Mini-Senior Conference - Part 1 - Lucerne

We have some conferences during the year to help us as senior missionaries in our work. In the Spring and the Fall, we have conferences for all the 40 or so senior missionaries in the mission. The Switzerland area has another conference in the Summer and again in the Winter. This time we were in Switzerland, the actual conference was in Zollikofen (near Bern) where the temple is. We spent some time in Lucerne on the way there. This part shows some of the sights in Luzern (as they spell it).

Luzern was founded by catholic monks around 800AD and has been a stronghold of Catholicism since. The city was built up over time and has played an important part in the history of Switzerland. For a long time, Switzerland was well known for the mercenary soldiers and the skill of battle. This lasted up until the later 1800s when mercenary occupations were no longer allowed, with the exception of the Swiss guards at the Vatican, where they still serve.

On of the terrible experiences of war happened with the Franco-Prussian war,  in the 1870-1871 time. A lot of Swiss men died in this war and a memorial was made in honor of them. Bertel Thorvaldsen, is the sculptor who made the Christus statue that is famous in our church (the original in Copenhagen, Denmark - a large copy in the visitor center in Salt Lake City). He designed the monument in Luzern, a lion wounded and dying. It was really amazing to see.

It is a glacier hollowed area. Nearby there is a set of stairs that climbs to the top of the area behind the monument.

Also, at about the same time, a large company of French soldiers, who lost the battle against the Prussians, were backed up against the border of Switzerland and pled for admittance into Switzerland for safety. There were about 90,000 of them. A man (and others with him) painted a very large circular panorama of the event. It took place in 1871. This panorama is on display in a museum in Luzern. We were able to see it. Here are a couple of pictures. The second one was taken by Elder Schwabe.

In front of the painted mural, they built a scene with figures, wagons, etc. that gives it all more depth.

Here is the monastery. It was built where the old original one stood.

Not far from the monastery is Lake Luzern.

Towards another part of the city, there is a very old wooden bridge. It had a major fire in 1993, so much has been rebuilt. In the bridge there were about 200 paintings. Most of them burned in the fire. Here are some pictures of the bridge and one of the paintings.

On the other side, people were feeding the gulls and other birds. I was able to get a few pictures of the flying birds.

Here is one way to keep track of your genealogy.

The roads between the buildings get smaller...

and narrower.

Next you will see our conference and a tour of Bern the next day.