Neumünsterkirche

Neumünsterkirche in Zürich is a Reformed church built between 1836 and 1839 on the Zelgli hill in the Riesbach district, at Neumünsterstrasse 10, just southwest of Hegibachplatz. Its broad stairway and slim clock tower make it an easy landmark to spot above the lakeside neighbourhood.

Why was it built?

Riesbach residents originally belonged to the Grossmünster parish and, from 1611, used a branch chapel. The independent Neumünster parish was founded in 1834, covering Riesbach, Hirslanden and Hottingen. The city walls came down the same year and the suburb grew quickly. Leonhard Zeugheer won the 1834 competition with a neo-Gothic design, which was reworked in a classicist spirit before construction finished in 1839.

What can you see outside?

The facade is late classicist, inspired by English Greek Revival churches. A monumental staircase leads up to the main entrance, and the tower rises above the portal: a square middle storey, a slender clock storey and an octagonal top. Five bells hang inside. Four were cast in 1838 by Jakob Keller and one dates from 1955. The largest weighs 2,832 kg.

What is the interior like?

The hall is rectangular, with a coffered ceiling and galleries, and the pulpit wall faces the main portal. The present look dates from the 1912 redesign by Alfred Friedrich Bluntschli: late historicist, with oriental-style painting and mosaic floors. Other works include a gallery extension in 1880, a full renovation in 1976–1978 and exterior and tower restoration in 1996.

What is special about the organ?

Friedrich Haas built the first organ in 1840. Since 1995 the church has housed the instrument from the old Tonhalle, a Kuhn organ of 1872 with 52 stops, three manuals, pedals and mechanical action. Since 2007 the church also hosts blues and jazz concerts run by the promoter allblues.

Frequently asked questions

Where is Neumünsterkirche? In Riesbach, at Neumünsterstrasse 10, on the Zelgli hill southwest of Hegibachplatz.

What style is the church? Late classicist outside, late historicist inside (1912). It is not Romanesque.

Is it the same as Grossmünster or Fraumünster? No. Neumünster is a separate, much younger 19th-century church outside the old town core.

Is it worth attending a concert? Yes. The 1872 organ from the Tonhalle and the jazz and blues series make it a notable music venue.