honorable mention
Sara Affolter switzerland
Photo © Sara Affolter
title
The Anabaptist Community of St.Imier
Since the anabapists split from Zwingli during the reformation, they were persecuted in switzerland. They
fled to the Emmental and the Jura, where they hid for centuries from the systematic persecution of the state.
If found, they faced imprisonment or death. They were burned or hanged. Some fled to America, where they
later became the Amish. Even today there are communities of Anabaptists in switzerland. One of them is in
St. Imier in the Bernese Jura. They still live very secluded and among themselves. They do not speak about
their religion to the outside world. However, a pastor of the community was open to give a insight into the community and especially on the history of the people. It shows historical places of persecution and a hidden community in the mountains of the Jura. Even after a long time, the fear of the outside world has not been overcome.
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entry description
The Anabaptist Community of St. ImierSince the anabapists split from Zwingli during the reformation, they were persecuted in switzerland. They
fled to the Emmental and the Jura, where they hid for centuries from the systematic persecution of the state.
If found, they faced imprisonment or death. They were burned or hanged. Some fled to America, where they
later became the Amish. Even today there are communities of Anabaptists in switzerland. One of them is in
St. Imier in the Bernese Jura. They still live very secluded and among themselves. They do not speak about
their religion to the outside world. However, a pastor of the community was open to give a insight into the community and especially on the history of the people. It shows historical places of persecution and a hidden community in the mountains of the Jura. Even after a long time, the fear of the outside world has not been overcome.
about the photographer
Sara Affolter is a young photographer from Switzerland, residing near Solothurn. She completed her photography studies in 2022 and was honored with the Solothurn Cultural Promotion Award for her project titled "Wegwerfware". She has twice been a participant in the Canon Student Development Programme as part of Visa pour l’Image. Sara now dedicates herself to photography in the field of animal welfare as well as pursuing other independent projects in documentary photography.back to gallery
