The International Monument to the Reformation, better known as the Reformation Wall, is a monument that honours the Protestant Reformation movement

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Reformation Wall, Geneva

The International Monument to the Reformation, better known as the Reformation Wall, is a monument that honours the Protestant Reformation movement.

The International Monument to the Reformation, better known as the Reformation Wall, is a monument that honours the Protestant Reformation movement. Built into the old city walls, the 100 metre long and 9 metre high wall stands in the Parc des Bastions in the University of Geneva campus. It features statues and reliefs of the main individuals, events, and documents related to the Reformation. The Wall was inaugurated in 1909 on the occasion of the 400th anniversary of theologian John Calvin's birth, and the 350th anniversary of the university's establishment.

The Reformation Wall was designed by architects Charles Dubois, Alphonse Laverrière, Eugène Monod, and Jean Taillens, with sculptures by Paul Landowski and Henri Bouchard. At the centre is the ensemble of four 5 metre tall statues of Calvinism's main proponents - William Farel, John Calvin, Theodore Beza, and John Knox. All of them are dressed in long robes, and hold the Petite Bible du Peuple Chrétien in their hands. They stand on a pedestal inscribed with the 'ΙΗΣ' Christogram. The ground in front of them features the coats of arms of Bern, Geneva, and the Kingdom of Scotland.

The wall behind them is engraved with the motto of Geneva 'Post Tenebras Lux' (After Darkness comes the Light). The extreme ends of the wall are inscribed with the dates 1536 - the year of the official adoption of the Reformation at Geneva, and 1602 - the year in which Geneva saved the Reformation by staving off the Duke of Savoy.

On both sides of the central figures are the statues of important Protestant figures from different Calvinist countries, with the Wall featuring bas-reliefs illustrating the development of the movement. To the left are 3 metre tall statues of Frederick William of Brandenburg who protected Huguenots in Germany, William the Silent of Netherlands, and Gaspard de Coligny of France. To the right are 3 metre tall statues of Roger Williams of New England, Oliver Cromwell of Great Britain, and Stephen Bocskay of Hungary.

The reliefs on the Wall depict:

  • King Henry IV of Navarre signing the Edict of Nantes (1598), which ended the Wars of Religion in France.
  • John Knox preaching against Queen Mary Stuart from his pulpit in the St Giles Cathedral, Edinburgh.
  • Roger Williams and the Pilgrim Fathers praying on the Mayflower as it sails to America.
  • Bocskay hailed for bringing the signed treaty of Vienna to the Diet of Kassa.
  • The British Parliament presenting the Bill of Rights, an act declaring the rights and liberties of the subjects, also the settling the succession of the crown, to William and Mary, Prince and Princess of Orange in 1689.

At the ends of the esplanade in front the monument are 2 stelae commemorating Martin Luther and Ulrich Zwingli.


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About Reformation Wall

 Prom. des Bastions 1, 1204 Genève, Switzerland

 +41 22 909 70 00

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