Swiss Religious Heritage Day 2015

The subject of church conversion has also reached Switzerland. It now engages many parishes, city associations and the historic preservation. Everywhere arises the question: How should such projects be addressed? With an eye on the whole, according to the thesis of the 1st Swiss Religious Heritage Day, on which 150 representatives from the church and historic preservation took part on August, 21st, 2015 in Bern. The conclusion of the congress: Churches are special rooms whose demolition is to be avoided. Their sale is also problematic, as by that the further use is deprived of the control of the churches. The public character of the buildings are appropriate for continued public use.

The exhibition shows on ten posters in A0 format realized and projected church conversions in Switzerland. It can be rented for the price of Fr. 100.- excl. shipping costs. 

Publication "Kirchenumnutzungen. Der Blick aufs Ganze"

The publication on the First Swiss Religious Heritage Day is available as issue 4/2015 of the magazine ‘Kunst und Kirche’ . It includes all the presentations given at the conference and 18 pages of examples of church conversions in Switzerland. 76 pages, with numerous illustrations. The publication is out of print. It can be downloaded open access here: Kirchenumnutzungen2015_ger.pdf

The congress was supported by:

• Bundesamt für Kultur

• Römisch-Katholische Zentralkonferenz der Schweiz

• Reformierte Kirchen Bern-Jura-Solothurn

• Evangelisch-reformierte Gesamtkirchgemeinde Bern

• Römisch-katholische Gesamtkirchgemeinde Bern und Umgebung