christian catholic town church (1807)

The Christkatholische Stadtkirche in Olten is a Classicist church in the canton of Solothurn, Switzerland, used by the Christian Catholic (Old Catholic) community. Also called Stadtkirche St. Martin, it dates from the early nineteenth century and ranks among the canton's most important religious buildings. Visit it if you want to see an interior that has kept its original furnishings.

What is the Stadtkirche in Olten?

Construction ran from 1806 to 1813 under Blasius Baltenschweiler (1751–1832), a carpenter and master builder from Laufenburg in Aargau. Nikolaus Purtschert (1750–1815) of Lucerne drew up the design for the main façade. The church was placed just outside the compact old town and took over from a medieval church on Ildefonsplatz, of which only the tower still stands. Some databases list the building under 1807, a year that falls within the construction period.

What will you see?

The appeal lies in how consistent the building is: a Classicist structure with interior fittings from the time it was built. The Swiss inventory of cultural property rates it as a site of regional significance, and the canton has protected it since a government decision in 1939. A thorough restoration in 2016–2018 included a partial redesign of the interior, so the church is in good condition today.

Why does an Old Catholic parish own it?

The Christian Catholic parish has held the church since 1874, a transfer tied to the Swiss Kulturkampf, the nineteenth-century conflict between the state and the Roman Catholic Church. In 1875 the synod of the Christian Catholic churches was founded in Olten, which gives the town a special place in the history of this denomination in Switzerland.

How do you tell it apart from other churches in Olten?

Olten has two churches connected with St. Martin. The Stadtkirche from the early 1800s is Classicist and Old Catholic. The Roman Catholic St. Martin church is a separate Neo-Romanesque basilica built in 1908–1910 to a design by August Hardegger. Check which one you are looking for before you set out.

How do you get there?

Olten sits in north-western Switzerland and is a major railway junction. The church stands in the town centre, within walking distance of the old town and the River Aare, at roughly 47.350 N, 7.902 E. You can walk there from the station.

When should you visit?

You can admire the exterior all year. The interior is open only when the parish unlocks it, so look up the current hours on the Olten Christian Catholic parish website before you go. A visit combines well with a stroll through the old town.

Frequently asked questions

When was the Christkatholische Stadtkirche in Olten built? Work lasted from 1806 to 1813. The year 1807 appears in some registers and lies inside that period.

Who designed the church? Blasius Baltenschweiler of Laufenburg was the builder, and Nikolaus Purtschert of Lucerne designed the main façade.

Is the church a protected monument? Yes. It is listed in the Swiss inventory of cultural property as regionally significant and has had cantonal protection since 1939.

Is it the same as the Roman Catholic St. Martin church? No. The Roman Catholic St. Martin church in Olten is Neo-Romanesque and dates from 1908–1910.