Rein church

The Reformed parish church of Rein sits in the village of Vorderrein, part of the municipality of Rüfenach in the Brugg district of Aargau, Switzerland. A restrained 19th-century building in a historicist style, it stands among the old parsonage buildings that still form a protected ensemble.

What is the history of the church?

The first church here was dedicated to St Leodegar and according to scholarship began as a manorial church of the Murbach-Lucerne monastery. Tradition places it in the 9th century, and the earliest firm record dates to 1175. The medieval building had a Romanesque tower and nave, a late Gothic choir, and a westward nave extension from 1715. It was pulled down in 1863 because it was in poor repair.

Patronage rights changed hands repeatedly. The Lucerne monastery lost them to Rudolf I of Habsburg in 1291, Wittichen monastery received them in 1345, and after 1544 they ended up with the town of Brugg (two thirds) and Bern (one third).

What does the present church look like?

The current church dates from 1863-64 and follows plans drawn in 1858 by the Zurich state building inspector Johann Caspar Wolff, modelled on the church at Töss in canton Zurich. Later work included electric heating in 1927, a tower and roof renovation in 1937-38 by Carl Froelich of Brugg, and a thorough interior renovation in 1961 that stripped most of the original fittings. Paintings from 1909 survive above the lowered ceiling.

What else is there to see nearby?

The church forms a listed group with the parsonage, the parish barn and a washhouse. The parsonage was rebuilt in 1788-89 to designs by the Bernese state architect Emanuel Zehender. The Aargau heritage inventory describes the ensemble as intact and of high value to the village scene.

How to get there and when to visit

Rein lies near Brugg, next to Rüfenach in northern Aargau. It is a working parish church, which also serves Rüfenach, so the interior is mostly open during services. The exterior and the parsonage group can be seen at any time of year on a walk through the village.

Frequently asked questions

Is Rein a separate village?

Rein was its own municipality until 1898, when the Aargau Grand Council merged it with Rüfenach. It consists of Vorderrein, where the church stands, and Hinterrein.

When was the church built?

The present building dates from 1863-64. Its partly Romanesque predecessor stood from the Middle Ages, with origins traditionally put in the 9th century.

Is it a Catholic church?

No. It is a Reformed Protestant parish church belonging to the Reformed Church of Aargau.

Is the building protected?

Yes. It is listed in the Aargau heritage inventory as RUA901, together with the parsonage, barn and washhouse.