Katharinen-Turm – 500th Anniversary of the Reformation in the Fraumünster
August 20 – December 10, 2024
In order to implement reformation peacefully and avoid a civil war, Katharina von Zimmern handed over the Fraumünster Abbey to the Zurich City Council in December 1524.
To commemorate this important turning point in the history of the Reformation in Zurich, a 40-meter (130 ft) tall art installation will stand next to the Fraumünster Church from August 20 – December 10, 2024. The tower, which comprises 29 steel rods, representing the 29 abbesses of the Fraumünster, serves to symbolically replicate the old, demolished south tower of the Fraumünster. The tower is clad in green strips of fabric, totaling 1,000 meters (3,280 ft) in length. On the strips are printed the names of 500 important Zurich women.
The tower bears the name “Katharinen-Turm” in memory of Katharina von Zimmern.
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Who was Katharina von Zimmern?
Born in 1478, Katharina von Zimmern entered monastery life at the Fraumünster Abbey in 1491 and was elected abbess at the age of 18. On doing so, she assumed many important roles, including that of ruler of the city. The formative era of Zurich’s last abbess ended with the handover of Fraumünster Abbey to the City of Zurich.
Location
Kirche Fraumünster
Münsterhof 2
8001 Zürich
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