At the centre of the Reformation Wall are statues to William Farel, John Calvin, Theodore de Bèze and John Knox.
akg-images / Bildarchiv Monheim
The city is celebrating the 100th birthday of the imposing stone Reformation Wall in Geneva, which features huge statues of leading Protestant Reformation figures such as John Calvin and John Knox. An exhibition at the Maison Tavel museum in Geneva is showing archive material about the wall.
This content was published on
1 minute
swissinfo.ch
The Reformation Wall is located in Geneva’s Bastions Park close to the Old Town. The monument features major figures of the Reformation in the 16th century – John Calvin, William Farel, Théodore de Bèze and John Knox. The motto of Geneva, “Post Tenebras Lux” (After darkness, light), which belongs to Calvinist philosophy, is also engraved on the stone wall.
French artists Paul Landowski and Henri Bouchard designed the monument. It was built following a long public debate about its location and form, and the first stone was laid in 1909.
Despite being two years late, the wall was generally well received by the Geneva population when it was inaugurated. It is now a popular tourist site in the western Swiss city. Every first Sunday of November, the Reformation is celebrated at the monument site.
Popular Stories
More
Swiss Abroad
Aussie adoptee gains Swiss citizenship at 54 thanks to old envelope
Swiss health minister criticises Trump’s ‘rash’ WHO exit
This content was published on
Switzerland has expressed “deep” regret over Trump’s decision to withdraw from the WHO, Swiss Health Minister Elisabeth Baume-Schneider said in Davos.
This content was published on
Job vacancies in Switzerland fell by 10% in 2024, marking the first negative annual balance since the Covid-19 pandemic, says Adecco.
Swiss president meets Zelensky in Davos amid tensions with Europe
This content was published on
Swiss President met Zelensky at Davos. As Zelensky thanked Switzerland, Keller-Sutter said it's too early to discuss a new summit, awaiting Trump's actions.
Basel diocese files five claims of sexual abuse in Swiss Catholic Church
This content was published on
The diocese of Basel has received 141 reports of sexual abuse since the publication of a sweeping study on violations in the Catholic Church by the University of Zurich in 2023.
Swiss president calls for open markets and stable institutions in WEF speech
This content was published on
Swiss President Karin Keller-Sutter was among speakers at the WEF in Davos to make the case for fair competition, a day after Donald Trump became the 47th president of the United States.
Swiss film in competition at the 75th Berlinale has a shot at Golden Bear
This content was published on
The feature film La Cache by Lausanne screenwriter and director Lionel Baier has a chance of winning the Silver or Golden Bear at the 75th Berlinale, festival organisers said on Tuesday.
Swiss politician who shot at image of Jesus resigns from Liberal Green Party
This content was published on
Sanija Ameti, who caused controversy after shooting at an image of Jesus and Mary last September, has resigned from the Liberal Green Party.
Swiss campaigners gather enough signatures to submit ‘responsible business’ initiative
This content was published on
The Swiss people are set to vote again on the corporate responsibility of multinationals after campaigners collected 183,661 signatures in 14 days for their new 'responsible business' initiative.
Several Swiss municipalities and banks hit by cyberattack
This content was published on
Russian hackers attacked the websites of several Swiss municipalities and banks on Tuesday, just as the World Economic Forum (WEF), got under way in Davos.
Music strengthens brain connections in premature babies, Swiss study shows
This content was published on
In premature babies, music strengthens connections in certain areas of the brain, according to a years-long study by the University Hospitals of Geneva (HUG).
This content was published on
swissinfo.ch took a behind-the-scenes look at the new play “Geneva in flames”, which runs from July 1-26, and which aims to give a more differentiated view of the man behind the legend. “The play describes the stormy, passionate, painful, difficult relationship between the main character, Calvin, and his rival, the city of Geneva. Geneva is…
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.