Münsterhof (Zürich)
Encyclopedia
Münsterhof is a town square
situated in the Lindenhof quarter, the historical center of Zürich
, Switzerland
.
church, to the south of the Lindenhof hill
, and is surrounded by medieval buildings, among them the guild houses
"zur Waag", the former "Kämbel" guild house and, as of today, the art museum Zunfthaus zur Meisen
.
Being the biggest town square within the former medieval town walls
in the Altstadt
of Zürich, situated on the left shore of the Limmat
river, the square is accessibly by Stadthausquai, Poststrasse, Storchengasse and Waaggasse, and by the Münsterbrücke crossing the Limmat river to Limmatquai.
, the Münsterhof (literally: Fraumünster abbey courtyard
) area was a swampy, by the Sihl
river flooded hollow. First mentioned in 1221 AD, probably in the 9th century wooden houses were built by Zürich citizens besides Fraumünster
Abbey and mansion
s made of stone may been built in early 13th century.
In medieval times, the plaza was also used as a cemetery close to the former Fraumünster Abbey, and the bailiff
's house of the Einsiedeln Abbey
may been situated there. In 1504 AD, and probably much earlier, the passion play of the city's martyrs Felix and Regula
was celebrated on the plaza. Following the Reformation in Switzerland
, the area was used as a pig market to 1667. In 1676 the town square was renewed by using cobblestone
s. From 1627 to 1835, along the north wall of Fraumünster church stalls were situated. In 1766 a fountain adorned Münsterhof plaza, but was removed 45 years later. During Züriputsch
in September 1839, led by Bernhard Hirzel
, pastor of Pfäffikon
, several thousand putschists stormed the city from the west, and fought the cantonal troops in the alleys between Paradeplatz
and Münsterhof. In 1938 the plaza was rebuilt at its south-westerly side towards Poststrasse as it is today, now mainly being a parking facility nearby the pedestrian zones at Bahnhofstrasse
, Paradeplatz
and Limmatquai.
church (first mentioned in 853 AD) and Zunfthaus zur Meisen
that houses the porcelain and faience collection of the Swiss National Museum
. There are some renown restaurants and cafés situated there among them Zunfthaus zur Waag respectively Zeughauskeller and Sprüngli at nearby Paradeplatz.
The city's authorities plan to declare Münsterhof as car-free zone: For the future public use of this urban square, an evaluation will be done, to enliven this historical place within the Altstadt
of Zürich, as before, by major events such as several popular open-air performances and public events in general. Construction works are planned for autumn 2011, the inauguration is scheduled for summer 2012.
Town square
A town square is an open public space commonly found in the heart of a traditional town used for community gatherings. Other names for town square are civic center, city square, urban square, market square, public square, and town green.Most town squares are hardscapes suitable for open markets,...
situated in the Lindenhof quarter, the historical center of Zürich
Zürich
Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is located in central Switzerland at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich...
, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
.
Geography
Münsterhof is located in front of the FraumünsterFraumünster
The Fraumünster abbey in Zurich was founded in 853 by Louis the German for his daughter Hildegard. He endowed the Benedictine convent with the lands of Zurich, Uri, and the Albis forest, and granted the convent immunity, placing it under his direct authority.- History :In 1045, King Henry III...
church, to the south of the Lindenhof hill
Lindenhof hill
The Lindenhof hill is a moraine hill and a public square in the historic center of Zurich, Switzerland.- Topography :Lindenhof hill dominates Lindenhof quarter in the district 1 , the historical center of Zurich's Altstadt. To the North, it ends at Uraniastrasse and to the South near St. Peter...
, and is surrounded by medieval buildings, among them the guild houses
Zünfte of Zürich
There are fourteen historical Zünfte of Zurich, under the system established in 1336 with the "guild revolution" of Rudolf Brun...
