ECKART KÜHNE, DIPL. ARCH.

ETHZ

THE CONSTRUCTION AND RESTORATION OF THE 18TH CENTURY MISSIONARY

CHURCHES OF CHIQUITOS IN EASTERN BOLIVIA

1. INTRODUCTION

The so-called "Jesuit state of Paraguay" (1609-1767) was a highly noted episode in
the history of South America. In the so-called "reductions" (mission villages), the Indians who
had converted to Christianity had to a large extent the chance of an independent development
within the Spanish colonial empire and were protected from exploitation by slave traders and
settlers. All Jesuits were banished in 1767, which led to the slow collapse of the reductions. In
the tumult of the wars of independence in the early 19th century, many villages were destroyed,
so that today only ruins bear them witness. By way of contrast, the Missions of Chiquitos
(1691-1767) have survived until today in the eastern low countries of Bolivia. They are much
less well-known than the Guaraní Missions of Paraguay, although they were in reality more
successful.
The stylistic and structural type of the "multi-aisle timber-skeleton church" origina-
ted in the 17th century in the subtropical wooded areas of Paraguay and Bolivia. A single large
saddle-roof on carved wood columns covers the roomy church with vestibule and lateral porti-
cos. The type is related to the building method of the Indian community houses, uses existing
building materials (good tropical wood, lack of lime) and is thus suited to the regional climate
(torrential rainfall), the social requirements (large village communities), limited previous techni-
cal knowledge of the Indians (no tradition of monumental buildings) and the marginal situation in
the Spanish colonial empire. In all mission villages the church together with the bell tower, par-
sonage, school, workshops and dwelling-houses make up a uniform, planned design.
The Swiss missionary, musician and architect Martin Schmid (1694-1772) worked
in Chiquitos to bring this type of building to its highest fruition. His buildings are very solid, care-
fully proportioned, thoroughly architecturally designed and adorned with richly carved altars.
From the ten churches which once stood in Chiquitos, seven can be precisely examined, and
six of them still stand. The churches of San Rafael, San Javier and Concepción were built by
Schmid, those of San Miguel and San Ignacio (destroyed in 1948) by an (up till now) unknown
co-worker or pupil. Unknown also are the architects of the contemporary buildings of San José,
which were built partially in stone, and the modest church of Santa Ana, which was build only
after the Jesuits were expulsed. In their construction and style the seven churches (except
parts of San José) form a very homogeneous group. All were built between 1745 and 1775, but
their artistic adornment with carved altar-pieces and sculptures continued to be added to till
around 1810.

Eckart Kühne, Missionary Churches of Chiquitos, Bolivia 1

 The very remote, long economically unimportant villages survived owing to the
Christian faith of the Chiquitano Indians. When the reduction system was finally dissolved
around 1860, white (mestizo) colonizers seized the lands, herds and workers, displaced the
Indians from the village centers and altered the churches to fit their taste. In the rubber boom
starting about 1880 many Chiquitano were carried of to harvest rubber as bonded laborers, or
they fled into inaccessible areas. In 1931 German-speaking Franciscan missionaries took over
the pastoral care of the Chiquitano. Today the old Jesuit churches are not only the parish
churches of the mestizo village inhabitants, but also spiritual centers of the Indians living in the
far periphery who still observe many of the festival rites and traditions from the Jesuit time. With
insufficient means they have long attempted to halt the pending fall of the age-weakened build-
ings; due to their care the churches still retain large numbers of the works of art, furniture, silver
objects and music books.
The Swiss ETH architect and theologian Hans Roth (1934-1999) spent 27 years in
Chiquitos. That which began as a short rescue action of a collapse-endangered church, gradu-
ally became one of the most comprehensive and sustainable restoration projects in all of South
America – not just with a view towards preservation of old monuments, but also as means for
the social, cultural and pastoral development of the region, similar to when the buildings arose.
Roth worked like a missionary, only for church employers, without the backing of national au-
thorities, without previous monument preservation instruction and almost only with local crafts-
men, who were trained on the building site and in the apprentice workshops. In addition, Roth
raised over one hundred new buildings – from churches to schools and house building pro-
grams – with which he created a new regional architectural style. He founded museums and
archives, defended the rights of the Indians and studied their history. This work, under less
than favorable conditions, was a long learning process; the churches were restored by him with
completely different methods, so that they just about exemplify the good aspects and dangers of
contradictory restoration concepts.
In 1990 the six preserved mission churches in Chiquitos and the surrounding vil-
lages were included by UNESCO into the list of world heritage sites. They are of singular im-
portance in the cultural history of South America, since they are not only the last remaining
churches from the former Jesuit Missions, but also the best examples of a type of building once
wide-spread in South America. They preserve one of most important archives of American
baroque music, which was saved by Roth and at present is being systematically investigated
and published. They are also of increasing importance for tourism, not the least owing to the
International Festival of American Baroque Music "Misiones de Chiquitos", held every two
years.

