Day One: Basel, Switzerland

(Disclaimer #1: Folks, I have spent hours upon hours trying to resolve problem after problem. I think I finally got it.)

(Disclaimer #2: Since this trip is focused on the Reformation, most of the blog will be dedicated to the people and places associated with that movement (and may sometimes read like a history lesson). There is, of course, much more to each place than just their significance to the Reformation. I also do not claim to be an expert of the Reformation or the cities I visit. I am sharing my understanding from the research and information I have but ask your forgiveness if I get a few facts wrong!)

After an overnight flight to Zurich, Switzerland and then a one and half hour train ride, Luther and I were ready to tackle Basel around 11:30am. Why Basel for a Reformation tour? Basel was heavily involved in the Reformation movement starting in 1521 with the city council’s renunciation of their obligations to the Bishop. The two most famous people associated with reforming the church here are Erasmus of Rotterdam and John Oecolampadius.
Luther and I start at Tinguely Fountain where playful metal sculptures come to life and “dance” in the water. No, this has nothing to do with the Reformation, but it was a cool place to take a break and soak in the atmosphere.

In Basel, the old and the new are seamlessly woven together. Around each corner there was another breathtaking spire or historical spot.

The first few places I visited were associated with Erasmus of Rotterdam. Erasmus was born in Rotterdam (today’s Netherlands) but lived much of his life in Basel.

He was a progressive priest that started to question the teachings of the Church. He is nicknamed the “Prince of the Humanists” and was the first to explore and edit old texts according to the historical-critical method. His most influential accomplishment was a new translation of the New Testament from the original Greek text into Latin published in 1516. This Latin Bible became the basis of many Protestant translations of the New Testament, including Luther’s translation of the Bible into German.

Erasmus was a trailblazer for the Reformation with his Humanist background and passion for biblical scholarship, but he was not a full fledged Reformer himself. He wanted to change the church from the inside out and abhorred extreme positions and violent protests. Martin Luther considered him a traitor for refusing to side with the Reformation. Erasmus boarded a ship in 1529 at the Schifflande (docks)

and wrote, “Before the Luther’s came I was welcome there. But as soon as they realized that I would never participate in their troublemaking, let along become their leader, some wicked and insolent people began to defame me.” Zwingli, on the other hand, himself a humanist, held Erasmus in high regard.
I visited the Froben publishing shop that printed most of Erasmus’ writings including this work which is dated 1521.

Basel was central to the Reformation because of their printing shops, but more on that later. The Erasmus House was not only the place where printing took place, it was the place where Erasmus died. He is buried in the great catholic cathedral in town, Basler Munster, where his epitaph lies. 

His estate is in the Historical Museum, but alas it is closed on Mondays.
A side note about the Historical Museum. The building used to be a monastery of the Order of St. Francis, nicknamed the Barefoot Monastery (perfect for a barefoot preacher!). This place and the plaza in front was a popular gathering spot for Protestants in the 1500’s. After the dissolution of the monasteries, the monastery was turned into a simple Reformed house of prayer.

Printing was a burgeoning industry in Basel in the 1500’s. The easy access to water, used to make paper, make Basel the perfect place to house printing presses. Although significantly changed in the las t 500 years, this Wesse Gasse Street is where the printing shop of the city’s most famous printer was located. Adam Petri began to print Luther’s writings early on; in 1517 he printed the 95 thesis and in 1522/23 he represented Luther’s translation of the New Testament in German.
 
 Suffice it to say, the Reformation would never have been as world changing as it was if it weren’t for the printing press and printers that distributed these new ideas about church and theology. Luther relied heavily on Basel to make his writings known. John Calvin’s Institutes of the Christian Religion were also printed in Basel in 1536. There is still an old fashioned printing shop today but alas, it’s closed on Mondays.

The distinctive red sandstone Town Hall was and is Basel’s political center. At the time, the city council determined if a town would be Catholic or Protestant.

On February 8, 1529, the council hesitated to banish the Catholic faith from the town so the Protestant-minded citizens put up an armed demonstration and started a riot smashing all the statues and stained glass windows in the Catholic Churches.

The Catholic councilors and priests fled. I find it interesting that the general public was so passionate about what religion their city was as well as the intolerance of the other side.
Finally, there is the main attraction of the city, the Basler Munster. I rounded a corner and the huge edifice literally took my breath away.

With its impressive red sandstone and colorful roof tiles, its two slim towers and the cross shaped intersection of the main roots, the building is a distinctive feature of the cityscape. Before the Reformation, the Munster was the bishop’s cathedral along with a cathedral chapter with dozens of clergymen employed there.
Luther can’t pass up an opportunity to preach so he climbed up into the pulpit to try it out.

The stone communion table dates back to Reformation times and now lies at the center of the nave.

Built between 1019 and 1500 in the Romanesque and Gothic Style, I can only imagine how common people would have been in awe of the beauty of the stain glass windows and the vast size of the building itself.

During the Reformation in 1529, this became a Reformed Church and remains that way until this day. Luther and I (and a 30 lb. backpack) climbed the narrow stairs up the tower to get this view. Talk about a workout!



There is a cloister attached to the cathedral where the living quarters of first the Catholic priests and later rich merchants would live. Along the halls were epitaphs of the rich and famous. This one is for the Mayer, University Rector, and the great Reformer Oecolampadius. Inscribed with a Latin motto in the spirit of humanism is a Reformation saying, “If honor, good deeds and skills were any help, none of these three would be dead.”

Speaking of Oecolampadius (I’m just going to abbreviate his name to O.), he was the most famous Reformer living in Basel at the 1500’s not counting Erasmus. A statue of him holding the Bible commemorates his accomplishments.

After becoming a priest and collaborating with Erasmus on the first edition of the Greek original text of the New Testament, he was called to Basel permanently to be the professor of theology at the University. After being exposed to Luther’s writings, he adopted the Reformed ways. As the main pastor of the Basel St. Martin’s Church,

he started to teach and preach in German instead of Latin for the common person to understand. Although he was highly educated, he was not a born leader, choosing to work behind the scenes. In 1529 (the year Basel officially became Reformed), he joined Zwingli at the Marburg Colloquy which was an attempt to solve the conflicts between Luther and the Swiss Reformers. Unfortunately, they could not come to an agreement on the Eucharist and parted ways.
     Overall it was a wonderful day that only took 5 hours so there was plenty of time to hop on a train to Strasbourg. But not without seeing the impressive 14th century Spalen gate

 and the iconic Rhine Bridge built in 1225 seen in most photos of Basel.

Luther and I had a great first day of our adventure together. Strasbourg awaits us tomorrow.