St. Fridolin catholic church

St. Fridolin Catholic Church in Holderbank (SO) is the village parish church in the Swiss canton of Solothurn, in the Thal district. It dates from 1734 and is listed in the cantonal register of protected buildings as the Pfarrkirche St. Fridolin. It stands at Kirchgasse 98, at about 47.3335 N, 7.7533 E.

Where is St. Fridolin church?

Holderbank is a linear street village in the longitudinal valley between the first and second Jura ranges, right by the Oberer Hauenstein pass. The church belongs to the Diocese of Basel, in the St. Verena pastoral region. Pass traffic shaped the settlement for centuries: the present road along the valley floor was built in 1830-34, while the older imperial road ran higher up the sunny slope.

What is the history of the parish?

The village is first recorded in 1226 as "in villa Halderwane". It passed to Solothurn in 1416 and, until 1798, belonged to the bailiwick of Falkenstein and the court district of Balsthal. Patronage of the church rested with the Buchsgau chapter.

Holderbank became an independent parish in 1644. For nearly two centuries afterwards the priest lived not by the present church but at the chapel of St. Wolfgang, moving only in 1823. The church of St. Fridolin itself was built in 1734, when the village had a little over 160 inhabitants. The population later grew past 600 by the mid-19th century.

What else is there to see nearby?

The village is small, and a walk from the church through the old streets takes a quarter of an hour or so. The area has Roman traces: archaeologists found the remains of a settlement, roof tiles, coins and possibly a Roman road. The Hauenstein region suits hiking in the Solothurn Jura, and Balsthal, the main town of the valley, is close by.

How do I get there and when should I visit?

Holderbank lies on the old route over the Oberer Hauenstein, in the Thal valley towards the Basel region. Since 1970 the A2 motorway has carried most through traffic, so the village road is quiet. The building is an active parish church, so visit outside service times. Check the Diocese of Basel or parish websites for Mass times and opening hours.

Frequently asked questions

When was St. Fridolin church in Holderbank built? In 1734. The parish itself dates from 1644.

Is it a listed building? Yes. It appears in Solothurn's cantonal list of protected objects at Kirchgasse 98.

Which diocese does it belong to? The Diocese of Basel, St. Verena region.

Are there other historic sites in Holderbank? Yes. The chapel of St. Wolfgang, where the priest lived until 1823, and Roman settlement traces around the village.