Reformierte Kirche Wädenswil

The Reformed Church in Hütten (Reformierte Kirche Hütten) is a village church in Wädenswil, canton of Zurich, Switzerland. Hütten sits at roughly 729 m above sea level on the hills above Lake Zurich and has been part of the municipality of Wädenswil since 2019. The church stands at Dorfstrasse 3 and anchors the village.

What will you see?

The present building dates from 1855–1856 and is late Neoclassical. A front tower with a porch and a tent roof dominates the facade, while small quatrefoil and sixfoil windows add a Gothic Revival touch. The tower clock was installed in 1890. The architect, Johann Caspar Wolff, was then the cantonal building inspector, and he had a family link to the village: his uncle served as pastor here.

Inside is a plain hall with a recessed rectangular chancel, a flat stuccoed ceiling and painted wall decoration. Two Bible verses in Fraktur lettering run across the chancel arch wall. Look for the Gothic Revival stained-glass window of Christ from 1872, designed by Georg Röttinger, and the Baroque baptismal font of 1752, saved from the earlier church.

What is the history of the site?

A medieval chapel of St James once stood here and was destroyed in 1656 during the First War of Villmergen. A new church followed in 1668, and in 1752 the parish formally separated from Wädenswil. Demolition of the decaying building was debated from 1844, leading to the current church. The village itself is first recorded in 1270; from 1287 to 1549 it belonged to the Hospitaller commandery of Wädenswil, then to the city of Zurich.

Is the interior worth a look?

Music lovers will enjoy it. Carl Rosenlächer of Konstanz cast the four bells in 1856, the largest weighing 996 kg. The Kuhn organ of 1939 (16 stops) came from the church in Ottenbach and was moved here in 1953, the same year the interior was reworked and the pulpit lowered.

How do you get there, and when should you visit?

Hütten lies in the Zimmerberg hills above Wädenswil, easiest to reach from Wädenswil by car or postbus. This is a working parish church, so plan around services and check opening times with the Schönenberg-Hütten parish.

Frequently asked questions

Is this the same church as the one in central Wädenswil? No. Wädenswil has a separate town church. This one serves the former municipality of Hütten.

Who designed it? Johann Caspar Wolff, the cantonal building inspector, between 1855 and 1856.

What is the oldest furnishing? The Baroque baptismal font from 1752, carried over from the previous church.

Can you hear the bells? Yes, the four bells of 1856 still ring over the village.