Bern
Friedenskirche
Building data
Denomination | Evangelical Reformed
Building type | Church
Year of construction | 1917 – 1920
Architect | Indermühle, Karl
Town, canton | Bern, BE
Street address | Friedensstrasse 9
GPS | 46.9417184 7.4231641
Google Maps | Swisstopo
Reuse
Year of reuse | 2016/2024
Ownership | Building lease
Building interventions | Transformation
Form of use | Shared use
Type of use | Church
Brief information | The ‘Stadtkloster Frieden’ association, founded in 2022, has been using the church, other premises and the vicarage as the ‘Stadtkloster’ since August 2023.
Further information | see below
Status of information
Entry created | 2017/08
Entry last updated | 2024/02
Further information
This remarkable church, inaugurated in 1920 on Veieli Hill in the Mattenhof district of Bern, takes its name from the 1918 peace treaty that brought the First World War to an end. Its architect is Karl Indermühle. Inside, it features an intact neoclassical interior. The complex also comprises a vicarage, a sacristy and a parish hall. Between 1989 and 1991, the church was extended at ground level on the garden side.
Since 2016, consideration has been given to a possible repurposing of the site. In December 2022, the association ‘Stadtkloster Frieden’ was founded with the aim of using the church in Frieden and its adjoining premises as a place where Christian spirituality and tradition can be explored, practised and lived out in non-parish spaces dedicated to living, accommodation, work and spirituality. The members of this ecumenical association belong to various churches and movements.
In the summer of 2023, the ‘Stadtkloster’ opened its doors: several families, single people and couples moved into the vicarage and the sexton’s house. The project forms part of the Don Camillo Community, which has already successfully carried out similar projects with the Montmirail guest house and the ‘Stadtkloster Segen’ in Berlin. The site remains a public space open to other activities and community initiatives. The parish of Frieden will continue to maintain a presence on site. So far, the urban monastery has offered evening prayers, morning meditations, Bible discussions, monastic retreats and many other activities. It is also possible to hire rooms for events.