St. Peter's Church
Zurich, the Swiss cultural hub, is home to St. Peter’s, its oldest church. It is located next to the remains of an old Roman fortress in Lidenhof. The church dates back to 900. One can find the first description of the church in 857. Back then the German king, Louis gifted it to his two daughters. Later on one of them went on to become the first abbess of the Fraumunster when it was founded. The St. Peter’s church was taken over by the first mayor of the city, Rudolf Brun in 1345. Along with it he also gained the other privileges like the church tax. He passed away in 1360 and was buried in the choir of the church. His grave and a monument now stand on the outer tower wall. Leo Jud (1523-1542) friend of Zwingli and the first reformed pastor, was part of the first group that translated the bible in Zurich. Another well known pastor was J.C. Lavater. He was a writer and physionomist. The church wall has his gravestone. Also a memorial for him exists in the church choir. St. Peter’s is the first reformed church of Zurich. It has Romanesque-Gothic tower and Europe’s largest church clock. Fire watchers were there in the church till 1911. It also boasts of five bells as old as 1880.
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