Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1919-11-02
BY MARIE WIDMER.

A living temple of God with
affairs towering high into the heav-
ems and with veritable labyrinth
of exquisite side chapels of rare in
dividual beauty, such is Switzerland,
Creations masterpiece. For could
mere man ever conceive a nobler and
more uplifting altar than God has
created unto HIMSELF; those glorl-
Gus mountains, pointing heavenward,
silent reminders of eternity in their
statuesque beauty of fawless mar
bic and Overwhelmingly lovely in
their occasional periods of trans
fguratiou--st dawn and at sunset,
when their serene browS shine in a
halo OF rose and gold AID when the
very doors of heaven seem to have
been thrown open. Y
And has any architect or artist
ever conceived loftier ideas for the
design OF side chapel of great
cathedra! than the Creator displayed
when He called into existence and
permitted the. formation of that
multitude OF side valleys with their
restful charm. only enlivened by
the sweet music of jubilant birds
and babblng brooks. The distant
roar Of avalanches and the thunder
of great waterfalls, are they not
perpetual reminders OF the al
mighty Divinity
Inspires Reverent Feeling. /
To live in land where the
Creator has manifested Himself so
forcibly, can have but one effect
upon normally receptive mind.
almost unconsciously it is filled with
reverent feeling for nature. 1t is
therefore not surprising that his
torians and writer's have frequently
dwelled upon the fact that the ma
tives OF Switzerland possess very
deep religious convictions and that
they display a simple, chlldlike
faith in matters which they consider
: as ordained by heaven.
N. Christianity has had its beginning
Mn Switzerland in the early centuries
iof the Christian era, when places
aof worship sprang up i'll the settle
inents Of the valleys and on the
lakes, IN the hilltops of the noun
tain districts and even on the edith
Scult Alpine roads:
1 Whether it be but a humble way
| side shrine, or diminutive chapel
clinging to the steep mountainslde;
whether it be one of those quaint
old village churches whose stained
glass windows would be the envy
Of many OF our modern churches,
or one OF those glorious cathedrais
architectural masterpieces OF the
middle age-dotted here and there
we find them in great numbers. IN
Switzerland, an everlasting object
of pious devotion and admiration
from the natives.
Like Goldsmith's Filigree.
Starting at the northwestern cor
ner of Switzerland, we encounter
! the historic city of Basic, which
was probably founded by the 10.
man armies when they were forced
back from Gaul to the Rhine IN the
fourth century. The settlement was
known as Basilea, and in memory
of this the heraldic symbol of Basic,
the basilisk, is seen in various
places.
The monumental structure OF
the city is the cathedral, truly
magnificent building, begun in l0lO
by Emperor Henry II, unique alike
in its lines and coloring.
The towers-over 200 feet high
are exceedigly graceful and termi-
nate in spires carved in wavy lines
like delicate piece of goldsmith's
} work, showing the line through IN
Vulnerable openings.
The sculptures on the facade re-
produce the Virgin and Child, hav-
ing under them the Emperor Henry
and the Empress Kunigude. The
side entrances are ornamented with
statues of the two saints most adj
mired in that period-St George
and the dragon and St Martin.
Legend of Ursus.
In the year 272 A. D., when the
Allemans threatened the Romans
a fortihcation was erected on the
River Aar, where the present city Of
Soleure stands, and remnants oil
walls of the same are still visible
in the Lowengasse and on the GEM
etery. A legend relates that Ursu:
and Victor. two of the early Chris
tians who had fed to Soleure from
Agaunum. the present St. Maurice
in the Rhone valley. in the year so,
had been tortured and put to dealt
in Soieure by the Romans on &C
count of their faith.
The cathedral of St. Ursus a
Soleure. built by Pisoni in 1927,
on a site which, according to ira
iition. was formerly occupied by ;
Roman temple to Apollo, is consid
cred to be the finest specimen o
: late Italian Renaissance in Switzer
y land.
Two interesting fountains bearing
statues of Moses and Gideon, stan,
at each side of the imposing marbl
stairs which lead in three times |
steps to the entrance. Eleven mar
BE affairs of exquisite design, indi
vidual masterpieces of as many ar
lists, add to the beauty Of the in