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Münsterhof (literally: Fraumünster abbey courtyard) is a
town square A town square (or public square, urban square, city square or simply square), also called a plaza or piazza, is an open public space commonly found in the heart of a traditional town or city, and which is used for community gatherings. Relat ...
situated in the
Lindenhof Lindenhof, , in the old town of Zurich, Switzerland, is the historical site of a Roman castle, and the later Carolingian Kaiserpfalz. It is situated on Lindenhof hill, on the left side of the Limmat river at the Schipfe. In 1747, a second-century ...
quarter in the historical center of
Zurich Zurich (; ) is the list of cities in Switzerland, largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is in north-central Switzerland, at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich. , the municipality had 448,664 inhabitants. The ...
, Switzerland. It is the largest town square within the
Altstadt ''Altstadt'' () is the German language word for "old town", and generally refers to the historical town or city centre within the old town or city wall, in contrast to younger suburbs outside. '' Neustadt'' (new town), the logical opposite of ...
(old town) of Zurich and is surrounded by medieval buildings. The area forms part of the southern extension of the Quaianlagen promenades along
Lake Zurich Lake Zurich (, ; ) is a lake in Switzerland, extending southeast of the city of Zurich. Depending on the context, Lake Zurich or can be used to describe the lake as a whole, or just that part of the lake downstream of the Hurden peninsula and ...
.


Geography

Münsterhof is located in front of the
Fraumünster The Fraumünster (; lit. in ) is a church in Zürich which was built on the remains of a former abbey for aristocratic women which was founded in 853 by Louis the German for his daughter Hildegard. He endowed the Benedictine convent with the l ...
and lies a short distance from the Münsterbrücke, a bridge which leads eastwards across the river
Limmat The Limmat is a river in Switzerland. The river commences at the outfall of Lake Zurich, in the southern part of the city of Zurich. From Zurich it flows in a northwesterly direction, continuing a further 35 km until it reaches the river A ...
to the
Limmatquai ''Limmatquai'' () is a street in the Switzerland, Swiss city of Zurich. It is named after the Limmat, and it follows the right-hand (eastern) bank of that river for about through the ''Altstadt (Zürich), Altstadt'', or historical core, of the c ...
and
Grossmünster The Grossmünster (; "great minster") is a Romanesque-style Protestant church in Zürich, Switzerland. It is one of the four major churches in the city (the others being the Fraumünster, Predigerkirche, and St. Peterskirche). Its congregation ...
beyond. It is surrounded by medieval buildings, among which are several guild houses, including
Zunfthaus zur Waag The Zunfthaus zur Waag, in Zurich, Switzerland, was the Zünfte of Zürich, guild house of the Zunft zur Waag. Completed in 1315, it is one of the many historically valuable buildings in the city's Lindenhof (Zürich), Lindenhof quarter. It is s ...
, the former Kämbel guild house and the art museum
Zunfthaus zur Meisen The Zunfthaus zur Meisen is the guild house of the Zunft zur Meisen. It is one of the many historically valuable buildings in the Lindenhof quarter in Zürich, Switzerland, and also housed the porcelain and faience collection of the Swiss Nation ...
. This area forms part of the southern extension of the Quaianlagen promenades which were built between 1881 and 1887. Münsterhof is the largest town square within the former medieval town walls of Zurich. It is part of the historical core of the medieval town, previously the Celtic-Roman "
Turicum Turicum was a Gallo-Roman settlement at the lower end of Lake Zurich, and precursor of the city of Zurich. It was situated within the Roman province of Germania Superior) and near the border to the province of Raetia; there was a tax-collecting p ...
".


Transportation

Public transport from this area includes the Zurich tram lines 2, 4 and 15, as well as the Zurichsee-Schifffahrtsgesellschaft (ZSG) and its Limmat river tour boats towards Zurichhorn. Automobile transportation is limited because the area is part of the pedestrian zone of Zurich. It is limited to road transport use between lower
Limmatquai ''Limmatquai'' () is a street in the Switzerland, Swiss city of Zurich. It is named after the Limmat, and it follows the right-hand (eastern) bank of that river for about through the ''Altstadt (Zürich), Altstadt'', or historical core, of the c ...
and
Bellevueplatz Bellevueplatz (, from the French language, French , meaning "beautiful sight") is a town square in the city of Zurich, Switzerland built in 1856. Named after the former on its north side, it is one of the nodal points for roads and public tra ...
, upstream on the Limmat. Since 25 September 2004, the driving of motor vehicles, motorcycles and scooters is restricted, except for goods deliveries, police vehicles, postal delivery services, medical doctors and emergency services.


