Stadtpfarrkirche Rapperswil

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Stadtpfarrkirche St. Johann

As seen from Holzbrücke Rapperswil-Hurden, Rapperswil Castle the left (November 2009)
Country Switzerland
Denomination Catholic Church
Churchmanship Parish church
Website
History
Dedication John the Baptist
Administration
Parish Rapperswil
Diocese Chur
Herrenberg hill with Rapperswil Castle, Liebfrauenkapelle, Stadtpfarrkirche, Herrenberg primary school and Stadtmuseum Rapperswil, as seen from Kempraten, Seedamm and Hurden in the background
Liebfrauenkapelle, Stadtpfarrkiche and Schulhaus Herrenberg (to the left), as seen from the Catholic cemetery
The church towers as seen from the east
Nave, Altars respectively apse

Stadtpfarrkirche St. Johann (Saint John's parish church) is a Roman Catholic parish church in the city of Rapperswil, canton of St. Gallen, Switzerland.

Geography

The church is located next to Rapperswil Castle situated on the so-called Herrenberg hill to the northeast of Stadtmuseum Rapperswil. The Catholic city cemetery is situated to the north of the church, some meters to the northwest there is the so-called Liebfrauenkapelle (St. Mary's chappel) situated, built in 1489 on the former ossuary. As of today it's the cemetery's chapel and also popular for weddings thanks to its location overlooking Kempratnerbucht (bay of Kempraten) respectively Lake Zürich.

History

Rapperswil Castle, the town walls of the former locus Endingen (given by Einsiedeln Abbey) and the parish church were built by Count Rudolf II and his son Rudolf III of Rapperswil around 1220/29. The former parish church was located at Busskirch on upper Lake Zürich shore, being one of the oldest churches around the Lake Zürich. Even the citizens of Rapperswil had to attend services in Busskirch until Count Rudolf II built his own parish church on Herrenberg hill next to the castle. Legally, Rapperswil church was subordinated to 1253 the parish of St. Johann Busskirch and thus the Pfäfers abbey.[1]

In 1489, the cemetery chappel, Liebfrauenkapelle (St. Mary's chappel) was built. Since 1737 «Bruderschaft der hl. Caecilia und Katharina» (Brotherhood of St. Cecilia and Catherine)[2] provides an enormous repertoire of church music for the parish among them around 1,000 compositions of the Rapperswil-born church musicians and composers Carl Greith (1828–1887) and his father Franz Josef Greith (1799–1869) who composed the Rütli anthem («Von ferne sei herzlich gegrüsst, du stilles Gelände am See»).[3] On January 30, 1881, the church was partially destroyed by fire, and rebuilt from 1881 to 1885.

Architecture

The Romanesque hall church and the northern church tower were built around 1220/29 by Count Rudolf II of Rappperswil and extended in 1383 to the west. In 1441 a smaller but massively southern church tower was built. Collection campaigns in 1493/97 allowed to rebuilt the hall church into a tripartite Gothic choir with arched ceiling and tracery windows. Following the Reformation in Switzerland, two Renaissance wing altars in the side chapels were added respectively latter moved to other chappels. Thus, these altars were not destroyed by fire on January 30, 1882, as well as the sacristy located in the southern church tower, along with the precious treasure of the church: masterpieces by the goldsmiths Breny from Rapperswil, Dietrich, Dumeisen and Rüssi Ysenschlegel, being one of the richest in the Linth territory.[1]

Advised by the art historian Johann Rudolf Rahn, the architect Xaver Müller rebuilt the largely destroyed building. The obtained towers were increased by 1.2 metres (4 ft). A choir with neo-Gothic vaulting star was added, the nave extended by a few meters and a double wooden ceiling. The neo-Gothic altars and the pulpit are created by Atelier Marggraf in Munich. The rededication took place on October 6, 1885. The large chandelier was built in 1894 by the company Benziger & Co. in Einsiedeln. Renovations were done in 1959/60 (exterior and new bells), in 1971/73 and 1981.[1]

The church bells in the large southern tower have a prominent sound by seven bells: the bells weight about 16,000 pounds. On Saturdays at 3 pm for about eight minutes all the bells rung for Sunday.[4]

Parish

The parish St. Johann was founded in 1253 by Count Rudolf III of Rapperswil, and is now the Catholic parish Rapperswil-Jona comprising 3,900 devotees and the area of the city of Rapperswil (Jona has its own Catholic parish). John the Baptist is since 1253 the patron saint of the parish.[5]

Gallery

  • Portal and Liebfrauenkapelle

  • Altar of Liebfrauenkapelle

  • The materal parish St. Martin Busskirch in Jona

  • Choir and organ

  • one of the church windows

  • church ceiling and chandelier

  • Franz Josef Greith memorial situated at Kapuzinerkloster Rapperswil

  • Coats of arms (around 1440/50) from the southern church tower

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Kulturbaukasten Rapperswil-Jona: 36 Museen ohne Dach
  2. ↑ Caecilia-Musikgesellschaft Rapperswil
  3. ↑ Franz Josef Greith in German, French and Italian in the online Historical Dictionary of Switzerland.
  4. ↑ Church bells Stadtpfarrkirche St. Johann on YouTube
  5. ↑ Parish Rapperswil-Jona: St. Johann

Literature

External links

Media related to St. Johann, Rapperswil at Wikimedia Commons

Coordinates: 47°13′39″N 8°48′59″E / 47.22750°N 8.81639°E / 47.22750; 8.81639

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