St. Mauritius Church Saanen

A first church was built in Saanen in the 10th or 11th century and was first mentioned in a document in 1228. It was dedicated to Saint Mauritius and was probably a foundation of the Counts of Gruyères.

Until the Reformation, the parish of Saanen also included the chapels at Gstaad, Turbach, Grund, Gsteig, Abländschen and Lauenen.

In the late Middle Ages, the population in the Saanen region grew rapidly and so an enlargement of the church or a new building became necessary. In 1447 it was consecrated by the bishop of Marseille.

In 1556, the Reformation was introduced, altars and statues were demolished and the new faith was lived and celebrated in a different form. These upheaval events were not without tension in Saanen. The paintings in the church were covered in white only in 1604 - after the Council of Bern had agreed to pay for them. The year at the top of the nave still bears witness to this today. It was not until 1927 that these paintings were freed from the white covering.

On June 11, 1940, lightning struck the tower of the church and ignited a strong, rapidly spreading fire. The fire department was powerless, the extent devastating. The bells fell to the ground through the burning tower and were completely destroyed. Only paintings, pulpit, baptismal font and wooden columns could be saved. Despite the economically difficult war years, the church was rededicated on July 12, 1942, thanks to the efforts of the entire population. One year later, after the solemn bell-ringing ceremony on the afternoon of the feast day, the church bells rang again for the first time.

Since then, the St. Mauritius church has been cared for: in 1984, the beautiful, widely known triple organ found its place in the gallery. In 2006 the church bells were revised. From 2016 to 2017 the tower and the church were scaffolded, the roof was re-roofed, the walls were painted, the bells were checked and revised where necessary, the clock was dismantled and restored, and so on. So that posterity can also enjoy this church for a long time.