Eckart Kühne, Missionary Churches of Chiquitos, Bolivia 2

2. GOALS

A first goal is a comprehensive investigation of the missionary churches of Chiqui-

tos, Bolivia: their original shape, their building history, the architects, artists and craftsmen in-
volved. Secondly, an investigation is needed of the historical background and of the social and
cultural conditions for the emergence and preservation of these buildings in the conflict between
Indian-mestizo traditions and European culture transfer. The third aim is the description of the
restoration as part of reception history and as a means towards a comprehensive cultural stimu-
lation of a marginalized region. Finally an appreciation of Martin Schmid and Hans Roth, two
important, but barely known Swiss architects, is long overdue.

3. STATE OF RESEARCH

The history of the Chiquitos Mission is far less well examined than that of the fa-
mous Guaraní Missions. Newer general views come from Parejas (1992) and Menacho (1996),
but only the pioneer thesis of Tomichá (2002) over the protagonists and mission methods has
supplied a profound and reliable analysis of the Jesuit time up till 1767, using nearly the entire
existing archived material. In particular, Tomichá examines the reactions of the Indians and
emphasizes their fundamental role in the mission process, not only as passive objects, but as
subjects who played an active role in how the mission was shaped. Santamaría (1987) and
Radding (1998) studied the economic system of Chiquitos up to the end of the colonial age and
the surprising economic bloom after the expulsion of the Jesuits (rising production with sinking
standard of life of the Indians). Otherwise for the period of 1767-1825 we are still dependent on
René-Morenos "catalog" from 1888 (1974), even if his historical point of view is now quite out-
dated.
A comprehensive history of Chiquitos in the republican period is not yet available;
the same is true for an ethnographic monograph concerning the Chiquitano. Métraux (1948)
described the peoples of eastern Bolivia and the neighboring regions in an overview. Riester,
untiring defender of the Indians, published numerous studies (1976 among others), but his anti-
clerical prejudice makes it difficult for him to understand this Indian culture with Christian char-
acter. As a sociologist Strack (1991; Kühne 1989) analyzes the changes of the Christian festive
rites and the conflicts between "conservative" Indians and modernist priests. Fischermann
(1995) gives a short historical overview and analyzes the double identity of the Chiquitano as
Indians and as "campesinos" (agricultural laborers). Falkinger (2001) examines the Chiquitano
language and the liturgical texts and sermons that have been handed down since the time of
the Jesuits.
The investigations on the architecture of the Jesuit Missions of South America con-
centrated first on works of well documented Italian, Spanish and German architects such as
Prímoli, Grimau and Sepp (Furlong 1946, 1962; Plattner 1960). Buschiazzo (1963) was the first