"zur Waag", the former "Kämbel" guild house and, as of today, the art museum Zunfthaus zur Meisen
Zunfthaus zur Meisen
The Zunfthaus zur Meisen at Münsterhof is the guild house of the Zunft zur Meisen. It's one of the historically valuable buildings in the Lindenhof quarter in Zürich, Switzerland, and houses the porcelain and faience collection of the Swiss National Museum.- History :The guild house was built in...
.
Being the biggest town square within the former medieval town walls
Fortifications of Zürich
Zurich was an independent city or city-state from 1218 to 1798. The town was fortified with a city wall from the 13th to the 17th century, and with more elaborate ramparts constructed in the 17th to 18th century and mostly demolished in the 1830s to 1870s.-First wall:There had been a first city...
in the Altstadt
Altstadt (Zürich)
Altstadt in the Swiss city of Zürich encompasses the area of the entire historical city before 1893, before the incorporation of what are now districts 2 to 12 into the municipality, over the period 1893 to 1934...
of Zürich, situated on the left shore of the Limmat
Limmat
The Limmat is a river in Switzerland. It is the continuation of the Linth river, known as Limmat from the point of effluence from Lake Zurich, in the city of Zurich. From Zurich it flows in a northwesterly direction, after 35 km reaching the river Aare...
river, the square is accessibly by Stadthausquai, Poststrasse, Storchengasse and Waaggasse, and by the Münsterbrücke crossing the Limmat river to Limmatquai.
History
In the early Middle AgesMiddle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
, the Münsterhof (literally: Fraumünster abbey courtyard
Courtyard
A court or courtyard is an enclosed area, often a space enclosed by a building that is open to the sky. These areas in inns and public buildings were often the primary meeting places for some purposes, leading to the other meanings of court....
) area was a swampy, by the Sihl
Sihl
The Sihl is a river of Switzerland. It rises at Drusberg in the Canton of Schwyz. It passes through the Sihlsee near Einsiedeln, and then enters the Canton of Zurich, flowing through the Sihl valley at the foot of the Albis, passing the Sihlwald, the largest remaining deciduous forest of the Swiss...
river flooded hollow. First mentioned in 1221 AD, probably in the 9th century wooden houses were built by Zürich citizens besides Fraumünster
Fraumünster
The Fraumünster abbey in Zurich was founded in 853 by Louis the German for his daughter Hildegard. He endowed the Benedictine convent with the lands of Zurich, Uri, and the Albis forest, and granted the convent immunity, placing it under his direct authority.- History :In 1045, King Henry III...
Abbey and mansion
Mansion
A mansion is a very large dwelling house. U.S. real estate brokers define a mansion as a dwelling of over . A traditional European mansion was defined as a house which contained a ballroom and tens of bedrooms...
s made of stone may been built in early 13th century.
In medieval times, the plaza was also used as a cemetery close to the former Fraumünster Abbey, and the bailiff
Bailiff
A bailiff is a governor or custodian ; a legal officer to whom some degree of authority, care or jurisdiction is committed...
's house of the Einsiedeln Abbey
Einsiedeln Abbey
Einsiedeln Abbey is a Benedictine monastery in the town of Einsiedeln in the Canton of Schwyz, Switzerland. The abbey is dedicated to Our Lady of the Hermits, the title being derived from the circumstances of its foundation, from which the name Einsiedeln is also said to have originated...
may been situated there. In 1504 AD, and probably much earlier, the passion play of the city's martyrs Felix and Regula
Felix and Regula
The saints Felix and Regula are Coptic Orthodox and Roman Catholic saints, together with their servant Exuperantius, and are the patron saints of Zürich, their feast day being 11 September at the head of the Coptic Calendar....
was celebrated on the plaza. Following the Reformation in Switzerland
Reformation in Switzerland
The Protestant Reformation in Switzerland was promoted initially by Huldrych Zwingli, who gained the support of the magistrate and population of Zürich in the 1520s. It led to significant changes in civil life and state matters in Zürich and spread to several other cantons of the Old Swiss...
