The Church of Wintersingen

6 July 2022

In the High Middle Ages, the parish church of Wintersingen (Canton of Basel-Landschaft) was owned by the canons of St Leonhard in Basel. An archaeological survey uncovered several graves and stone slabs which, together with the last remains of the foundation, point to the presence of a first church around 700 or at the beginning of the 8th century.

A papal bull of 8 May 1196 confirmed the ownership of the Leonhard monastery. However, the Bishop of Basel managed to get the patronage of Wintersingen. The Teutonic Order of Beuggen was the successor.

It was not until 1821 that the city of Basel became the owner. However, after the creation of the canton Basel-Landschaft, a split-off from Basel-Stadt, Wintersingen became an independent municipality.

The church has a choir, nave, and ossuary (Beinhaus). The church converted to Protestantism in the Reformation (1529). The huge clockwork of the church tower from 1552, the organ, the large and small bells (15th century), the ancient Greek epitaphs, the choir stalls (1676), the guéridon (1706), the communion table and the baptismal font (1642), the pulpit (1676), the stained glass (1639) and the many wall paintings and decorations are the artefacts on Wintersingen’s church hill.

(Bron: Daniel Anderegg, Die Kirche Wintersingen, Wintersingen, 2015)