The project, led by Esther Vorburger-Bossart, looks at the different ecclesiastical status of women and men, the internal and external structure of networks, and the dwindling membership of the convents. The period under investigation, 1960–1980, was not only characterised by social change, but also by a decisive event in church history: the Second Vatican Council (1963–1965). Previous oral history projects (see links below) have demonstrated that the Council and its impact on how church history has been presented since 1950 have played a crucial role in the subjective history of this period – specifically, from the perspective of individual experiences.

The project examines the evolving legal and relational structures between the Benedictine Abbey of Einsiedeln and the Convent of Fahr, a community of Benedictine nuns that has been under the abbey's authority since the Middle Ages. The historical relationship between these two convents makes them particularly suitable for studying the shifting dynamics between male and female monastic institutions. The research focuses on prominent figures recognized by both the church and society, who were key drivers of structural change: the Einsiedeln abbots Benno Gut (1897-1970) and Raymund Tschudi (1914-2011), the writer Sister Hedwig Walter (Silja Walter, 1919-2011) and the prioress Sister Elisabeth Galliker (1909-1996). The two abbots were directly involved in the negotiations for the Second Vatican Council in Rome, which provides valuable insights. Fahr Abbey also houses the unpublished papers of Silja Walter, who, in her notes, commented on the Council and advocated for greater independence for her convent from Einsiedeln Abbey. A sub-project on Walter's role in church politics (see news from 17 April 2024) was initially led by Professor Markus Ries. Following his retirement at the end of July, Esther Vorburger-Bossart has taken over the project (see news from 26 August 2024).

The newly funded research project builds on a series of SNSF-funded studies on gender and church history at the Chair of Church History, formerly headed by Markus Ries. These studies examined women's communities in Eastern Switzerland in the 20th century, the life stories of deaconesses and nuns, and the life stories of Benedictine monks and nuns.

Title: The Abbey of Einsiedeln and the Benedictine Priory of Fahr 1960-1980. Reform of hierarchies and gender orders

Project leader: Dr Esther Vorburger-Bossart, postdoctoral research associate at the Professorship for Church History

Project participants and collaborators: a doctoral candidate, a research associate, a student assistant (to be determined)

Project duration: 42 months

Approved funding: approx. CHF 254,000