Sights and activities

The main sights are the
Fraumünster The Fraumünster (; lit. in ) is a church in Zürich which was built on the remains of a former abbey for aristocratic women which was founded in 853 by Louis the German for his daughter Hildegard. He endowed the Benedictine convent with the l ...
(first mentioned in 853 AD) and art museum Zunfthaus zur Meisen, which houses the porcelain and
faience Faience or faïence (; ) is the general English language term for fine tin-glazed pottery. The invention of a white Ceramic glaze, pottery glaze suitable for painted decoration, by the addition of an stannous oxide, oxide of tin to the Slip (c ...
collection of the
Swiss National Museum The Swiss National Museum () is a museum in Zurich, Switzerland's largest city, adjacent to Central Station and the '' Platzspitz'' park. It is part of the ''Musée Suisse Group'', which is itself affiliated with the Federal Office of Culture ...
. There are restaurants and cafés at Münsterhof, including Zunfthaus zur Waag and Zeughauskeller. The equestrian monument in front of the Fraumünster at Münsterbrücke was created by Hermann Haller. It was unveiled on 6 April 1937 by the Kämbel guild, aiming to rehabilitate Hans Waldmann, mayor of Zurich from 1482 to 1489 and their former dean, who they proposed had been the victim of a
judicial murder Judicial murder is the intentional and premeditated killing of an innocent person by means of capital punishment; therefore, it is a subset of wrongful execution. The ''Oxford English Dictionary'' describes it as "death inflicted by process of law ...
. The equestrian statue became the subject of controversy for artistic, political and historical reasons. On 14 March 2004, the
Katharina von Zimmern Katharina von Zimmern (1478 – 17 August 1547), also known as the imperial abbess of Zürich and Katharina von Reischach, was the last abbess of the Fraumünster Abbey in Zürich. Early life Katharina von Zimmern was born in 1478 in Mes ...
memorial was inaugurated at the former cloister of the Fraumünster Abbey, initiated by the Gesellschaft zu Fraumünster. Anna-Maria Bauer, a sculptor from Zurich, created a sculpture that consists of 37 copper blocks that are layered into a compact square. The shape of the sculpture refers to the shape of an altar table or burial and shines in its simplicity as a symbol of timelessness, to remember the last princess Abbess's decision that enabled the peaceful introduction of the Reformation in Zurich on 8 December 1524. On the ground floor of the cloister a banner is engraved: "Die Stadt vor Unruhe und Umgemach bewahren und tun, was Zurich lieb und dienlich ist." (English: To preserve the city of riots and misfortune, and to do what is nice and helpful to the city of Zurich.) These were the words of Katharina von Zimmern on occasion of the surrender of the Fraumünster Abbey to the city's magistrates during the Reformation in Zurich. Paul Bodmer's
fresco Fresco ( or frescoes) is a technique of mural painting executed upon freshly laid ("wet") lime plaster. Water is used as the vehicle for the dry-powder pigment to merge with the plaster, and with the setting of the plaster, the painting become ...
related to the history of the abbey are also a very popular touristic destination situated in the abbey's cloister. Zürich - Fraumünster - Münsterhof - Zunfthaus zur Meisen - Sicht vom Grossmünster Karlsturm IMG 6390.JPG,
Fraumünster The Fraumünster (; lit. in ) is a church in Zürich which was built on the remains of a former abbey for aristocratic women which was founded in 853 by Louis the German for his daughter Hildegard. He endowed the Benedictine convent with the l ...
, Münsterhof and
Zunfthaus zur Meisen The Zunfthaus zur Meisen is the guild house of the Zunft zur Meisen. It is one of the many historically valuable buildings in the Lindenhof quarter in Zürich, Switzerland, and also housed the porcelain and faience collection of the Swiss Nation ...
as seen from
Grossmünster The Grossmünster (; "great minster") is a Romanesque-style Protestant church in Zürich, Switzerland. It is one of the four major churches in the city (the others being the Fraumünster, Predigerkirche, and St. Peterskirche). Its congregation ...
Die Schweiz für Tibet - Tibet für die Welt - GSTF Solidaritätskundgebung am 10 April 2010 in Zürich IMG 5677 ShiftN.jpg, Former Kämbel guild house on occasion of a visit by HH
14th Dalai Lama The 14th Dalai Lama (born 6 July 1935; full spiritual name: Jetsun Jamphel Ngawang Lobsang Yeshe Tenzin Gyatso, shortened as Tenzin Gyatso; ) is the incumbent Dalai Lama, the highest spiritual leader and head of Tibetan Buddhism. He served a ...
, organised by Wangpo Thetong in April 2010. Zürich - Münsterhof IMG 6378 ShiftN.jpg, As seen from Fraumünster church Zürich - Münsterhof - Poststrasse IMG 6213 ShiftN.jpg, As seen from Poststrasse
Beginning in 1999, Gesellschaft zu Fraumünster (Fraumünster society) organised every three years the Mittelalter Spectaculum, a medieval funfair, in Münsterhof.