Eckart Kühne, Missionary Churches of Chiquitos, Bolivia 3

to show that the timber skeleton structure was a common characteristic of mission architecture
in all lowland, wooded areas of Spanish America, but until today a catalog and comparative
typological and structural analyses of the churches of this type are missing. Gutiérrez (1983 A,
B, 1988) describes building methods, architecture and urban planning in the area of today's
Paraguay in detail and stresses its special position within South America. Like most authors he
differentiates three development phases: 1) provisional buildings, 2) "independent wood struc-
tures" (timber-skeleton), and 3) "support walls" with vaults (massive constructions). He criti-
cizes the purely constructional reasons for this development (availability of lime for making sup-
port stone walls) and recognizes rather the intention of following European typological models.
This corresponds to the fact that the rare European-inspired massive constructions were long
considered as typical for all Jesuit Missions and preferentially shown as such (Kühne, in print).
Numerous articles have been concerned with the village plans of the Jesuit Mis-
sions (Maeder/Gutiérrez 1994) and have asked whether they followed a obligatory general
model and by what they were influenced (Gutiérrez 1995). The accuracy of these plans is over-
rated, however, and their usually propagandistic character is often ignored (Kühne 1999 C).
Investigations of the architecture in Chiquitos have concentrated thus far on the life
and work of Martin Schmid. Newer biographies have come from Plattner (1959), Hoffmann
(1981), Roth (1984) and Kühne (1994 A). The thesis of Fellner (1993, 1994) is concerned with
the musical proportions of the Schmid-designed churches as expressing the educational con-
cepts of the Jesuits; it contains detailed, but strongly idealized plans of the churches. In the
monumental work "Las Misiones Jesuíticas de Chiquitos" (Querejazu 1995) with countless his-
torical and current photos, there are also three detailed articles concerning architecture and
village planning, from Gutiérrez, Suárez and Roth, which cite many unpublished documents.
In a sensational article, Fischermann (2000) speaks of Antonio Rojas, an artist and
citizen of Santa Cruz, who lived at least 1752-1769 with his family in Chiquitos (which was a-
gainst the law). In his last will only his latest works are mentioned: gildings, statues and painted
ceilings in San Miguel. In San José further works signed by him and his son are to be found.
Two articles by Querejazu (1995, 2000) provide a first survey of the artistic adorn-
ment of the churches. An inventory of the works of art in Santa Ana is available on CD-ROM,
and a detailed inventory of all of Chiquitos is at present being compiled and will be at my dis-
posal (Diez 1998, 2002). The criteria for dating, origin determination and attribution have been
only partially worked out. Many objects which were thus far attributed to the mission workshops
of the Jesuit period or even to Martin Schmid, have now been proven to be imported or to have
come from a post-Jesuit time.
It is still highly controversial whether the Indians were only implementing or were
also actively involved in designing. Nawrot (2000) postulated for instance that Indians com-
posed substantial parts of the music in the archives of Chiquitos and Mojos. Escobar (1982), on
the other hand, maintains that the baroque art of Paraguay was foreign to the nature of the Indi-
ans and forced upon them; but the control of the missionaries could not hinder copies being
shaped by Indian feelings. Various authors (Buschiazzo 1963) suppose an influence of the

Eckart Kühne, Missionary Churches of Chiquitos, Bolivia 4

mission arts and crafts on the architecture in the high Andes (taking over of tropical motives,
animals and plants) which is hardly reliable even for only chronological reasons.
Roth (1995) published only little concerning the restorations; that of Concepción is
described by Bishop Bösl (1984) from his personal viewpoint. Apart from individual polemic
articles (Suárez 1988) the restorations have thus far seldom been investigated critically, and
Roth's extraordinary new buildings have been considered even less (Medeiros 1995; Kühne
1999 A, D).

4. SOURCE MATERIAL

Jesuit period, 1691-1767: The most important source texts are published: the let-
ters of Martin Schmid (Fischer 1988), the detailed report of Julian Knogler (Riester 1970; Merkl
1999) and the expulsion inventories of 1767 (Ramallo 1997); further references to construction
works can be found in unpublished inspection reports and account-books; Tomichá (2002) gives
a detailed overview of these documents, making purposeful searches possible.
Colony, 1767-1825: Inventories and official correspondence particularly in the
National Archive in Sucre (catalog: René-Moreno 1974) and in various other archives.
Republic, 1825-1931: Books of travels by explorers and missionaries such as
d'Orbigny, Bach, Castelnau, Priewasser and Pesciotti; inventories and correspondence particu-
larly in the archive of the archdiocese in Santa Cruz (unordered and accessible with difficulty);
few mentions of further documents.
Republic, since 1931: Pastoral diaries, calendars and magazines by the Francis-
can missionaries; building inscriptions and the memories of older village inhabitants; for the his-
tory of the Franciscan mission see Nothegger (1954) and Oefner (1980).
Restoration: Numerous documents to Roth's restorations in his legacy in Concep-
ción: projects, dimensional sketches, building plans, sketch books, photos, correspondence,
reports, accounts; in addition construction parts and samples of material; further documents can
be found with former co-workers and church institutions in Europe.
Photographs: Numerous unpublicized photos since 1898 in the archives of par-
ishes, dioceses and missionary societies (Tarata, Schwaz, Landshut, Zurich); the photographic
archive of Molina and Ertl is completely published (Molina 1995); the photos of Plattner are only
partially available in print (Plattner 1959).
Plans: Thus far no plans from the building time have been found; the building
plans of the first restored churches are quite schematic; from San Javier and Santa Ana, on the
other hand, complete and very detailed plans were made, supplemented by building analysis
and archaeological explorations. Many of the plans are already redrawn in digitized form (Auto-
CAD).

