against a ...

, however, is in the property of the city of Zürich. It is leased to the Theological faculty of the University of Zürich since 1976. The as of today faculty building was built by Gustav Albert Wegmann in 1843. Grossmünster and Carolinum are listed in the Swiss inventory of cultural property of national and regional significance as a ''Class A'' object of national importance.

References

*Daniel Gutscher, ''Das Grossmünster in Zürich. Eine baugeschichtliche Monographie'' (1983).

External links

Official website

- Sacred Destinations (include
photo gallery

Old City Plan of Church depicting original spires

City Panorama of Zürich, shot in Winter 2004 from the tower of Grossmünster
{{DEFAULTSORT:Grossmunster Altstadt (Zürich) History of Zürich Reformed churches in Zürich 13th-century churches in Switzerland Churches completed in 1220 Cultural property of national significance in the canton of Zürich Romanesque architecture in Switzerland