Katholische Kirche St. Oswald mit Beinhaus

St. Oswald's Church with its ossuary (Kirche St. Oswald mit Beinhaus) sits in the old town of Zug, Switzerland. The canton's heritage office ranks it as the most significant late-Gothic monument in central Switzerland. A former charnel house, the Beinhaus, stands beside the church and features on the town's heritage walk.

What will you see inside St. Oswald's?

The building is a textbook case of late-Gothic design. Its oldest surviving fitting is the choir stall of 1484, made by Ulrich Rosenstain of Lachen and the only original piece from the construction period. Above the chancel arch is a Last Judgment painted in 1866 by Melchior Paul von Deschwanden. The main entrance is flanked by the city's patron saints, Oswald and Michael.

Who built it, and when?

Parish priest Johannes Eberhart launched the project in 1478, with money partly coming from the spoils of the Burgundian Wars. He hired Hans Felder, a Bavarian-born master builder who was then Lucerne's city architect. Felder worked on the church in 1478-83 and again in 1492-94, and in the same period he built Zug's new town wall, including the Zytturm of 1480.

The building grew in stages:

• 1478-1483: single-nave church
• 1492: extended to three aisles
• 1544-1545: raised to a basilica
• 1860-1870: neo-Gothic remodelling
• 1935: neo-Gothic furnishings removed
• 1983-1986: full restoration

What is a Beinhaus?

A Beinhaus is a charnel house, a small building where bones cleared from the churchyard were kept. Such structures were a normal part of medieval church precincts in the German-speaking world. In Zug it forms an ensemble with the church, and guides list it alongside the Zytturm, the town hall with its Gothic Hall and the Powder Tower.

How do you get there?

The church is in the middle of the old town, roughly a ten-minute walk from Zug station. Entry is free. Tourist listings give daily hours of 9:00-18:00, but confirm with Zug Tourism (Bahnhofplatz, +41 41 511 75 00) before you go.

What else is nearby?

The old town is compact, so you can combine the church with the Zytturm, the town hall and the lakeside promenade on Lake Zug in a single 2-3 hour walk.

Frequently asked questions

Is there an entrance fee? No, entry to the church is free.

Who designed St. Oswald's? Hans Felder, Lucerne's city master builder, working for the priest Johannes Eberhart who started the project.

Can you visit the ossuary? The Beinhaus is part of Zug's heritage walk. Check access times with the tourist office.

How long should you plan? About 20-30 minutes for the church, around two hours for the old town including the ossuary.