Church of the Holy Ghost (Heiliggeistkirche)

About the building

On the square in front of Bern station, the Church of the Holy Ghost is one of the most striking landmarks. It stands free, with its main facade directly on Spitalgasse. Two massive pairs of single-piece columns stand in front of the facade, forming a portal aedicule that projects slightly into the street; above them come a heavy segmental pediment, volutes and the dove of the Holy Spirit. Behind the facade the tower pierces the gabled roof and ends in an onion-shaped cap with a small bell turret and a slender spire.

The site has a long history. Here, at that time about 150 metres outside the western gate of the town, the Brothers of the Order of the Holy Ghost ran a hospital with a chapel first mentioned in 1228. A new church was built at the end of the fifteenth century; the German Wikipedia gives 1496, the English one 1482 to 1496. After the Reformation of 1528 the last two friars were paid off, and the church served as a granary and, from 1604, partly again for worship.

In 1725 the council decided on a new building. Albrecht Stürler submitted several designs, and the church was built from 1726 to 1729 by the master builder Niklaus Schiltknecht; it was consecrated in November 1729. Who contributed what is not entirely clear. The building inventory names Schiltknecht as well as Albrecht and Daniel Stürler, while Wikipedia attributes the galleries, the north facade and the simple gabled roof, among other things, to Schiltknecht. The Historical Dictionary of Switzerland sees Schiltknecht (1687–1735) as a pioneer of the new profession of architect in Bern. In type the church is a hall with tiered galleries, related to the Temple de Charenton and the Fusterie in Geneva.

Inside, 14 monolithic sandstone columns stand in an octagon; the stucco ceiling by Joseph Anton Feuchtmayer is considered the principal work of its kind in Bern. The present organ was built by the Metzler firm in 1980/81. Until 1865 the Christoffelturm stood just to the west; together with it and the town walls, the church formed the upper end of the old town. With the arrival of the station it moved more and more into the centre of the townscape. Today, besides services, it serves as an open church with concerts and conversations. In 1829/30, incidentally, the later writer Jeremias Gotthelf worked here as a curate.

Researched and summarised by Bärn Kit. Sources: Bauinventar der Stadt Bern: Spitalgasse 44 · Historisches Lexikon der Schweiz: Schiltknecht, Niklaus (Christoph Schläppi) · Wikipedia (de): Heiliggeistkirche (Bern) · Wikipedia (en): Church of the Holy Ghost, Bern · Wikidata: Q1595348