The Reformation Wall, Geneva

A member of the Martyrs congregation, Bethany Cummings, sent me through some photos of the famous Reformation Wall (Mur des Réformateurs) in Geneva.

This imposing Reformation Wall standing in the Parc des Bastions and built into the old city walls of Geneva, portrays some of the major figures of the Reformation in the form of huge statues and bas-reliefs. This monument was built in 1909 to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the birth of John Calvin.

At the centre of the monument, four 5m-tall statues of Calvinism's main proponents are depicted:

• John Calvin (1509–1564)

• William Farel (1489–1565)

• Théodore de Bèze (1519–1605)

• John Knox (1513–1572).

To the left of these central statues are 3m-tall statues of:

• Frederick William of Brandenburg (1620 – 1688)

• William the Silent (1533 – 1584)

• Gaspard de Coligny (1519–1572)

To the right are 3m-tall statues of:

• Roger Williams (1603–1684)

• Oliver Cromwell (1599–1658)

• Stephen Bocskai (1557–1606)

Along the wall, to either side of the central statues, is engraved the motto of both the Reformation and Geneva: Post Tenebras Lux (Latin for "After darkness, light").

On the left of the wall is a stone with Martin Luther’s name carved in it, while to the right of the wall is a stone bearing the name of Huldrych Zwingli, two men in the early line of the Reformation.