Perhaps you have heard of the Swiss Reformation leader Huldrych Zwingli. This statue commemorates him. Huldrych Zwingli was born on January 1, 1484. He died on October 11, 1531.
The Huldrych Zwingli Statue stands south of the Wasserkirche. Notice that Huldrych Zwingli carries a bible in one hand. In the other, he holds a sword. Zwingli strongly believed in a strict interpretation of the bible. He disliked the pomp of the Roman Catholic Church. Huldrych Zwingli convinced the people of Zurich to embrace a simpler Christian faith.
Huldrych Zwingli was a key figure in converting Zurich to the reformed faith. He created many enemies. These enemies effectively decided his fate.
For the 500th anniversary of Huldrych Zwingli’s birth, fifteen plastic statues were made. They were based on the bronze original at the Wasserkirche. One statue was in a Zurich festival parade. Twelve were installed in the city’s twelve districts. The main train station and airport each displayed a statue. Ten Zwingli figures were moved to the Limmatquai. They stood under the Grossmünster Church overlooking the river.
Christoph Sigrist, pastor of Grossmünster, wanted to bring Zwingli to the people. He wanted to invite dialogue and spread the Church’s reach.
Zwingli and Martin Luther disagreed on communion. Luther believed in the literal presence of Christ. Zwingli thought it merely symbolic. This divided the German and Swiss reformation movements. An attempt at reconciliation in 1529 failed. Zwingli died two years later. He accompanied Zurich soldiers as their chaplain in the Second War of Kappel.
Zwingli attacked fasting during Lent in 1522. He noted corruption in the church. He promoted clerical marriage. Huldrych Zwingli also attacked the use of images in worship. In 1525, he introduced a new communion liturgy. Zwingli clashed with the Anabaptists. This resulted in their persecution.
Zwingli rejected the veneration of saints in 1519. He questioned hellfire. He asserted unbaptized children were not damned. He questioned the power of excommunication. His attack on tithing had the greatest impact. This contradicted the economic interests of the church.
Switzerland wasn’t a federated state then. It was a collection of independent cantons. Zwingli’s first major attack on old rituals is known as “The Affair of the Sausages”. During Lent in 1522, Zwingli and others broke the fasting rule. They cut and distributed two smoked sausages. Zwingli defended this in a sermon. He claimed no general rule on food comes from the Bible. Transgressing such a rule isn’t a sin. “The Affair of the Sausages” is considered the start of the Reformation in Switzerland.
Zwingli wanted to abolish clerical celibacy. He had secretly married a widow. They had four children. Zwingli advocated removing icons and images from churches.
The various Swiss cantons formed up. Some supported Zwingli and the reformers. Others opposed them. War threatened. On October 9, 1531, the Five States declared war on Zurich. Zurich’s mobilization was slow. On October 11, 3500 poorly deployed men met a much larger force. The battle lasted less than one hour. Zwingli was among the 500 casualties.
Heinrich Bullinger said Zwingli was found wounded under a pear tree. An enemy captain killed him when he refused to confess. His body was quartered and burned. His ashes were thrown to the wind. His helmet was taken to Lucerne as a trophy.
Zwingli eliminated instrumental music from worship. He said God had not commanded it. The organist of the People’s Church in Zurich wept. Zwingli objected to medieval Latin choral music. He didn’t object to evangelical hymns.