Description

Lower Basel has been the worker's district for a long while. In a city where for centuries Protestantism was the prevalent religion, it was the Catholics who in the 19th century made up the largest portion of this ever-expanding population. In short, a new, large catholic church was desperately required in the area. This was St Josef's. Once built, this place of worship could hold up to 1,400 worshippers.

The building is characterised by a front tower which conceals a hall with three naves. It loses a little on impression due to its somewhat cramped positioning; between the constricted streets and the narrow rows of houses that surround them, it all seems a bit on top of each other. By contrast the interior is striking in its spaciousness. Just after 1980, the interior was renovated and carefully redesigned.