Neumarkt (Zürich)

Neumarkt

Neumarkt
Neumarkt as seen from Seilergraben towards Grimmenturm
Former name(s)	Neuer Markt
Type	street and public square
Owner	City of Zürich
Addresses	Neumarkt
Location	Zürich, Switzerland
Postal code	8001
Coordinates	47°22′21.897583″N 8°32′45.526199″E / 47.37274932861°N 8.54597949972°E / 47.37274932861; 8.54597949972
Construction
Commissioned	late 11th century AD

Neumarkt is a street and a historical area in the Rathaus quarter (Altstadt) of the city of Zürich in Switzerland.

Neumarkt is bounded by Spiegelgasse, Rindermarkt, Froschauergasse and Seilergraben streets in the Rathaus quarter (Altstadt) on the right shore of the river Limmat, and Grimmenturm is a landmark seen from all location around the inner city of Zürich.

In the 12th century AD the as of today Neumarkt street was built as a new suburb of the medieval city of Zürich, centered around the new city market (in German: Neuer Markt). The previous Alte Markt (literally: old market) was established so far at the Marktgasse street and perhaps also towards Stüssihofstatt square. Some buildings, among them Grimmenturm and Bilgeriturm, may allow the conclusion that the new district also completed the so-called first city fortifications to the west. In 1249 a pogrom against the Jewish people in Switzerland occurred among other cities in Zürich; the homes of the Jewish people were seized or destroyed and many Jewish citizens were killed by the mob.

Neumarkt was first mentioned in the city archives related to the sale of a house: Ulrich, the treasurer of the Probstei Zürich sealed and confirmed on 26 November 1311 that Mia, Gattin des [wife of] Werner Waltersbacher sold her slip of the pen of her endowment on a house...to Mechtild, Witwe von [widow of] Burkard Waltersbacher. The former Neumarkttor or Kronentor gate at Seilergraben was built probably at the end of the 13th century, serving as gatetower, first mentiond in 1340 as Nünmargtsturm and since 1637 as Neumarktstor. The tower was also equipped in the 16th century with a clock and an ornate dial, but was broken in 1829. The so-called Nike fountain probably dates back to the 15th century as Jupiterbrunnen and was rebuilt in 1987.

Being the most remarkable landmarks, the Grimmenturm and the neighbouring Bilgeriturm (as well a guild house) buildings are remains of the former second, even first fortification of the medieval city of Zürich, both serving as of today as well-known restaurants. Some meters nearby there are the city archives (in German: Stadtarchiv) situated in the remarkable Haus zum Rechberg, including a historical exhibition and a scale model of the historical city. Another point of interest is the theater situated at the Bilgeriturm, the so-called Theater am Neumarkt which also is serving as a guild house. Also remarkable are the late medieval historical houses, among them Haus zum Mohrenkopf, the former home of Katharina von Zimmern, the last abbess of the Fraumünster Abbey.