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56-600: Münsterhof is located in front of the Fraumünster church, and lies a short distance from the Münsterbrücke bridge which leads eastwards across the river Limmat to the Limmatquai and Grossmünster church beyond. It is surrounded by medieval buildings, among which are several guild houses , including zur Waag , the former Kämbel guild house, and the art museum Zunfthaus zur Meisen . This area forms part of

112-523: A Class A object of national importance. 47°22′11″N 8°32′28″E  /  47.36972°N 8.54111°E  / 47.36972; 8.54111 Sechsel%C3%A4utenplatz#Parking Opéra Sechseläutenplatz (literally: Sechseläuten square) is the largest town square situated in Zurich , Switzerland . Its name derives from the Sechseläuten (the city's traditional spring holiday), which

168-462: A car-free zone , and evaluations were made to improve public use of the historical urban square for open-air performances and other public events. Construction works of 2014 were scheduled to be completed in 2015, but were 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, 6 metres (20 ft) in diameter and almost 4 metres (13 ft) tall, as

224-612: A car-free zone . Wienachtsmärt , a Christmas fair, is a new event first held in 2015, opened on 19 November by Zurich's mayor, Corine Mauch . It had about 100 huts presenting modern design products and traditional handicrafts. Opened in May 2012, the underground parking garage houses two parking levels for 299 cars. The parking facility is operated by the Opéra AG, a consortium of the companies Hardturmstrasse AG and AMAG. Up to 50 parking spaces are reserved for long-term tenants. The entrance

280-550: A "transformation into a tranquil open space which invites everyone to take a stroll or simply relax." While in prehistoric times the Münsterhof area was a swampy hollow, flooded by the river Sihl , Lindenhof hill 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 riverbank. Roman buildings were likely built at

336-511: A "whisper" modus, and by accredited tour guides, from 10 am to 4 pm in winter, and to 5 pm and 6 pm in spring respectively summer. With 6.959 pipes, the organ at Fraumünster is the largest in the canton of Zurich. There have been at least 29 abbesses in the building's history: In the Swiss inventory of cultural property of national and regional significance the Fraumünster is listed as

392-636: 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

448-585: A multimedia information system that illustrates the foundation fragments of the crypt, and how the church was rebuilt from the original Romanesque construction phase to its present Gothic appearance, on occasion of its establishment guided by Dölf Wild , the archaeologist in charge. For the around 500,000 visitors every year a new developed visitor management started in June 2016. Visitors groups up to 60 persons are admitted from June 20 only by appointment and only in defined time windows. Guided tours are allowed only in

504-635: A number of houses, was probably carried out on the orders of the prince abbess. In medieval times the bailiff 's house of the Einsiedeln Abbey was also located at Münsterhof, and the plaza became the preferred domicile of the abbey's associates. On 18 July 1336, Rudolf Brun defeated his political opponents in the Rat (council) of Zürich; these banned members found refuge with Count Johann I in Rapperswil . The so-called Äusseres Zürich , meaning

560-617: A peace contract was signed in 1352. In 1504 AD, and probably much earlier, the passion play of the city's martyrs Felix and Regula was celebrated in the plaza. On 8 December 1524, on the day of the Immaculate Conception, Katharina von Zimmern , the imperial abbess of Zürich, passed the abbey and all rights to the council of Zürich. Following the Reformation in Zürich, the area was used as a pig market until 1667. In 1676,

616-491: A series of chambers which collect detritus, filter the water, and process it with chlorine and glass water ; the purified water is then returned to the pumps to be reused. In all, 1.5 million Swiss Francs were paid for the design. According to the government's concept, Sechseläutenplatz may be used for events 180 days per year. Among them are Circus Knie , Sechseläuten and the Zurich Film Festival . In

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672-579: Is celebrated on the square in April. Sechseläutenplatz is located on the east shore of Lake Zurich , just south of the lake's outflow to the river Limmat and the Schanzengraben moat. The plaza is bounded to the south by the linked Opernhaus and Bernhardtheater buildings; to the west by the Utoquai lakeside promenade; and to the east by Theaterstrasse , across which is Stadelhoferplatz , with

728-403: Is finished, the plaza is to again be a representative and lively urban square in the heart of historical Zürich, 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

784-460: Is limited because the area is part of the pedestrian zone of Zürich. It is limited to road transport use between lower Limmatquai and Bellevueplatz , 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. The main sights are

