Elisabethenkirche, Basel

Church in Switzerland

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The Elisabethenkirche, or Offene Kirche Elisabethen, is a 19th-century church building in the centre of Basel, next to the Theater Basel, in Switzerland. It is a well detailed example of Swiss Gothic Revival style churches. It has a 72 metres (236 ft) tall bell tower and spire. The tower has internal stairs.

History

The church construction begun in 1857 and was completed in 1864.^[1] Its architect was Ferdinand Stadler and it was the first new church erected in Basel following the reformation.^[1] Its construction was sponsored by the wealthy businessman Christoph Merian and his wife Margarethe Burckhardt-Merian, which were both laid to rest in the church^[2] in black marble sarcophagi in the crypt below the church's main floor. Christoph Merian did not oversee the completion of the church as he died in 1858.^[2] The Merians also founded the Christoph-Merian-Stiftung.^[1] Today's congregation forms part of the Evangelical-Reformed Church of the Canton Basel-Stadt.

Present day

Today the church is home of the first Swiss "OpenChurch" or Offene Kirche Elisabethen].^[3]^[4] The Offene Kirche Elisabethen caters to the spiritual, cultural and social needs of urban people of all backgrounds. It is also known for their support of the LGBT community.^[4]^[5]

The Offene Kirche Elisabethen is well known throughout the region for their Fasnachtsgottesdienst,^[6] a service in honor of the Carnival of Basel. The Church has also served as the venue for punk concerts and at times it was converted into a club.^[4]

Schöpfungsfeier (service with blessing of the human-animal relation), Heilungsfeiern (weekly and trimesterly healing-/blessing services for people in need and sorrow) and their gender aware spiritual practice.

Nearly 50'000 people visit the church per year.

References

^ ^a ^b ^c "- Elisabethenkirche". www.feiern-im-baudenkmal.ch (in Swiss High German). Retrieved 2021-04-30.
^ ^a ^b "Immer Ärger mit der Elisabethenkirche". Telebasel (in Swiss High German). 2019-11-11. Retrieved 2021-04-30.
^ Offene Kirche Elisabethen
^ ^a ^b ^c "Eine Kirche für alle : ref.ch". www.ref.ch (in German). Retrieved 2021-04-30.
^ ""Basel im Gespräch": Was bringt die erweiterte Anti-Rassismus-Strafnorm? - Prime News". primenews.ch. Retrieved 2021-04-30.
^ "Fasnachtsgottesdienst: Lebensfülle in voller Kirche". fasnacht.ch (in German). Retrieved 2021-04-30.