Redesign of the Münsterhof plaza

The city's authorities planned from May 2003 to declare Münsterhof a
car-free zone Pedestrian zones (also known as auto-free zones and car-free zones, as pedestrian precincts in British English, and as pedestrian malls in the United States and Australia) are areas of a city or town restricted to use by people on foot or ...
, and evaluations were made to improve public use of the historical urban square for open-air performances and other public events. Construction work, beginning in 2014, was scheduled to be completed in 2015, but was delayed to 2016 due to archaeological excavations in the winter of 2014–15 and from October to November 2015. The redesign includes a distinctive new fountain, in diameter and almost tall, as a central element. A smaller drinking-water fountain is to be connected directly to that central water basin. A new granite stone pavement with contrasting patterns visually divides the plaza into an inner and an outer area. New steel lighting fixtures enable a warm visual atmosphere. Benches are to be added, and more space for outdoor cafés and restaurants. All structures are to meet the requirements for barrier-free construction and be accessible to physically disabled people. With this transformation, Münsterhof would no longer be used for parking, which will be restricted to Fraumünstertrasse and Parking Opéra. Once work is finished, the plaza is to again be a representative and lively urban square in the heart of historical Zurich, available in its entirety for major events. The focus, however, will be on everyday use. The present (as of October 2015) construction works will result in minimal physical design changes, but the city's authorities claim "they will nonetheless enhance the square significantly" and create a "transformation into a tranquil open space which invites everyone to take a stroll or simply relax."According to the information boards on occasion of the construction works in July 2015.