, the area was used as a pig market to 1667. In 1676 the town square was renewed by using cobblestone
Cobblestone
Cobblestones are stones that were frequently used in the pavement of early streets. "Cobblestone" is derived from the very old English word "cob", which had a wide range of meanings, one of which was "rounded lump" with overtones of large size...
s. From 1627 to 1835, along the north wall of Fraumünster church stalls were situated. In 1766 a fountain adorned Münsterhof plaza, but was removed 45 years later. During Züriputsch
Züriputsch
The Züriputsch of 6 September 1839 was a putsch of the rural conservative population against the liberal rule of the city of Zürich on the eve of the formation of the Swiss federal state. The reason for the putsch was the appointment of the controversial German theologian David Strauss to the...
in September 1839, led by Bernhard Hirzel
Bernhard Hirzel
Bernhard Hirzel was a Swiss theologian and Orientalist.He studied theology in Zürich and philology in Berlin and Paris, promoted 1833 in Göttingen. He married Maria Elisa Tobler in 1833....
, pastor of Pfäffikon
Pfäffikon, Zurich
Pfäffikon is a municipality in the canton of Zurich in Switzerland. It is the seat of the district of the same name. It is not to be confused with Pfäffikon SZ on Lake Zurich but in the canton of Schwyz.-History:...
, several thousand putschists stormed the city from the west, and fought the cantonal troops in the alleys between Paradeplatz
Paradeplatz
The Paradeplatz is a square at the Bahnhofstrasse in downtown Zurich. The Paradeplatz tram stop is served by lines 2, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11 and 13...
and Münsterhof. In 1938 the plaza was rebuilt at its south-westerly side towards Poststrasse as it is today, now mainly being a parking facility nearby the pedestrian zones at Bahnhofstrasse
Bahnhofstrasse, Zürich
Bahnhofstrasse is Zurich's main downtown street and one of the world's most expensive and exclusive shopping avenues. In 2010 a study has named the Bahnhofstrasse the third most expensive street for retail property in Europe, and the fifth most expensive worldwide. It came into exsistence when the...
, Paradeplatz
Paradeplatz
The Paradeplatz is a square at the Bahnhofstrasse in downtown Zurich. The Paradeplatz tram stop is served by lines 2, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11 and 13...
and Limmatquai.
Activities and sights
Main sights are the FraumünsterFraumünster
The Fraumünster abbey in Zurich was founded in 853 by Louis the German for his daughter Hildegard. He endowed the Benedictine convent with the lands of Zurich, Uri, and the Albis forest, and granted the convent immunity, placing it under his direct authority.- History :In 1045, King Henry III...
church (first mentioned in 853 AD) and Zunfthaus zur Meisen
Zunfthaus zur Meisen
The Zunfthaus zur Meisen at Münsterhof is the guild house of the Zunft zur Meisen. It's one of the historically valuable buildings in the Lindenhof quarter in Zürich, Switzerland, and houses the porcelain and faience collection of the Swiss National Museum.- History :The guild house was built in...
that houses the porcelain and faience collection of the Swiss National Museum
Swiss National Museum
The Swiss National Museum — part of the Musée Suisse Group, itself affiliated with the Federal Office of Culture — is one of the most important art museums of cultural history in Europe and the world...
. There are some renown restaurants and cafés situated there among them Zunfthaus zur Waag respectively Zeughauskeller and Sprüngli at nearby Paradeplatz.
The city's authorities plan to declare Münsterhof as car-free zone: For the future public use of this urban square, an evaluation will be done, to enliven this historical place within the Altstadt
Altstadt
Altstadt is the German language word for "old town", meaning "historical city centre within the city wall", in contrast to a Neustadt built outside later....
of Zürich, as before, by major events such as several popular open-air performances and public events in general. Construction works are planned for autumn 2011, the inauguration is scheduled for summer 2012.