Jesuit Order to sell the Lassalle House

The last Jesuits will leave the nationally renowned educational centre in Edlibach near Menzingen at the Whit weekend. The listed building complex will then stand empty for the time being.

What was announced just over a year ago as a "reorganisation" is proving, in retrospect, to be the beginning of the end. The Lassalle House, a Jesuit educational centre in Edlibach, had to close its hotel and restaurant operations in March 2025,. The reason: decreased demand for courses and conferences, increased costs for wages, management, and services, and repeated deficits. Forty-three redundancies had to be issued. At the time, it was stated that the six-member Jesuit community would remain on site, and that daytime events would continue to be held.

Now it's definitely over. At Whit, the last Jesuits will leave the idyllic Lassalle House, nestled in the countryside, and will pursue new endeavours; no more courses will be offered. “After the Jesuits’ farewell celebration and their departure, the house will be vacated, cleaned, and locked,” writes Klaus Vossmeyer, Head of Communications and Public Relations for the Jesuits in Central Europe, which includes the Swiss branch.

The listed building complex, which will be under constant guard after the departure, is to be sold. Klaus Vossmeyer says they are currently preparing the necessary procedures with partners specialising in such buildings, and are also in contact with the municipality and canton. He is adamant: “Under no circumstances should Bad Schönbrunn become a speculative investment; we will therefore only sell to institutions that we trust to use the house competently and effectively in the long term.”

“Operating at a loss for several years”
He describes the separation from the Lassalle House as a “painful step for the Jesuit order.” The decision had been “internally considered and discussed long-term” and is regretted by everyone. At the same time, they cannot ignore the economic realities and the changing needs of the people. The Lassalle House had been operating at a loss for several years – and all efforts to offer a “suitable and contemporary range of courses” had not attracted sufficient interest. In addition, the Jesuits are also experiencing a decline in membership in Switzerland.

The future of the Lassalle House remains uncertain.
“Avant-garde building”: the Lassalle House has been a listed building since 2013.         Photos: Stefan Kaiser
Jesuit and Zen master Niklaus Brantschen had a significant impact on the Lassalle House as its director.     Photo: Matthias Jurt
 

The continued presence of the Jesuits, despite the closure of the hotel and restaurant a year ago, was "an expression of their connection to this special place" and an attempt to breathe new life into the building, according to Klaus Vossmeyer. But it became clear that the Jesuits would have to find "new formats and new locations" in order to continue what had been possible in the Lassalle House in the past. "Unfortunately, connection and tradition alone are not enough to cover staff and costs," he added.

Lassalle House reaches the political arena
The connection to the Lassalle House extends far beyond the Jesuit order. Shortly after the momentous decision last year, a petition urged the leadership - unsuccessfully - to reconsider. Within a short time, over 5,000 signatures were collected, including those of prominent figures such as the publicist Roger De Weck, the heart surgeon Thierry Carrel, the former Abbot of Einsiedeln Martin Werlen, and the former Zug National Councillor Peter Hess.

The impending closure of the Lassalle House has now reached the political arena. Patrick Röösli (Mitte party, Zug) has submitted an interpellation to the Cantonal Council. In it, the architect not only emphasizes the importance of the Lassalle House as a centre for inter-religious dialogue, but also highlights the building's architectural value: it is a "significant historical witness to post-war modernism."

Among other things, he wants to know from the government what would happen if the Lassalle House were no longer used and maintained, what development opportunities would exist given that the property is located in an agricultural zone, and whether the canton could envision purchasing the building. One thing is clear: even though the Jesuits have left the building, things are unlikely to quieten down around the Lassalle House anytime soon.

The Lassalle House and its history
On the site where the Lassalle House now stands, the Menzingen village doctor, Peter Josef Hegglin, founded the “Kurhaus Bad Schönbrunn” in 1858. But spa and health tourism collapsed with the outbreak of the First World War. In 1928/29, the Swiss Province of the Jesuits took over the building, and established a retreat and educational centre. The complex was replaced by the current building, which was designed by architect André Studer, in 1968.

In 1993, the then-director, Niklaus Brantschen, repositioned the centre: alongside Christian spiritual paths, Zen was added as a traditional "Eastern path." The building has been a listed historical monument since 2013, and is described in the inventory of historical monuments as a "dynamic, avant-garde building" that shows influences from music as well as Brutalism.

The Lassalle House is run by a non-profit organisation legally structured as an association. It was financed through course fees, donations, and contributions from the Jesuit Province of Switzerland, the Canton of Zug, and the municipality of Menzingen.