Church of the Holy Ghost, Bern
The Evangelical Reformed Church of Holy Spirit is one of the landmarks of the city of Bern. It is named by the Order of the Holy Spirit. In addition to the services it is now also used as a space for exhibitions, concerts, talks and other events. Compared to the Loebegge at Spitalgasse 44, it forms one of the architectural viewpoints of the station square. By 1865 there was west of the church of the Christoffel tower. 1860, the first real railway station of the city of Bern was built behind the church.
Predecessor churches
Members of the Order of the Holy Spirit began at the current location - then 150 meters outside the west gate of Zähringerstadt - with the construction of a small hospital with a first time mentioned in 1228 hospital chapel of the Hospital of the Holy Spirit. The chapel was replaced in 1496 by a newly built church. After the middle of the 15th century onset, gradual decline of the Holy Ghost Convention, the last two members were in 1528, after the adoption of the Reformation, resigned and sent away from Bern. The slowly decaying late medieval church was first partially used as a granary, from 1604 again for worship. Until the demolition in 1726 this now reformed church was repeatedly extended up to 750 seats.
Emergence of the present church
1725, the Council decides to build a new church. After repeatedly altered projects Albrecht Stürlers this from the city foreman Niklaus Schiltknecht (1687-1735) was built in the years 1726 to 1729 and inaugurated in November.
It is well detached and is considered the most beautiful baroque Reformed church in Switzerland. It is unclear whether Schiltknecht was the sole architect of the church, because it is only obtained his position as foreman in writing. It was built to Stürlersche idea of the hall church with the facade design against the alley, however, also testified that the installation of the galleries, the design of the north facade and the alteration of the roof of a cranked First go back to a simple gable roof alone on Schiltknecht. The final construction does not correspond to the project plans submitted, however, some details of the various project plans in the plans find. It was to be transferred at this time common planning not only a person, but a future owner.
View from the south
Bern 1638; G: the current site of the Church
The Holy Spirit Church in 1865 during demolition of the tower Christoffel
Description
Architecture, exterior
According to the rectangular plan has the exterior the coherence and rigor vorbarocker churches of Rome or of the Huguenot churches ( "Temples " ) from the first half of the 17th century. The elegant church tower pierces behind the independent front, the gabled roof. On the short, the visible part of the shaft with four dials sit Welsche a hood and a bell tower, covered with slender spire. Slender arched high windows are arranged effectively. The richly profiled cornice is crowned with vases occupied balustrade and graceful obelisk at the corner points.
Before the two-story pilasters on the main facade is a strong portal shrine of two pairs of columns. It is crowned by a powerful segment gable and a first floor with flanking volutes tympanum and the Holy Spirit dove.
Interior
Efforts were made without chancel a pure preaching hall. The north south facing rectangular interior is characterized by 14 monolithic, arranged in an octagon, Corinthian sandstone columns and a high erect detached stone pulpit from the time of the Bernese Baroque in the northern part of the nave. This framed by freestanding pairs of columns and flanked by side portals central doorway leads into the tower hall. Mighty pillars divorce inside the galleries provided with handling the space core. The stucco ton and the octagonal pillars conclusion of the narrow sides form a center- stressed area. The Regency stucco the entire ceiling area above the ship and the galleries, designed by Joseph Anton Feuchtmayer, is the main work of this kind in Bern.
Barrel vault in the choir.
Church Ortschild Jenner.
Church Ortschild Delosea.
Organ
On the north-facing loft a first organ was installed in 1806. The present organ was built in 1980-1981 by the organ builder Metzler under the direction of Bernhardt Edskes, ( Wohlen AG) 1980/81. The instrument is scheduled in the Baroque north German style. In 2004, two registers were replaced. The organ has 30 stops ( 1,935 pipes ) on two manuals and pedal. The play and stop action is mechanical.
- Couplers: II / I, I / P, II / P
Ringing
The small, cast in 1596 by the six hour bell bell was taken from the previous church. The modern flat major peal of 1860 comes from the workshop H. Rüetschi in Aarau.
Known theologians
From 1693 to 1698 worked here the Pietist theologian Samuel King as a senior hospital Preacher, 1829-1830, the poet Jeremias Gotthelf as vicar.