Eckart Kühne, Missionary Churches of Chiquitos, Bolivia 5

5. METHODS

At the base of the investigation is the exact documentation and the stylistic and
structural analysis of the churches and their changes. For clarifying the findings, the current
condition is to be compared with restoration documents and historical photos. All seven
churches are to be treated together, since many questions can be solved only by taking the
whole group into consideration (attributions, adornments, constructional problems). Parallel to
the building analysis the documents regarding building history and the biographies of the archi-
tects are to be gone through. On the one hand all the scattered published references are to be
brought together; on the other hand, individual, exactly defined questions are to be pursued in
specific archival studies (names, building data, causes of important changes). The concrete
and detailed descriptions of the original shapes of the churches and their changes serve as a
basis for art-historical questions (authorship, style development, models and influences).
The restoration of the churches is to be analyzed in the same detail as the build-
ings themselves in order not only to clarify the sources but also to show the differing conditions,
motives and results of the renewals. The memories of the local co-workers who were directly
involved will also be accessed.
In any case, it will be important to display the churches in the context of the un-
usual and conflict-laden economic, social and cultural development of the region. All important
questions and hypotheses concerning the history of the buildings must therefore be placed in
relationship to the general history of Chiquitos, as they appear in the current studies of promi-
nent historians, mission specialists, ethnologists and sociologists, and it must also be asked
how far the building history permits new views of social history. In this, the role of the Indians
and their participation in design, building, use, preservation and restoration of the churches is of
particular interest, especially the question, in which way they acquired and transformed import-
ed culture elements (forced upon them), and how they defended these against renewed aggres-
sions from outside.

6. QUESTIONS AND HYPOTHESES

In what follows some unresolved questions are brought together which have arisen
in the context of the investigation, and the working hypotheses are outlined as far as this is now
possible:
1. Do the mission churches of the Chiquitos represent their own development or have
the Jesuits transferred a proven model from Paraguay to Chiquitos? – Hypothesis: Paraguay
and eastern Bolivia belong to the same region with a common building tradition; the direct influ-
ence from Paraguay concerned only some particular new elements and took place via instruc-
tions and by the transfer of experienced missionaries.

Eckart Kühne, Missionary Churches of Chiquitos, Bolivia 6

2. Wherein does the personal style of Martin Schmid lie? Are specific Central Euro-
pean influences recognizable, as has been often stated? – Hypothesis: That which distinguish-
es Schmid's buildings are the stylistic and constructional care and the rationality with which he
developed further local building methods and forms. However, only a few stylistic influences
from his homeland or from architectural books can be determined.
3. What is specifically Indian in the buildings and works of art? Were the Chiquitano
actively involved in the design or were they only implementing it? – Hypothesis: The notion the
Jesuits had of mankind and their educational concepts allowed the Indians (with rare excep-
tions) only to be implementers and copyists. It was only after the expulsion of the Jesuits that
they could express themselves more freely artistically, as particularly the later frescoes show.
Also some copies show traces of an Indian view of art which contradicts the baroque models.
4. In San José de Chiquitos two different styles and building methods are next to
each other: timber skeleton and brick arches. Why? Who was the architect? – Hypothesis:
The massive construction method was neither here nor in Paraguay appropriate for the local
conditions, but they satisfied the desire for representative buildings in a "European" style. Most
such projects failed. The architect or building master of San José probably originated from a
region with long tradition of using arches (the high Andes?). Also this building remained unfin-
ished and without successors, although its building method was technically superior to all of the
massive constructions in Paraguay.
5. What justified the long, illegal stay of the artist Antonio Rojas in Chiquitos? Where
did he come from and which works did he create? – Hypothesis: Due to style comparisons, all
the carved adornments in San Miguel can be attributed to him, and a training in the Andean
high country (Cochabamba) can be assumed. Perhaps he was first also active as an architect
and erected either the churches of San Miguel and San Ignacio or the massive constructions in
San José.
6. How did the expulsion of the Jesuits affect the architecture and the arts and crafts
of Chiquitos? – Hypothesis: Numerous buildings and adornments from the post-Jesuit period
provide evidence of a crisis after the Jesuits were expulsed (church of Santa Ana) and prosper-
ity around 1800 (adornments of San Ignacio); the churches were renewed several times (fres-
coes), the external influences increased (artists of the high country and from Mojos), local prod-
ucts replaced expensive imported goods (mica instead of gold foil).
7. How could these churches survive till today, despite barely durable building materi-
als, in an unfavorable climate, with bad neglect and contrary to most other timber-skeleton
churches? – Hypothesis: owing to Schmid's very solid building method, the churches could be
maintained up to the beginning of the 20th century with very little expenditure. The extreme
seclusion of the region in the republic prevented for a long time every modernization. Only
during the rubber boom starting in 1880 three of the churches were modified in a neoclassical
style (wooden columns faced with bricks).
8. What was the effect of the establishment of the apostolic vicariate in 1931 and the
renewed mission by Franciscans from the Tyrol and Bavaria? – Hypothesis: Owing to the or-