840-512: Is situated at Falkenstrasse/Schillerstrasse. On Sechseläutenplatz, pedestrian access to the facility is provided by two pavilions, one of which houses a boulevard café . The second pavilion has a display presenting an overview of the archaeological findings from the excavation ( Archäologie im Parkhaus Opera ). As part of the 56 Swiss sites of the UNESCO World Heritage Site Prehistoric pile dwellings around

896-641: Is sought for a mass grave. Fraum%C3%BCnster The Fraumünster ( German pronunciation: [fʁaʊ̯ˈmʏnstɐ] ; lit. in English: Women's Minster ) 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 lands of Zürich, Uri , and

952-620: The Albis forest, and granted the convent immunity, placing it under his direct authority. Today, it belongs to the Evangelical Reformed Church of the canton of Zürich and is one of the four main churches of Zürich , the others being the Grossmünster , Prediger and St. Peter 's churches. In 1045, King Henry III granted the convent the right to hold markets, collect tolls, and mint coins, and thus effectively made

1008-490: The Fraumünster church (first mentioned in 853 AD) and art museum Zunfthaus zur Meisen, which houses the porcelain and faience collection of the Swiss National Museum . There are restaurants and cafés at Münsterhof, including Zunfthaus zur Waag, Zeughauskeller , and Sprüngli at nearby Paradeplatz. The equestrian monument in front of the Fraumünster church at Münsterbrücke was created by Hermann Haller . It

1064-530: The Fraumünster Abbey , 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 retenue

1120-581: The Münsterhof square, and the public square was expanded towards the Opera House . The aim of the city government was to "upgrade for pedestrians in Zurich at a central location, to create a place with international appeal". A total of 110,000 blocks of stone from Vals quartzite – 10 to 13 centimetres (5 in) wide and between 50 and 130 centimetres (51 in) long – form the square. The material

1176-968: The Stadelhofen railway station and the terminus of the Forchbahn (FOB) . To the north, Sechseläutenplatz merges into Bellevueplatz , where stops for the Zurich tram lines 2, 4, 5, 8, 9, 11 and 15 are located. On November 30, 2011, the government of Zurich announced that some streets would be renamed by redesigning the public area at Sechseläutenplatz. Theaterplatz will be part of the Sechseläutenplatz area, and Gottfried-Keller-Strasse and Goethestrasse partially repealed. Residents have been informed that these will be addressed as Sechseläutenplatz 1 to 10 . In all, Sechseläutenplatz covers an area of about 16,000 m (170,000 sq ft). The area has been internationally known since 2009, when digging for an underground parking facility uncovered

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1232-474: The 1st century AD at Poststrasse, west of the Fraumünster church, 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

1288-659: The Alps , the Neolithic, Celtic and Gallo-Roman settlements are also listed in the Swiss inventory of cultural property of national and regional significance as Class objects . Hence, the area is provided as a historical site under federal protection, within the meaning of the Swiss Federal Act on natural and cultural heritage (German: Bundesgesetz über den Natur- und Heimatschutz NHG) of 1 July 1966. Unauthorised researching and purposeful gathering of findings represent

1344-528: The Fraumünster Abbey, initiated by the Gesellschaft zu Fraumünster . Anna-Maria Bauer, a sculptor from Zürich, 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

1400-565: The Fraumünster abbey was sealed, and has made public since 19 June 2016. The oldest part of the church preserved the abbey's Holy Relics until the Reformation in Zürich banned the Roman Catholic veneration of saints. The foundations of the crypt date back to the 9th century when the abbey was founded. The crypt also comprises an exhibition on the history of the Reformation in Zürich , on the architecture and local history, assisted by

1456-399: The Fraumünster's crypt. In 2015, the city archaeologists ( Amt für Städtebau ) also identified a 600-year-old badge of Charlemagne on his horse discovering the graves of the martyrs Felix and Regula . 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

1512-519: The Vals quartzite occupies an area of 12,600 square metres (135,625 sq ft). The last stones were laid on 19 November 2013, three weeks earlier than planned. In February and March 2014, 56 seven-year-old red oaks and tulip trees were planted. These varieties were particularly suitable for the inner-city location. Rooms under the square, below the groundwater level, provide the hidden infrastructure for lighting, electrical power distribution, and

1568-465: The abbess the ruler of the city. Emperor Frederick II granted the abbey Reichsunmittelbarkeit in 1218, thus making it territorially independent of all authority save that of the Emperor himself, and increasing the political power of the abbess. The abbess assigned the mayor , and she frequently delegated the minting of coins to citizens of the city. A famous abbess during this time of great power