History

While in prehistoric times the Münsterhof area was a swampy hollow, flooded by the river
Sihl The Sihl is a Switzerland, Swiss river that rises near the Druesberg mountain in the canton of Schwyz, and eventually flows into the Limmat in the centre of the Zürich, city of Zürich, after crossing the Zürich–Winterthur railway at . It has ...
,
Lindenhof hill The Lindenhof (''"Tilia, linden yard"'') is a moraine hill and public square in the historic center of Zurich, Switzerland. It is the site of the Switzerland in the Roman era, Roman and Carolingian era Kaiserpfalz around which the city has histor ...
was the core of the Helvetii ( Oppidum Lindenhof) and Roman ( Vicus ''Turicum'') settlement, upon which the modern city has grown, expanding along the easterly
Limmat The Limmat is a river in Switzerland. The river commences at the outfall of Lake Zurich, in the southern part of the city of Zurich. From Zurich it flows in a northwesterly direction, continuing a further 35 km until it reaches the river A ...
riverbank. Roman buildings were likely built at the site of the
Zunfthaus zur Zimmerleuten The Zunfthaus zur Zimmerleuten at the Limmatquai Zürich, Limmatquai promenade in Zürich, Switzerland, situated between Münsterbrücke Zürich, Münsterbrücke and Rathausbrücke Zürich, Rathausbrücke, is the Zünfte of Zürich, guild house of ...
on the other riverbank, and the Roman settlement may have stretched towards the present Münsterbrücke, crossing the Limmat between
Grossmünster The Grossmünster (; "great minster") is a Romanesque-style Protestant church in Zürich, Switzerland. It is one of the four major churches in the city (the others being the Fraumünster, Predigerkirche, and St. Peterskirche). Its congregation ...
(remains of graves) and
Wasserkirche The ''Wasserkirche'' () in Zurich, first mentioned as (in the ablative) around 1250 and as ''wazzirkilcha'' in 1256, is a church built on a small island in the river Limmat, situated between the two main churches of medieval Zürich, the Gros ...
, and the present-day Münsterhof plaza. Suggested by historians and recent archaeological evidence uncovered during construction at Münsterbrücke, the present
Weinplatz Weinplatz (literally: ''wine square'') is a popular public square adjacent to the Rathausbrücke, Zürich, ''Gmüesbrugg'' bridge and the historical Schipfe quarter. Geography Weinplatz is situated in the historical center of Zürich, previo ...
square may have been the site of the civilian harbour of the Celtic-Roman ''Turicum''. Firebed tombs from the 1st century AD were found at Poststrasse, west of the Fraumünster church; northeast of the church, a round pit from the 2nd or 3rd century AD was discovered with numerous pottery shards. The human remains of a large 7th-century cemetery at Münsterhof were secured in October–November 2015. Probably in the 10th century wooden houses were built by Zurich citizens beside the
Fraumünster Abbey The Fraumünster (; lit. in ) is a church in Zürich which was built on the remains of a former abbey for aristocratic women which was founded in 853 by Louis the German for his daughter Hildegard. He endowed the Benedictine convent with the lan ...
, and mansions made of stone may have been built in the early 13th century. First mentioned in 1221 respectively 1303 AD, Münsterhof was for centuries the only proper square within the medieval town walls. From the Middle Ages onwards, it often served as a place to stage important political and cultural events for a larger audience. It is where the German king and his retinue were formally welcomed by the abbess of the Fraumünster abbey. She was also an acting princess of the Holy German Empire and, up to the time of the Reformation in Zurich, the formal ruler of Zurich. The plaza probably became an open square around 1300 AD when the monastic graveyard was abandoned (except for the narrow strip beside the abbey). At the same time, the demolition of the adjoining St. James chapel (in German: ''Jakobskapelle''), as well as a number of houses, was probably carried out on the orders of the princess abbess. In medieval times the
bailiff A bailiff is a manager, overseer or custodian – a legal officer to whom some degree of authority or jurisdiction is given. There are different kinds, and their offices and scope of duties vary. Another official sometimes referred to as a '' ...
's house of the
Einsiedeln Abbey Einsiedeln Abbey () is a Catholic monastery administered by the Benedictine Order in the village of Einsiedeln, Switzerland. The Abbey of Einsiedeln is one of the most important baroque monastic sites and the largest place of pilgrimage in Swit ...
was also located at Münsterhof, and the plaza became the preferred domicile of the abbey's associates. On 18 July 1336,
Rudolf Brun Rudolf Brun (1290s – 17 September 1360) was the leader of the Zürich guilds' revolution of 1336, and the city's first independent mayor. Biography Since 1234, Zürich had been governed by an aristocratic council. One third of the council's ...
defeated his political opponents in the ''Rat'' (council) of Zurich; these banned members found refuge with Count
Johann I Johann I may refer to: * Johann I Josef, Prince of Liechtenstein (1760–1836) * Johann I, Duke of Opava-Ratibor * Johann I, Count Palatine of Simmern * Johann I, Count Palatine of Zweibrücken *John, Elector of Saxony (1468–1532), John the Stea ...
in
Rapperswil Rapperswil (Swiss German: or ;Andres Kristol, ''Rapperswil SG (See)'' in: ''Dictionnaire toponymique des communes suisses – Lexikon der schweizerischen Gemeindenamen – Dizionario toponomastico dei comuni svizzeri (DTS, LSG)'', Centre de dial ...
. The so-called ''Äusseres Zurich'', meaning the banned councilors, declared a
feud A feud , also known in more extreme cases as a blood feud, vendetta, faida, clan war, gang war, private war, or mob war, is a long-running argument or fight, often between social groups of people, especially family, families or clans. Feuds begin ...
(German: ''Fehde'') and formed a coalition, and Johann I became the leader of Brun's opposition, including the ancient councilor family Bilgeri. On 21 September 1337, Zurich troops moved over the ''Obersee'' to the
Grynau Castle The Grynau Castle (Swiss German: ''Grynau'', ''Grinau'' and ''Schloss Grynau'') is the name of a castle tower in the municipality of Tuggen in the canton of Schwyz, built by the House of Rapperswil in the early 13th century AD. Geography The ...
where Johann I was killed. Count Johann I's underaged children – Johann II, Rudolf, Gotfrid and Agnes – were set under guardianship of Albrecht, Duke of Austria. The feud was continued by Johann II in the late 1340s, and an attempted coup by Brun's opposition was forcefully put down after intensive street fights around Münsterhof plaza on 23–24 February 1350. Count Johann II was arrested for two years, Rapperswil and its castle were destroyed by the Zurich troops, and Brun's opponents executed or banned. After the intervention of Habsburg-Austria against Zurich, a peace treaty was signed in 1352. In 1504 AD, and probably much earlier, the passion play of the city's martyrs
Felix and Regula Felix and Regula (together with their servant Exuperantius) are Coptic Orthodox and Roman Catholic saints. They are the patron saints of Zürich. Felix and Regula were brother and sister, beheaded in the third century, along with Exuperantiu ...
was celebrated in the plaza. On 8 December 1524, on the day of the Immaculate Conception,
Katharina von Zimmern Katharina von Zimmern (1478 – 17 August 1547), also known as the imperial abbess of Zürich and Katharina von Reischach, was the last abbess of the Fraumünster Abbey in Zürich. Early life Katharina von Zimmern was born in 1478 in Mes ...
, the imperial abbess of Zurich, passed the abbey and all rights to the council of Zurich. Following the Reformation in Zurich, the area was used as a pig market until 1667. In 1676, the town square was renewed and paved with
cobblestone Cobblestone is a natural building material based on Cobble (geology), cobble-sized stones, and is used for Road surface, pavement roads, streets, and buildings. Sett (paving), Setts, also called ''Belgian blocks'', are often referred to as " ...
s. From 1627 to 1835, stalls were situated along the north wall of Fraumünster. In 1766, the ''Neptun'' fountain adorned Münsterhof plaza, but was removed 45 years later. During
Züriputsch The Züriputsch of 6 September 1839 was a putsch of the rural conservative population against the liberal rule of the city of Zurich on the eve of the formation of the Swiss federal state. The reason for the putsch was the appointment of the ...
in September 1839, several thousand putschists stormed the city from the west, and fought the cantonal troops in the alleys between
Paradeplatz Paradeplatz () is a square on Bahnhofstrasse in downtown Zurich, Switzerland. It is one of the most expensive pieces of real estate in Switzerland and has become synonymous with wealth and the Swiss banks, being the location of the headquart ...
and Münsterhof. In 1938, the plaza was rebuilt at its south-westerly side towards Poststrasse as it is today,Münsterhof on ''Gang dur Alt-Züri'' website
now mainly being a parking facility nearby the pedestrian zones at
Bahnhofstrasse Bahnhofstrasse (, ), in the Swiss city of Zurich, is the city's main downtown street and one of the world's most expensive and exclusive shopping avenues. In 2011, a study named Bahnhofstrasse the most expensive street for retail property in Eur ...
, Paradeplatz and
Limmatquai ''Limmatquai'' () is a street in the Switzerland, Swiss city of Zurich. It is named after the Limmat, and it follows the right-hand (eastern) bank of that river for about through the ''Altstadt (Zürich), Altstadt'', or historical core, of the c ...
.


