Guthirt

Guthirt Church in Zürich (Kirche Guthirt) is a Roman Catholic parish church in the Wipkingen district, in the north-west of the city. Dedicated to the Good Shepherd, it has stood since 1923 and is a listed heritage building. Organ enthusiasts know it above all for an instrument that survives almost untouched from the 1930s.

What makes Guthirt Church special?

The parish was founded and the church built in the same year, 1923, three decades after Wipkingen became part of the city of Zürich in 1893. The parish complex sits at Guthirtstrasse 3–7 and includes a tower and a crypt. The church is protected as a monument, and in 2018–2019 it underwent a full renovation and refurbishment led by Schäublin Architekten AG.

What can you see inside?

The highlight is the organ by Orgelbau Th. Kuhn AG, inaugurated on 13 December 1931. Parishioners had saved for roughly ten years after the church opened to pay for it. It has three manuals, pedal and 52 stops, combining Baroque clarity with Romantic orchestral colour. The builder's documentation calls it the only Swiss organ preserved almost entirely in its original state. A neo-Baroque replacement was planned in the 1970s but never funded, so only a minor rebuild took place. During the 2018–2019 renovation Kuhn overhauled the instrument and reinstalled the original Cymbal stop.

How do you get there?

The church is in Wipkingen (Kreis 10), at about 47.395 N, 8.527 E. Public transport links it with central Zürich, and trams have served the district since the late 19th century. Check the ZVV timetable for current connections.

When should you visit?

The church is in active parish use, so the easiest time to look around is outside services. Service times and any organ concerts are listed on the parish website, guthirt.ch.

Anything else worth knowing?

Wipkingen was a separate village for centuries: it had fewer than 900 residents in 1850 and almost 22,000 by 1950. Guthirt Church dates from this period of rapid growth, when the district needed its own Catholic parish. Today it makes a good stop on a walk through Kreis 10.

Frequently asked questions

Is this the same as Kirche Wipkingen? No. Guthirt is Catholic; Kirche Wipkingen and the Reformed parish hall are separate buildings in the same district.

When was Guthirt Church built? In 1923, the same year the parish was founded.

What is the main attraction? The 1931 Kuhn organ, preserved almost in original condition, and the listed building itself after its 2018–2019 renovation.

Where exactly is it? On Guthirtstrasse in Wipkingen, 8037 Zürich.