Eckart Kühne, Missionary Churches of Chiquitos, Bolivia 7

ganizational ability of the missionaries, rotted columns were gradually replaced, which delayed
the collapse of the churches despite the dire poverty of the villages. Some of the missionaries,
though, had little art understanding and many antiquities fell victim to their sense for order, be-
cause they suspected as superstitious the veneration the Chiquitano had for old relicts, papers
and traditions which they had retained from the Jesuit period.
9. Why was the most important of the churches, San Ignacio de Velasco destroyed in
1948? – Hypothesis: The chief place of the region dreamed about having a modern new build-
ing, neglected the maintenance of the old church and finally destroyed it, without, though, al-
ready possessing the means for a new one. The other villages were too poor in order to have
such dreams and had to keep their churches in repair.
10. How did the restorations affect the social development of the villages? – Hypothe-
sis: The villages which had been ignored up till now were culturally revalued. The workers
could climb socially by their wages and training and thereby became alienated, though, from
their Indian roots. The Indian "cabildo" (local council), thus far responsible for the care and
maintenance of the church, lost this control to a foreign architect.

7. TIME TABLE

Preparatory works (2002)

In Bolivia: Reorganization and move of archives and the museum collections in
Concepción; Cooperation in the inventory of the art objects; Collection and copy of existing
plans, photos and other documents in the legacy of Hans Roth and other church archives in
Chiquitos (partially).
In Europe: Collection and copy of existing plans, photos and other documents at
the missionary societies and in private archives (Switzerland, Germany, Austria; partially).
In Zurich: Literature studies and excerpts concerning the Jesuit Missions and Chi-
quitos; Evaluation of the documents collected so far; Work program, questions and hypotheses.

First year (2003)

In Bolivia, 6 months: Photo documentation of the current state of the buildings;
Addition of the existing building plans; Interviews with former co-workers; Continuation of the
studies in church, national and private archives (Chiquitos, Santa Cruz, Sucre, Cochabamba, La
Paz).
In Europe, 2 months: Continuation of the collection and copy of photos and other
documents; Interviews with former co-workers of Roth (Germany, Austria, Italia).
In Zurich, 4 months: Evaluation of the collected documents and plans; Building
analyses, descriptions, inventory and catalog.

Eckart Kühne, Missionary Churches of Chiquitos, Bolivia 8

 Second year (2004)
In Bolivia, 3 months: Supplementary interviews, investigations, photos and ar-
chives studies (Chiquitos, Santa Cruz, Sucre); Informative trip to comparable buildings in Mojos.
In South America, 3 months: Informative trip to comparable buildings and ruins in
Paraguay, Argentina (Misiones, Corrientes, Córdoba) and Brazil (Rio Grande do Sul); Archive
studies (Buenos Aires, Rio de Janeiro).
In Zurich, 6 months: Evaluation of the collected documents and examining the
working hypotheses; Draft introduction text and main part.

Third year (2005)

In Europe, 2 months: Additional historical studies in public and church archives
(Rome, Madrid, Sevilla and others).
In Zurich, 10 months: Synthesis and summary of the results; Revision and final
editing of text; Fair drawings of the plans using AutoCAD; Compile the photo documentation on
CD-ROM.