Archaeological excavations

Dölf Wild Dölf Wild (born 1954) is a Swiss historian, archaeologist and science writer, and works as the chief archaeologist of the city of Zürich. He is best known for his research into the building industry of medieval Zürich and for his contribution ...
, chief archaeologist of the 2014–15 excavations, told in an interview: "For 700 years, Münsterhof was the stage of large gatherings, and will it soon be again, after a rather sad interlude as parking facility." The archaeological excavations of winter 2014–15 were concentrated on the plaza and on the Stadthausquai and Poststrasse areas; the remains of the cemetery chapel of the era before 1300 AD have been examined (the chapel had been removed and the cemetery reduced when a new gothic church building was erected). The Zurich archaeologists also secured grave furnishings, which will be presented along with the findings of the excavations in 1977–78 as part of an "archaeological window" into the Fraumünster's crypt. In 2015, the city archaeologists (''Amt für Städtebau'') also identified a 600-year-old badge of
Charlemagne Charlemagne ( ; 2 April 748 – 28 January 814) was List of Frankish kings, King of the Franks from 768, List of kings of the Lombards, King of the Lombards from 774, and Holy Roman Emperor, Emperor of what is now known as the Carolingian ...
on his horse discovering the graves of the martyrs
Felix and Regula Felix and Regula (together with their servant Exuperantius) are Coptic Orthodox and Roman Catholic saints. They are the patron saints of Zürich. Felix and Regula were brother and sister, beheaded in the third century, along with Exuperantiu ...
. The beautifully cast figure is made of non-ferrous metals, measures just 3.5 centimetres (1.4 in), and is believed to have been a pilgrim badge. In addition to the firebed tombs from the 1st century AD at Poststrasse, west of the Fraumünster, a round pit from the 2nd or 3rd century was discovered northeast of the church, with numerous shards mainly of drinking cups and bowls. In October 2015, the remains of about 280 buried people were secured from the abandoned 7th century cemetery; they are stored temporarily at the Sihlfeld cemetery for scientific research, while a final resting place is sought for a mass grave.


References


External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Munsterhof History of Zurich Altstadt (Zurich) Squares in Zurich Culture of Zurich