Nydeggkirche

Bern, Switzerland

The original small church was built from 1341 to 1346 to replace the old fort on the site. From 1480 to 1483 the city added a tower and from 1493 to 1504, a new nave was added.

After the Protestant Reformation in 1529, the Nydeggkirche was transformed into a warehouse for barrels, timber and grain, but in 1566 again served as worship space. Beginning in 1566 it was cleaned out and minor renovations made to the windows and walls. However, in 1568 the bell tower roof caught fire and was destroyed. The new roof was finished and the damaged clock work repaired by the end of May 1571. The large wrought iron cross which tops the main spire was built by Caspar Brükessel during the same time. The current tower's appearance mostly dates back to the 1571 reconstruction.

The later changes to the tower were fairly minor. For example, in 1625 four small embrasures or firing slits were broken out of the tower to help defend the city gate and in 1631 eight copper waterspouts were added to the roof.

Until 1721 it was a branch church of the Münster of Bern. Today's congregation forms part of the Reformed Churches of the Canton Bern-Jura-Solothurn.

In 1863, the church was extended to the west and an entrance from the Nydeggbrücke (Nydegg Bridge) was added. Then, from 1951 to 1953 a total renovation happened.

In 1956, bronze reliefs by Perincioli were inspired by medieval role models in front of San Zeno in Verona and the Cathedral of Hildesheim.

References:

Comments

Your name



Address

Nydeggasse 6, Bern, Switzerland
See all sites in Bern

Details

Founded: 1341
Category: Religious sites in Switzerland

More Information

en.wikipedia.org

Rating

4.4/5 (based on Google user reviews)

User Reviews

Dmitriy Sherstyuk (2 years ago)
Good Kirche!
Cyril Czuczman (3 years ago)
Had the luck to have 2 marvelous musicians play while I was alone in this beautiful place. Amazing experience.
Ognian Dimitrov (4 years ago)
The church is located near the river and looks very nice. There is also a very interesting bronze door.
brightrail Bb (4 years ago)
Very beautiful stained windows, right in the old town!
Powered by Google

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Historic Site of the week

Château de Foix

The Château de Foix dominates the town of Foix. An important tourist site, it is known as a centre of the Cathars. Built on an older 7th-century fortification, the castle is known from 987. In 1002, it was mentioned in the will of Roger I, Count of Carcassonne, who bequeathed the fortress to his youngest child, Bernard. In effect, the family ruling over the region were installed here which allowed them to control access to the upper Ariège valley and to keep surveillance from this strategic point over the lower land, protected behind impregnable walls.

In 1034, the castle became capital of the County of Foix and played a decisive role in medieval military history. During the two following centuries, the castle was home to Counts with shining personalities who became the soul of the Occitan resistance during the crusade against the Albigensians.