8. AVAILABLE RESOURCES

Equipment
I already purchased the technical equipment, partly at my own expense, partly with
support of the Jesuit Mission in Nuremberg: laptop, flat bed scanner, slide/negative scanner,
digital camera and reflex camera. In addition, a well-equipped place to work and simple survey-
ing equipment (telescope yardstick, corner angle prism) are at my disposal in Concepción.

Knowledge and experience

I enjoyed constant contact with Hans Roth and the restorations in Chiquitos for 15
years; I made several building documentations and wrote up projects for him in this time, organ-
ized exhibitions and led a restoration in Paraguay with his support. I thus acquired an extensive
library on these subjects, consulted archives and made contacts, which are now beneficial for
my research project.
Hans Roth died three years ago, before I could assist him as planned in the or-
ganization of his archives and collections. At present his legacy with plans, photos and docu-
ments about building history and restoration is still completely preserved, but only partially ar-
ranged and divided between his former employer and his widow. I have unhindered access
including publication rights to both parts.
I am supplementing Roth's incomplete documentation through the consultation of
further archives and by detailed interviews with former co-workers (missionaries, restorers and
foremen). Some of them also gave me their digitally drawn, unpublicized plans for the further
processing by AutoCAD.

Eckart Kühne, Missionary Churches of Chiquitos, Bolivia 9

9. SIGNIFICANCE OF THE PROJECT TO ETH

Important characteristics of the research project are: the outstanding cultural

meaning of the topic, the strong relationship with Switzerland, the considerable need for action
and the resulting contribution of Switzerland to Bolivia as a gesture of solidarity.
I am studying the mission churches of Chiquitos, the last authentic churches from
the former Jesuit Missions and, at the same time, the best examples of a type of building once
wide-spread in South America. They are the work of Martin Schmid, an important and versatile
Swiss baroque architect in South America – the only one whose complete work was included in
the world heritage list by the UNESCO. The study is linked thereby to focal points of current
and former research of the GTA Institute of the ETH, regarding baroque architecture and Swiss
architects abroad.
In addition, I am presenting a second Swiss architect who lived and worked
abroad: the ETH graduate Hans Roth who was one of most productive Swiss church architects
of the 20th century. With his restorations he saved the churches of Schmid, with his new build-
ings he shaped and reanimated eastern Bolivia and created a new regional style there.
Finally the restoration of Santa Ana (1998-2000) was a Swiss project, which was
realized on the initiative and with relevant support of the confederation (UNESCO commission
in the department of foreign affairs, Swiss Arts Council "Pro Helvetia") and which took new
paths of cooperation of development aid and the conservation of monuments.
The practical evaluation of the experiences from the restorations is urgently
needed for the required maintenance work on the churches. It is very questionable whether the
planned investigations will still be at all feasible at a later time, since the permanence of Hans
Roth's legacy is not yet guaranteed and those witnesses who were involved should be inter-
viewed now.
For a long time, Bolivia has been a main country for Swiss development coopera-
tion. Also the aid in the establishment and inventory of museums and archives, the scientific
cooperation and the repatriation of art objects and documents, contained in the project, repre-
sent substantial contributions of Switzerland to Bolivia as a gesture of solidarity.

10. TABLE OF CONTENTS

Preface
Topic – Motive – State of research – Sources – Questions and methodology

Introduction: the Jesuit Missions

Historical background – Cultural conditions – Reception history

Eckart Kühne, Missionary Churches of Chiquitos, Bolivia 10

 First main part: The building of the churches of Chiquitos
Martin Schmid and his buildings – Other architects and artists of the Jesuit period – Following
the expulsion of the Jesuits – Common characteristics of the churches – Models and influences
– Art-historical importance

Second main part: The restoration of the churches of Chiquitos

Chiquitos in the republican period – Maintenance of the buildings – Preconditions for the resto-
ration – Hans Roth, life and work – Criteria and methods – Reception – Critical appreciation

Appendix: Inventory, comparisons and documents

Art-historical inventory of Chiquitos churches – Catalog of comparable timber-skeleton churches
– Historical documents – Chronological table – Bibliography

