Description of the attraction
The International Reformation Monument in Geneva recalls the events of the reform movement within the Church. The foundation of the monument was laid on the 400th anniversary of the birth of John Calvin in 1909. In honor of this event, an international competition of architects was organized, in which 70 masters from different countries took part. There were four winners: Alphonse Laverrier and Jean Taillens, the statues were made by French sculptors Paul Landowsky and Heinrich Bouchard. The construction of the monument was completed in 1917. The stones used for the construction were brought from the Puine quarries in Burgundy.
On the plinth there are statues of Jean Calvin, Theodore de Bezet, John Knox, Guillaume Farel. To the left and to the right of them are reliefs telling about important events in the history of the Reformation. In addition to these figures, there are other smaller figures on the wall. These are statues of personalities who also played an important role in the era of the Reformation: Gaspard de Coligny (1517-1572), Istvan Bochkai (1556-1606), Oliver Cromwell (1599-1658), Roger Williams (1604-1685), Friedrich Wilhelm I of Brandenburg (1620 -1688).
On both sides of the central statues, you can read the motto of Geneva and the entire reform movement: Post Tenebras Lux (translated from Latin means "After darkness - light").
