The Grossmünster harbours an unique collection of Bibles and scriptures dating back to the time of the Reformation. Its centrepiece is the hand-coloured Froschauer Bible – worldwide one of only three surviving copies of the first complete edition of the Bible published in German. This treasure is now publicly accessible.

Permanent exhibit «Getruckt zů Zürich»

Disputations - the Reformation in the Crossfire 

The reformers sought to bring the Holy Scripture to the people and up for discussion, staging «disputations» (debates) to establish the truth on the basis of the Bible. Reformers and political authorities staged disputations in order to assert their beliefs against the authority of the church, backed by large swathes of the population. The First Zurich Disputation on 29 January 1523 had epochal consequences, with the Council of Zurich voting in favour of the reformer Ulrich Zwingli and against the established church. This Zurich model was replicated in many places across Switzerland.

In addition to numerous Bible printings, the Schriftensammlung (collection of writings) in the Grossmünster also includes a collection of Zurich Reformation Scriptures. An assortment of original printings from the Disputation era is on display to mark the 500th anniversary of the First Zurich Disputation.