Supplements: Plans and photos

Plans, AutoCAD printed out in A3 size – Photographic documentation on CD-ROM

11. LIST OF OWN PUBLICATIONS

1989 (together with Peter Strack:) Los ritos religiosos de las reducciones jesuíticas en
conflicto por el control cultural. Revista Paraguaya de Sociología, año 26, n° 75,
1989, pp. 35-50 (also: Die religiösen Riten aus den Jesuitenreduktionen im Konflikt
um die kulturelle Kontrolle. Karwoche und Kirchweihfest in Chiquitos / Ostbolivien.
In: Sociologus NF 41, 1, pp. 1-15).
1992 Semana Santa y Fiesta Patronal en San José de Chiquitos. Topografía de ritos y
esquema urbanístico. In: Peter Strack, Frente a Dios y los Pozocas, Bielefeld, pp.
138-141.
1994 A (editor:) Martin Schmid 1694-1772, Missionar - Musiker - Architekt. Ausstellung im
Historischen Museum Luzern (also: Las Misiones Jesuíticas de Bolivia, Martin
Schmid 1694-1772, Santa Cruz 1996).
1994 B Martin Schmid, ein Schweizer Missionar und seine Ziegeleien in Bolivien. 11.
Bericht der Stiftung Ziegelei-Museum Cham, pp. 73-82.
1999 A Zwischen regionaler Tradition und Moderne: Zwei Kirchen von Hans Roth in Bo-
livien. Diplomwahlfacharbeit Architekturtheorie, ETH.
1999 B Die Kirche von Santa Ana de Velasco, Bolivien: Bauuntersuchung und Restauri-
erung. Diplomwahlfacharbeit Denkmalpflege, ETH.
1999 C Bilder der Jesuitenmissionen in Südamerika zwischen Conquista und Aufklärung.
Diplomwahlfacharbeit Geschichte des Städtebaus, ETH.
1999 D Hans Roth (1934-1999), ein Schweizer Architekt in Bolivien. In: Archithese, 29.
Jahrgang, 5.99, p. 92.

Eckart Kühne, Missionary Churches of Chiquitos, Bolivia 11

in print: Martin Schmid und Hans Roth: zwei Schweizer Architekten in Bolivien und die
Rezeption der Jesuitenkirchen von Paraguay. In: Barock und Moderne, Zweiter
Sommerkurs der Stiftung Bibliothek Werner Oechslin, Einsiedeln.
in print: Die Jesuitenmissionen Boliviens: die Kirchen und ihre Musik, wiederentdeckt und
neubelebt. In: Archivum Historicum Societatis Jesu, Rom.

12. RELEVANT PUBLICATIONS OF OTHER AUTHORS

Bösl, Antonio Eduardo: Bolivien-Report III. Berichte aus der Dombauhütte einer Franziskaner-
Mission in Boliviens Urwald. München 1984.
Buschiazzo, Mario: La arquitectura en madera de las misiones del Paraguay, Chiquitos, Mojos
y Maynas. In: Latin American Art and The Baroque Period in Europe, vol. III,
Princeton 1963, pp. 173-190.
Diez, Maria José: Inventario de Bienes Muebles. Plan de Rehabilitación Integral de Santa Ana
de Velasco, Chiquitos. CD-ROM, 1998.
> Catálogo de Bienes Muebles. Plan de Rehabilitación Integral de las Misiones
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13. ABSTRACT

In 18th century the Swiss missionary, musician and architect Martin Schmid (1694 -
1772) worked in the Jesuit Missions of Chiquitos in Bolivia and built there three extraordinary
churches from wood and adobe (sun-dried bricks) and equipped them with carved altars, picto-
rial works, music instruments and compositions. In 1990 these churches, together with further
buildings of his successors, were included into the UNESCO list of the world heritage sites.
They rank among the most important relics of the famous "Jesuit state of Paraguay" and at the
same time are the last well-preserved examples of the unique timber-skeleton church buildings
that were once widespread in South America.
The Swiss architect and theologian Hans Roth (1934-1999) spent 27 years of his
life in the same area in Bolivia and left behind a rich life's work there: among other things the
restoration of the baroque mission churches under difficult conditions, innumerable new build-
ings for the Catholic church, workshops for handicraft training and the rescue of a music ar-
chive. He thus not only brought unknown buildings, works of art and music pieces back to light,

