As the world marks 500 years since the start of the Reformation in Germany, DAVID ADAMS finds an app that explores how those events affected neighbouring Switzerland…
As Christians around the world mark 500 years since Martin Luther published his 95 Theses, much of the attention, naturally enough, has been on Germany and the events that took place there. This app, launched by the Federation of Swiss Protestant Churches last year, explores how the Reformation impacted Switzerland and while it’s ideal for those visiting the nation and wanting to explore historic sites on foot, it’s also a handy guide for anyone interested in finding about more about this dramatic time in the history of the church – even if it’s from a distance. The app is easy to navigate – just click one any one of the 11 Swiss cities featured – from Geneva to Zurich, Chur to Lausanne – and it brings up a map and details of a range of historic sites relevant to the Reformation as well as a detailed history of what took place there (I’d advise reading this first). Of course, it’s linked to GPS so that if you’re on the ground, you can quickly find your way to the locations which include everywhere from Zwingli’s birthplace in Wildhaus to Lausanne Cathedral, home of the famous ‘Disputation Window’, and the site of Europe’s largest church clock in Zurich. There’s also a calendar of Reformation-related events (although this section is written in German), videos of the cities, links to tourist authorities in each place and, for those looking for even more information, a referral to Switzerland’s national Reformation website, ref-500.ch. The app is free and available on iOS (linked above) and Android.