1624-457: The abbey includes 5 large stained glass windows designed by artist Marc Chagall and installed in 1970. Each of the 5 has a dominant color and depicts a Biblical story. From left (northern wall) to right, the 5 works are: Equally impressive is the 9m tall stained glass of the North transept, created by Augusto Giacometti in 1940. Since the last renovation in 1900, the crypt under the choir of

1680-561: The banned councilors, declared the feud (German: Fehde ) and formed a coalition, and Johann I became the leader of Brun's opposition, among them the ancient councilors family Bilgeri . On 21 September 1337, Zürich troops moved over the Obersee to the Grynau Castle 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

1736-456: The canton of Zurich. The loss of a car lane on the Utoquai roadway caused a bitter dispute between the city and the canton of Zurich, with the district court deciding in favour of the city. The planning works were done by Zach + Zünd Architekten, Vetsch Nipkow Landschaftsarchitekten, Heyer Kaufmann Bauingenieure. Surface parking was replaced by an underground parking facility, for the Opéra and

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1792-400: The cultural development during the late 5th and early 4th millennia BC. They and other prehistoric settlements in the lower Lake Zurich area are part of Prehistoric Pile dwellings around the Alps , an UNESCO World Heritage Site , recognized as one of 111 world locations with the greatest scientific potential. In the late European Middle Ages , the Sechseläutenplatz area was the location of

1848-627: The former military harbour of the city of Zurich, part of the Stadelhoferbollwerk bastion on the Lake Zurich shore. The former Stadelhofer bulwark was built as part of the fourth city fortifications in 1643 AD, its bastion built partly into the lake. In 1673, the Stadelhofen ravelin was attached. These fortifications, which had become obsolete, were completely demolished in 1837–38. The restaurant Kornhaus operated on

1904-791: The home of the Opernhaus Zürich and of the Grand Café Esplanade built by J. Pfister Picault in 1925. On 19 December 1941, the Bernhard-Theater Zürich opened as an entertainment theater for plays, farces and comedies in the Swiss-German language . To ensure the food supply of the city population in wartime, potatoes were planted in the meadow in November 1940. In May 1981, the Esplanade building

1960-435: The last abbess, Katharina von Zimmern . The monastery buildings were destroyed in 1898 to make room for the new Stadthaus . The church building today serves as the parish church for one of the city's 34 reformed parishes. Münsterhof , historically the main square and marketplace of the medieval city, is named for the abbey. Gesellschaft zu Fraumünster cultivates the traditions of the former nunnery convent. The choir of

2016-399: The main work began and about a year later the redesigned Sechseläutenplatz was inaugurated. The cost for the city of Zurich amounted to 17.2 million Swiss Francs , of which CHF 10,250,000 were used on the renewal, road drainage and superstructure of the neighboring roads. The costs for the square's design and construction works totalled to around CHF 28 million, of which 11 million was paid by

2072-402: The peaceful introduction of the Reformation in Zürich 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 Zürich 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 Zürich.) These were the words of Katharina von Zimmern on occasion of

2128-481: 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 Zürich 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

2184-498: 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 . Dölf Wild , 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 [a] parking facility." The archaeological excavations of winter 2014–15 were concentrated on

2240-400: The pumps and control systems for the fountains. As of 2016 , it is the most elaborate water feature in Zurich, with individual programmable control to each nozel which can jet fountains up to 8 metres (26 ft) in height, and can accompany a piece of music. Each nozzle has a white LED light that can illuminate the water from below at night. Drainage systems receive the fountain water though

2296-421: The remains of prehistoric pile dwellings . Remains were found in the immediate vicinity of this wetland soil settlement, Kleiner Hafner , in the lower basin of Lake Zurich. The construction works were suspended for nine months and the settlement remains were systematically archaeologically recorded. The results of the excavations are permanently displayed in a pavilion next to the lakeshore. Located on what

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2352-471: The site from 1839 to 1860. In 1867, the building was taken over as a temporary facility of the Tonhalle orchestra, and demolished sometime after. First mentioned in 1896 as Sechseläutenplatz , from the 1910s to 2008 the place was a meadow commonly known as Sechseläutenwiese . Since 1902, it was used for the spring Sechseläuten celebration and other events, including shows by Circus Knie . It also became

2408-530: The site of the Zunfthaus zur Zimmerleuten on the other riverbank, and the Roman settlement may have stretched towards the present Münsterbrücke , crossing the Limmat between Grossmünster (remains of graves) and Wasserkirche , and the present-day Münsterhof plaza. Suggested by historians and recent archaeological evidence uncovered during construction at Münsterbrücke, the present Weinplatz square may have been

