Elisabethenkirche

The Offene Kirche Elisabethen can be found between the Stadttheater and a busy road. It is the most important example of Neo-Gothic architecture in Switzerland because the decoration has been kept in near perfect condition. Following the Reformation, no churches were built in Basel until the construction of the Elisabethenkirche. Designed by Christoph Merian-Burckhardt as a symbol of the 'Christianisation of the State and Society', the church was built in 1857-1864 and follows the tradition of Protestant church design. In the 1960's the church was threatened with demolition and now it's home to the Free Church of Elisabeth, which hires the church out for social, cultural, and religious events from services for animals to discos.