Demolition instead of worship: More and more Churches are being demolished. Worship space in tower block replaces Catholic Church
In Hägendorf SO, the dilapidated Christ Church is being demolished. Others are being demolished because they are in too good a location.
Demolition begins at the Church's canopy. The excavator's jaws grab the gutter and tear part of the roof with it. Piece by piece, the Hägendörfer Christ Church ends up in the rubble. For construction manager Patrick Kellerhals, this is the first church he has demolished. "We're certainly approaching the work more carefully. But at the end, heavy construction machinery will be used."
The Old Catholic Church in Hägendorf, dating from the 1930s, was demolished in June. Plans for this had been in place for a long time.
However, it's not that rare for churches to be demolished. In the last 25 years, eleven buildings belonging to the national churches have been demolished in Switzerland, and five more are planned for demolition. This is shown by statistics from the University of Bern.
According to church building expert Johannes Stückelberger of the University of Bern, there are 6,000 to 10,000 church buildings in Switzerland. Although demolitions have increased in recent years, they are still the exception. Churches are often protected. Of the 16 completed or planned demolitions, no building was older than 100 years.
Earning money instead of preaching
Churches are demolished when the structural integrity is poor and renovation is either impossible or too expensive – as in the case of Hägendorf. Around 20 years ago, the building site there subsided, causing large cracks to appear in the walls. "Another reason is that, especially in a city with a prime location, you have a church on a plot of land that could be used more interestingly – and thus make money," says church construction expert Stückelberger.
A high-rise now stands on the site of the former Catholic Saint-Marc Church in Lancy, GE. A worship space is located on the ground floor.
Often, a new building on the site of a church continues to be used partly for church purposes. For example, the large Christophorus development in Basel, with a retirement home, social housing, and kindergartens – and a small chapel. According to the expert, there are several examples in Geneva.
Stückelberger's database contains around 250 entries of church buildings that have been demolished or converted. Many of these buildings now need to be used by the church in conjunction with other buildings, such as daycare centers, schools, or clubs.
It often takes a long time before a building is demolished or converted. In Turgi AG, for example, planning has been underway for 15 years. Nothing has happened yet. Often, it is "people who are not involved in the church" who advocate for the preservation of churches, according to the expert. For many, it is reassuring to have a church nearby – even if they don't use it themselves.
Renovation too expensive
The demolition of the Christ Church in Hägendorf has also been planned for a long time. For some time, it has not been possible to use it for services. It was too dangerous in the building, which was in danger of collapsing. The last mass was held in the small church in 2018. Since then, the Christian Catholics of Hägendorf have been attending the Olten City Church.
Due to the falling groundwater level, the foundation of the Hägendörfer church sank. Large cracks appeared in the walls.
At the farewell service next to the church in the spring, participants expressed their sadness. They have many memories of events held there. Father Daniel Konrad says it is painful for those who celebrated weddings or baptisms there. For him, too, the blessing of the church was a special moment.
Many Church members, however, support the decision to demolish it. Repairs would be far too expensive, is the widespread opinion. The cracks in the walls allowed people to see out of the church. The parish assembly unanimously approved the demolition and sale of the site.
A company is now building apartments in place of the church. And a small part of Christ Church will be preserved: the bell.
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