Eckart Kühne, Missionary Churches of Chiquitos, Bolivia 14

but also revived long lost handicraft traditions and helped a region to reconnect with their his-
torical roots.
The first goal of the study is a comprehensive investigation of these baroque
churches. In this the biographies of the builder and the restorer, the description of the original
shape, the history of the later changes, the analysis of construction and designs and the docu-
mentation of the current state form the basis for the art-historical questions about authorship,
chronology, models and influences. Beyond that, the research and synthesis is concerned with
the social environment and the historical background of these churches. They were built in a
extraordinary situation and also their later use, their preservation and restoration took place
under unusual conditions, so that they can really only be well understood in the context of the
economic, social and cultural development of the region. Of special interest thereby is the role
of the Indians in the design and building and with the use, preservation and restoration of these
so-called "Indian churches".
Three years are planned for the investigation, one of which is to be in South Amer-
ica. The study is based on extensive pre-work and on an over 15 year cooperation with the
restoration project. It is urgent, since Roth's legacy is not yet reliably guaranteed and since his
co-workers must be interviewed as long as they are still alive. In addition, a substantial contri-
bution towards the preservation of the buildings, works of art, museums and archives can thus
be made.

ECKART KÜHNE, CURRICULUM VITAE

1954 Born in Paris on January 10.

1961-72 School instruction in Berne.
1972-76 Apprenticeship as an architectural draughtsman at Atelier 5 in Berne.
1977-81 Archaeological draughtsman at the Institute of Prehistory of the University of Berne
and on prehistoric excavations at Demirçihüyük and Hassek Hüyük in Turkey.
1978-84 Further development at the arts-and-crafts school of Berne (scientific drawing) and
as an auditor at the University of Berne (Prehistory, classical and Middle Eastern
archaeology).
1980-93 Member and attendance at training courses of the Swiss association of technical
staff on archeological excavations VATG, for a time as a member of the executive
board.
1981-84 Draughtsman at the archeological service of Fribourg, Switzerland: drawing of
findings, analysis of excavation documents, recovery of Roman painted ceilings.
1985-87 Independent building documentation, analysis, archeological exploration, archive
studies and inventory of the Jesuit churches of San Javier and San José de Chiqui-
tos, Bolivia.

Eckart Kühne, Missionary Churches of Chiquitos, Bolivia 15

1987-88 Excavation technician and draughtsman at Petit Chasseur Sion and Waldmatte
Gamsen excavations, Valais, Switzerland.
1989-91 Restoration and partial reconstruction of the Jesuit church of San Cosme y Dami-
án, Paraguay, direction of the project's first stage, building analysis, realization
design, supervision and reporting.
1991-93 Attendance of the cantonal matriculation school for adults in Zurich, matriculation
type D (modern languages).
1993-99 Architecture study at the ETH Zurich.
1993-94 Initiation, planning and execution of the "Martin Schmid 1694-1772, Missionary –
Musician – Architect" exhibition in the Lucerne historical museum, selection of
objects from Bolivia, edition of a catalog, organization of concerts.
1995-96 Organization of an exhibition about the Jesuit Missions in Bolivia, which traveled to
cultural facilities in Austria (Batschuns, Tainach, Salzburg, Graz and Innsbruck).
1996-97 Building documentation and analysis of the Santa Ana de Velasco church, Bolivia;
restoration project successfully submitted to the UNESCO commission of the Swiss
government.
1996-97 Planning and execution of the "Martin Schmid – Las Misiones Jesuíticas de Bolivia"
exhibition in the Shopping Bolívar, Santa Cruz and in the Museo Nacional de Arte,
La Paz, Bolivia; edition of the Spanish translation of the catalog.
since 1997 Active member of the Swiss building research association VEBA.
1998 Free semester project: protection buildings for the Roman mosaics of Orbe-
Boscréaz.
1999 Diploma as architect at ETH Zurich; three optional subject papers about the Jesuit
missions; diploma project with Prof. Ruchat: day-nursery in Zurich old town.
2000-01 Direction of the bishop's architect office in Concepción, Bolivia: new church build-
ing in San Julián, establishment of the "Museo Misional" in Concepción, arrange-
ment of the archives, among others.
2002 Beginning of the thesis. Repatriation of cultural values to Bolivia and inauguration
of the "Archivo Misional" in Concepción.

Swiss citizen, single, mother tongue German, good knowledge of French, Spanish and English.

Zurich, 27. August 2002

Eckart Kühne, Dipl. Arch. ETHZ

Address Neugasse 85-21, CH-8005 Zürich
Tel.+Fax +41-1-271 24 09
Mobile +41-76-559 05 15
Email <eckart.kuehne@gmx.net>

Eckart Kühne, Missionary Churches of Chiquitos, Bolivia 16