2464-588: 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 Zürich citizens beside

2520-661: The southern extension of the Quaianlagen promenades that were built between 1881 and 1887. Münsterhof is the biggest town square within the former medieval town walls of Zürich. It is part of the historical core of the medieval town of Zürich, previously the Celtic-Roman Turicum . Public transport from this area includes the Zürich tram lines 2, 4 and 15 , as well as the Zürichsee-Schifffahrtsgesellschaft (ZSG) and its Limmat river tour boats towards Zürichhorn . Automobile transportation

2576-510: The summer months, the square must have full public access for at least 120 days to fulfill its function as the main inner-city space, so summertime events are limited to the area of the former Sechseläutenwiese. The former Theaterplatz square in front of the Opera House serves as the connection between Stadelhoferplatz and the Lake Zurich lakeshore. The city's authorities declared the area between Stadelhofen station and Sechseläutenplatz as

2632-559: The surrender of the Fraumünster Abbey to the city's magistrates during the Reformation in Zürich. Paul Bodmer's fresco related to the history of the abbey are also a very popular touristic destination situated in the abbey's cloister. Beginning in 1999, Gesellschaft zu Fraumünster (Fraumünster society) organized every three years the Mittelalter Spectaculum , a medieval funfair, at the Münsterhof square. The city's authorities planned from May 2003 to declare Münsterhof

2688-535: The town square was renewed and paved with cobblestones . From 1627 to 1835, stalls were situated along the north wall of Fraumünster church. In 1766, the Neptun fountain adorned Münsterhof plaza, but was removed 45 years later. During Züriputsch in September 1839, several thousand putschists stormed the city from the west, and fought the cantonal troops in the alleys between Paradeplatz and Münsterhof. In 1938,

2744-465: Was Elisabeth of Wetzikon . However, the political power of the convent slowly waned in the fourteenth century, beginning with the establishment of the Zunftordnung ( guild laws) in 1336 by Rudolf Brun , who also became the first independent mayor, i.e. not assigned by the abbess. The abbey was dissolved on 30 November 1524 in the course of the reformation of Huldrych Zwingli , supported by

2800-542: Was "thoroughly tested over a long period", with respect to cleaning, slip resistance or behavior during prolonged heat. To exclude damage on burning of the Böögg (a winter effigy burned during Sechseläuten ), a shell of firebrick was installed. Additionally, the impact of elephant dung on the Vals quartzite was tested and anchorages for the Knie's circus tent firmly integrated in the surface structure. The natural stone tiles of

2856-557: Was also part of the Celtic and Gallo-Roman settlement area) in the effluence of the Limmat, within an area of about 0.2 square kilometres (50 acres) in the heart of the city of Zurich. Kleiner Hafner and Grosser Hafner are very rare sites, representing all periods of pile dwelling. There are finds from the Neolithic Egolzwil , Cortaillod and Horgen cultures, forming an important reference which allows study of

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2912-401: 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 Zürich troops, and Brun's opponents executed or banned. After the intervention of Habsburg-Austria against Zürich,

2968-557: Was demolished and the present Bernhard-Theater was re-opened on 27–28 December 1984 after three years of transition. In the nearby Schanzengraben , the Old Botanical Garden is located. The area towards the Opernhaus-Bernhardtheater was used as a parking facility from the 1960s until 2008. Due to a referendum, the construction work was delayed a year from its planned commencement. In January 2013,

3024-592: Was formally welcomed by the abbess of the Fraumünster abbey. She was also acting princess of the Holy German Empire and, up to the time of the Reformation in Zürich , the formal ruler of Zürich. 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

3080-619: Was then swampland between the river Limmat and Lake Zurich, around present-day Sechseläutzenplatz–Bürkliplatz, the prehistoric dwellings were set on piles to protect against occasional flooding by the rivers Linth and Jona . The Neolithic settlement Zurich–Enge Alpenquai is located at the Bürkliplatz in Enge , a locality of the municipality of Zurich. It was neighbored by the settlements at Kleiner Hafner (a former island/peninsula at Sechseläutenplatz) and Grosser Hafner island (which

3136-521: Was unveiled on 6 April 1937 by the Kämbel guild, aiming to rehabilitate Hans Waldmann , mayor of Zürich from 1482 to 1489 and their former dean, who they proposed had been the victim of a judicial murder . The equestrian statue became the subject of controversy for artistic, political and historical reasons. On 14 March 2004, the Katharina von Zimmern memorial was inaugurated at the former cloister of

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