Switzerland reflects on its glass heritage

Swiss churches have some impressive stained glass windows - these are in the Koenigsfelden chapel in Windisch, canton Aargau Keystone

Glass, one of the oldest manmade materials, is being celebrated across Switzerland this weekend as part of the European Heritage Days.

For two days, churches, greenhouses, glass observatories and factories will be opening their doors and windows to the public to show off Switzerland’s glittering glass heritage.

Guided tours will show how glass has not only been used as a means of decoration but also as an essential part of a building itself.

swissinfo paid a visit to the greenhouses at Bern’s botanical gardens to find out more about the importance of glass. There are seven greenhouses in all– three large and four small – which cover 1000m² of space and house a huge variety of exotic plants.

Being only 212 years old, they are a relatively modern addition to the Swiss capital’s gardens, and contain 6,000 different types of plants.

Christoph Schläppi, an architectural historian and vice president of the Swiss Heritage Society, says the first greenhouses were built under the reign of the French monarch, Louis XIV, who used them to grow oranges and exotic fruits.

Modern architecture

Schläppi explains Crystal Palace, a gigantic glass and iron structure built in London by Sir Joseph Paxton, is seen as a cornerstone of modern architecture.

“Paxton, who was also a gardener, created a palace of glass for the World Exhibition in London in 1851 using prefabricated glass modules, which had never been done before,” Schläppi told swissinfo.

The historian says that great progress has been made in glassmaking over the centuries, particularly during the past ten years.

Most of Bern’s greenhouses were made in the 1950s using uninsulated glass that tends to let heat out of the building.

But, despite being expensive to maintain, they are preserved because of their historical and architectural value. Only the largest greenhouse, which dates from the 1970s, has been constructed using insulating glass.

Stained glass revival

The Heritage Days exhibitions also include places where glass has been used for purely decorative reasons.

Both ancient and contemporary stained glass windows are on show at the Stained Glass Window Museum in the medieval town of Romont in the canton Fribourg.

The Jura is also worth a visit as it is believed to have the highest concentration of modern stained glass windows in Europe.

This is mainly due to the influence of the French artist, Fernand Léger (1881-1955), whose splendid windows in the church in the village of Courfaivre in 1954 led to a revival in glassmaking in the region.

The Swiss European Heritage days will run until September 14.

swissinfo, Raffaella Rossello (translation: Isobel Johnson)

In brief

The European Heritage Days aim to raise awareness about monuments and buildings across 40 countries.
The event attracts around 50,000 visitors in Switzerland.
It is organised by the Council of Europe.