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

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

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

Switzerland ). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...

. 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 core of the present building near the banks of the Limmat was constructed on the site of a

Carolingian The Carolingian dynasty (; known variously as the Carlovingians, Carolingus, Carolings, Karolinger or Karlings) was a Frankish noble family named after Charlemagne, grandson of mayor Charles Martel and a descendant of the Arnulfing and Pippi ...

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 E ...

. 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 The Limmat is a river in Switzerland. The river commences at the outfall of Lake Zurich, in the southern part of the city of Zurich. From Zurich it flows in a northwesterly direction, after 35 km reaching the river Aare. The confluen ...

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 Felix and Regula are Coptic Orthodox and Roman Catholic saints, together with their servant Exuperantius, and are the patron saints of Zürich, their feast day being 11 September in the Gregorian calendar, celebrated on the same day using th ...

, 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 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, 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

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

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 A crypt (from Latin '' crypta'' " vault") is a stone chamber beneath the floor of a church or other building. It typically contains coffins, sarcophagi, or religious relics. Originally, crypts were typically found below the main apse of a c ...

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 Ob ...

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 Wilhelm Richard Wagner ( ; ; 22 May 181313 February 1883) was a German composer, theatre director, polemicist, and conductor who is chiefly known for his operas (or, as some of his mature works were later known, "music dramas"). Unlike most op ...

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 added in 1932. Ornate bronze doors in the north and south portals by

Otto Münch Otto Münch (1885–1965) was a German artist. The bronze doors of the Grossmünster in Zürich, Switzerland, are considered to be his most important work. The reliefs on the south portal, showing Reformation scenes and other images of the hi ...

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 Heinrich Bullinger 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 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 A crypt (from Latin '' crypta'' " vault") is a stone chamber beneath the floor of a church or other building. It typically contains coffins, sarcophagi, or religious relics. Originally, crypts were typically found below the main apse of a c ...

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-typ ...

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-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 medie ...

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

Canton of Zürich The canton of Zürich (german: Kanton Zürich ; rm, Chantun Turitg; french: Canton de Zurich; it, Canton Zurigo) is a Swiss canton in the northeastern part of the country. With a population of (as of ), it is the most populous canton in the ...

, 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 ...

, 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 #REDIRECT Swiss Inventory of Cultural Property of National and Regional Significance {{R from other capitalisation ...

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