Swiss Review 6/2018

Swiss Review / November 2018 / No.6 8 Focus pastoral care and neighbourhood work. The church space is now a mul- tifunctional hall. According to Stück- elberg, such spaces do not aim at win- ning back believers and thus taxpayers: “It has to do with the over- all social mission of the churches”. Multifunctionality seems to be the keyword. And when Beatrice To- bler and Franziska Huber talk about the future of the Paulus Church in Bern, they also envision multifunc- tional premises. On the one hand, theywould like to give up their unfor- tunately somewhat remote but very busy parish hall and build a versatile “house for the neighbourhood” di- rectly next to the church. This would concentrate parish life locally. They are also pursuing a forward strategy for the church building itself: If the church were to be used by several partners – “while sharing all costs”, as the specification reads – then the con- tinued operation would be an option. However, Beatrice Tobler doubts whether a profitable use would be possible in the case of the church, as it presumably would be in the case of the neighbourhood house outlined above, thanks in part to rented apart- ments. The nave as a lecture hall? Despite the doubts and difficulties, there are ideas. One of themconcerns the expanding university in Switzer- land’s capital. It is in need of large rooms. “This could be an opportunity,” says Beatrice Tobler. “We would have a reliable tenant. It would be more than just a drop in the bucket.” The question is whether the medical fac- ulty could use the nave as a lecture hall. Franziska Huber does not con- sider this a problem. On the contrary, it would close the circle. She says ed- ucation is “ultra reformed” and to some extent part of the reformed her- itage. In addition, the first universities emerged from ecclesiastical institu- tions, from monastic and cathedral schools. But objections have already been made. For example, would it be rea- The development of the religious landscape Permanent resident population aged 15 and over 100% 80% 60% 40% 20% 0% 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 2016 Roman Catholic Protestant-Reformed other Christian denominations Jewish communities Islamic communities other religious communities no religious affiliation unknown religion/denomination Exemplary solution: Maihof Church Lucerne The Catholic Church of St. Joseph in Lucerne’s Maihof neighbourhood, which was built in 1941, has undergone a unique renovation. Instead of renovating the parish centre as usual, the church leadership decided to adapt the building to the needs of the residents of the neighbourhood and the city. In the church, whose pews have been removed, it is now possible to hold meetings, ex- hibitions, concerts, seminars and banquets in addition to church services. A kindergarten and a playgroup occupy the basement. A radical decision: St. Mark’s Church Basel Since 2009, no church services have been held in the Protestant-Reformed St. Mark’s Church in Basel’s Hirzbrunnen district, which was built in 1932. The parish in question chose the most radi- cal of all possibilities and will demolish the church in 2019. This will also lead to the disap- pearance of the slender, free-standing bell-tower with a weathercock designed by the renowned graphic artist Celestino Piatti (1922–2007). Apartments are to be built on the grounds instead. Sources: BFS – VZ (1970–2000), Strukturbehebung (SE, 2010–2016) © BFS 2018