Stadtkirche St. Stephan

Stadtkirche St. Stephan is the parish church of Sempach, a medieval town on Lake Sempach in the canton of Lucerne, central Switzerland. It stands inside the old town, whose townscape is rated of national significance, and it is one of the town's main landmarks.

What is the history of the church?

St. Stephan is first recorded in 1275, at which point it was a branch church. Earlier still, in 1234, the local parish priest appears in documents as plebanus in Sempach and, according to scholars, already lived beside it. The original parish church was St. Martin on the Kirchbühl hill outside town, but over the centuries the town church took over that role.

The medieval building, remodelled in the Baroque period, was replaced in the 19th century by a new church designed by the Tyrolean master builder Josef Händle. Construction ran from the late 1820s into the early 1830s; Swiss reference works give slightly different spans (1827–1831 or 1828–1833). The parish function and the cemetery moved into town in 1831–32.

What will you see?

The present church is a large 19th-century building that rises above the town's roofs, and visitor guides describe it as classicist. Its bells are worth noting. The ring was reworked several times in the 19th century by the Keller and Rüetschi foundries. After a major renovation in 1966–67, Emil Eschmann cast three new bells, and the whole set now hangs on steel axles in a modern steel frame. Swiss radio SRF has even devoted an episode of its "Glocken der Heimat" series to Sempach's bells.

How do you fit it into a day in Sempach?

Visit the church on a walk through the old town. Sections of the town wall survive, together with the Witches' Tower (Hexenturm) and the Lucerne Gate (Luzerner Tor). Northeast of town stands the St. James battle chapel, built in 1387 to commemorate the Battle of Sempach of 9 July 1386, in which the Swiss Confederates defeated the Habsburgs. The Kirchbühl hill with St. Martin's church, built between the 10th and 12th centuries, shows where the parish began.

How do you get there?

Sempach lies on the southeastern shore of Lake Sempach, not far from Lucerne. The old town is compact and best explored on foot, and the church tower is easy to spot among the rooftops.

Frequently asked questions

Is St. Stephan the oldest church in Sempach? No. St. Martin's on the Kirchbühl is older, dating from between the 10th and 12th centuries. St. Stephan appears in records from 1275, and the current building dates from the 19th century.

Who designed the present church? Josef Händle, a master builder from Tyrol, who replaced the medieval church that had been given a Baroque remodelling.

What else is worth seeing nearby? The town wall, the Witches' Tower, the Lucerne Gate and the St. James battle chapel of 1387.

How long does a visit take? The old town is small, so a walk with a look inside the church takes about an hour.