St. Joseph Church

St. Joseph Church (Kirche St. Josef) in Aedermannsdorf is a modern Catholic parish church in the village of Aedermannsdorf, canton of Solothurn, in the Swiss Jura. Built in the 1960s, it shows how Swiss church architecture looked after the Second World War.

Where is it and how do you get there?

Aedermannsdorf is a small village of roughly 600 people in the Thal district, about 530 m above sea level. It sits in a hollow beside the Meisebach stream on the sunny north side of the Dünnern valley. The district seat, Balsthal, lies about 7 km to the east. The village is just over a kilometre from the main road between Oensingen and Moutier, and a PostBus line connects Balsthal with Gänsbrunnen. The church stands on slightly raised ground west of the main street, reached via Kirchstrasse.

What is its history?

The village once belonged to the church community of Matzendorf. A Catholic local association formed here in 1932, and in December 1962 Aedermannsdorf became a parish rectorate. A panel of experts chose the design by Zurich architect Walter Moser in June 1964. The foundation stone was laid on 15 August 1966 and the church was consecrated on 13 August 1967, the year the village gained its own independent parish. Today it belongs to the Pastoral Region Dünnerntal.

What can you see inside and out?

The building is a white-painted, polygonal hall under a mono-pitch roof that climbs toward the southeast. The tower rises on the northeast side, with clock faces formed as reliefs in the concrete and a cross on top. It is broad rather than tall, because the church itself occupies elevated ground.

Inside, pews curve in a semicircle around the central altar. The altar and other stonework are Cristallina marble, worked by Alfred Huber, and the floor is dark slate. The tabernacle is bronze. Emil Reich made the five stained-glass windows between 1970 and 1972, and a bronze statue of John the Baptist greets visitors at the entrance.

Five bells were cast in 1966 by the Bachert foundry in Karlsruhe, dedicated to the Trinity, St. Joseph, the Mother of God, St. Benedict and the Guardian Angel. The organ, built in 1973 by Orgelbau Graf of Sursee, has 20 stops, two manuals and pedal, and mechanical action.

When should you visit?

Daytime is best, when light passes through the stained glass. The church fits well into a walk or drive through the Dünnern valley. During services keep quiet and avoid photographing worshippers; the parish of the Pastoral Region Dünnerntal publishes service times.

Frequently asked questions

Is the church old? No. It was built in 1966–1967, so it represents modern rather than historic architecture.

Who designed it? Walter Moser of Zurich, whose plan was selected by an expert commission in 1964.

Is there art inside? Yes: five stained-glass windows by Emil Reich, a marble altar by Alfred Huber, a bronze tabernacle and a John the Baptist statue at the entrance.

How do I reach it without a car? Take the PostBus from Balsthal toward Gänsbrunnen. Balsthal itself is reachable by public transport from nearby towns.