Otto Münch

Otto Münch (1885–1965) was a German-born Swiss sculptor best known for the Zwingli and Bible bronze doors at the Grossmünster in Zurich. His work also included architectural decoration, reliefs, fountains and public sculpture.

Biography Otto Münch was born on 23 October 1885 in Meissen, Saxony.

Münch moved to Zurich in 1911. In the 1910s and 1920s, Münch designed stucco and architectural decoration in historical styles for public buildings. The individual panels extend across the entrance columns and show scenes connected with education and physical activity, including music, running and skipping. Most depict episodes from Zwingli’s life and the Reformation, while the upper central panels contain statuettes of Reformers and the corner panels display seals and coats of arms.

The Bible door, inaugurated at the main portal on 15 October 1950, contains 42 panels arranged in seven rows of six. Its programme combines inscriptions with reliefs illustrating the Ten Commandments, the Creed and the Lord’s Prayer.

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