Busskirch

Busskirch is a village (Kirchdorf) within the municipality of Rapperswil-Jona in the canton of St. Gallen, Switzerland.

St. Martin Busskirch on upper lake shore.

Busskirch as seen from Holzbrücke Rapperswil-Hurden at Seedamm in Rapperswil, Buechberg in the background.

St. Martin Church

Geography

The village is located along the northern shore of the Obersee lakeshore between Jona and Bollingen. Busskirch was part of the former municipality of Jona: On January 1, 2007, the former municipalities of Rapperswil and Jona merged to form the new political entity Rapperswil-Jona.

History

Roman era

Beginning in the 1st century A.D., Busskirch was a Roman lakeside settlement that served as a stage town on the intersection of the streets to Kempraten (Latin: Centum Prata) respectively Zürich (Turicum), Winterthur (Vitudurum) and to Chur (Curia Rhaetorum) respectively on the waterway Walensee–Zürichsee to Rome's alpine route.^[1]

St. Martin Busskirch church

Busskirch is first mentioned in 842/843 A.D. as Fossonas ecclesiam, in 854 as Fussinchirichun and in 1209 as Buschilche. «A little church dreaming on the lake» wrote Pius Rickenmann, a poet from Rapperswil, in his poem Busskirch. The early medieval Parish church of St. Martin Busskirch with its cemetery rests on the remains of a Roman building (1st to 4th century A.D.). Beginning in the 8th century, the village belonged to the Pfäfers Abbey. Busskirch is one of the oldest churches around the Lake Zürich. Even the citizens of Rapperswil had to attend services in Busskirch until Count Rudolf II of Rapperswil built his own church and a chapel next to Rapperswil Castle in 1253. In 1351 St. Martin Busskirch was incorporated by the monastery (until 1838). In co-operation with Jona the settlement formed an Allmendgenossenschaft (farmer's association), reigned by the Counts of Rapperswil, latter by the city of Rapperswil. In 1253 the parish churches of Rapperswil (St. John's Church) and Jona were established: St. Martin Busskirch lost its former importance and was in 1945 integrated in the Roman Catholic parish Rapperswil.

Points of interest

St. Martin Busskirch Church, which due to its idyllic lakeside location is very popular for weddings, is a remarkable landmark on the upper Lake Zürich shore. Today visitors can see the Roman ruins excavated in 1975 underneath Busskirch church. Restaurant Seegartenkeller next to St. Martin church is a popular touristic destination. Jona (river) forms a small river delta near Busskirch and flows at Stampf lido in the upper Lake Zurich (Obersee).

Transport

Between Busskirch and Rapperswil respectively Jona there is a busline, provided by Verkehrsbetriebe Zürcher Oberland.

References

Literature

• Eugen Halter: Geschichte der Gemeinde Jona. Schweizer Verlagshaus, Zürich 1970.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to St. Martin Busskirch.

• Rapperswil-Jona (official site) (German)
• Busskirch in German, French and Italian in the online Historical Dictionary of Switzerland.

Municipalities in the district of See-Gaster, Switzerland Amden Benken Eschenbach Gommiswald Kaltbrunn Schänis Schmerikon Rapperswil-Jona Uznach Weesen St. Gallen Districts of Canton St. Gallen Municipalities of the canton of St. Gallen

Lake Zurich (Zürichsee) Switzerland Canton of Zürich Horgen Meilen Zürich Canton of St. Gallen See-Gaster Canton of Schwyz Höfe March Settlements Altendorf Au Bäch Bollingen Erlenbach Feldbach Feldmeilen Freienbach Herrliberg Horgen Hurden Jona Kehlhof Kempraten Kilchberg Küsnacht Lachen Männedorf Meilen Nuolen Oberrieden Pfäffikon Rapperswil Richterswil Rüschlikon Schmerikon Stäfa Thalwil Uerikon Uetikon am See Wädenswil Zollikon Zürich Centum Prata Prehistoric pile dwellings around Zürichsee Turicum Islands Au Peninsula Grosser Hafner Lützelau Saffa Ufenau Rivers Jona Limmat Linth Valleys Küsnachter Tobel Limmattal Sihltal Mountains Adlisberg Buechberg Etzel Pfannenstiel Üetliberg Zimmerberg Zürichberg Landmarks Albis Felsenegg Frauenwinkel Rapperswil–Hurden bridge Lindenhof (Rapperswil) Obersee Quaianlagen Rapperswil Castle Seedamm Transportation Lake Zurich left-bank railway line including S2 (ZVV), S8 (ZVV), S13 (ZVV), S24 (ZVV), S25 (ZVV), S40 (ZVV) S-Bahn Zürich lines Lake Zurich right-bank railway line including S6 (ZVV), S7 (ZVV), S16 (ZVV) S-Bahn Zürich lines LAF aerial tramway Quaibrücke Verkehrsbetriebe Zürichsee und Oberland Zimmerberg bus line Zürichsee-Fähre Horgen–Meilen Zürichsee-Schifffahrtsgesellschaft (ZSG) People Gerold Späth House of Rapperswil Lydia Escher Obersee Nachrichten Radio Zürisee Zürichsee-Zeitung

Coordinates: 47°14′N 8°50′E / 47.233°N 8.833°E / 47.233; 8.833