THE PROTESTANT REFORMATION 500th Year 2019
By Deborah Hoffmann
On this beautiful late summer day, of course, my first visit was to the Cathedral for the noon organ concert. Built in the 11th to 13th century and is said to have been founded by Charlemagne. It was here that Zwingli began preaching his reform ideas in 1519.
The modern colorful stained-glass windows are the work of Augusto Giacometti 1932.
The original Zwingli statue has been removed from the Wasserkirche where he gazed towards the Lake of Zurich in the shade of a great tree. He is being treated to a healing from rust. Meanwhile the city has created a series of Zwingli copies occupying special places in Zurich, each with its own message for the Present day citizens. Overlooking the Limmat below the cathedral is the white Zwingli Bishop who would like to be remembered as the great Reformer. Beside him is a silver Zwingli carrying a bag of plastic trash he has collected and is really cross about the careless citizens.
On December 6th, all of the Zwinglis will be auctioned off for charity. I hope somebody from Wildhaus in the Toggenburg will come, as that is Zwingli’s birthplace. The ancient wooden house (1484) is a small museum, and it would be fine to have a statue in front of the church!
In front of the Landesmuseum stands the turquoise Zwingli with a large clock. He is amazed at how stressed the citizens are and asks them to slow down and be more philosophical about life.
Zwingli would like to be remembered for modernizing and humanizing the church.
But unfortunately during the battle of Kappel on Albis he was murdered by those who considered him a HERETIC!
webmaster’s note: A big thank you to our intrepid writer, Deborah Hoffmann! Her quick wit and discerning eye always provide interesting perspectives to the reader!
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