Fraumünster

Imperial Abbey of Fraumünster Reichskloster Fraumünster
Imperial Abbey of the Holy Roman Empire
←   ← 853–1524 →
Fraumünster abbey, Münsterhof, old Kornhaus (to the left side) and Zunfthaus zur Meisen. Aquarell by Franz Schmid, showing situation in 1757.
Capital	Fraumünster Abbey
Government	Theocracy
Historical era	Middle Ages
- Founded by Louis     the German	21 July 853
- Granted market, toll and     minting rights by Henry III	1045
- Imp. immediacy     confirmed by Frederick II	1218
- Rudolf Brun indep. mayor,     established guild laws	1336
- Dissolved in     Zwinglian Reforms	30 November 1524
- Buildings destroyed	1898
Today part of	Switzerland

The Fraumünster church, the stained glass windows in the choir are by Marc Chagall.

The Fraumünster abbey (lit. in English: [Our] Lady Minster) 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 granted the convent the right to hold markets, collect tolls, and mint coins, and thus effectively made 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. 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. 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, the town square in front of Fraumünster, is named after the former abbey.

Chagall windows

The choir of 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 Christian story. From left (northern wall) to right, the 5 works are:

• Prophets, depicting Elijah's ascent to heaven
• Jacob, displaying his combat, and dreams of heaven
• Christ, illustrating various scenes of Christ's life
• Zion, showing an angel trumpeting the end of the world
• Law, with Moses looking down upon the suffering of his people

Equally impressive is the 9m tall stained glass of the North transept, created by Augusto Giacometti in 1940.

Gallery

• 

  Chagallfenster

• 

  Jacob (cut)

• 

  Rosette

• 

  Fraumünster church tower

• 

  Fresco by Paul Bodmer in Fraumünster's former cloister

• 

  Fraumünster as seen from Postrasse towards Paradeplatz

• 

  Fraumünster, Münsterhof and Zunfthaus zur Meisen as seen from Grossmünster

• 

  Zürich's saints on a fresco by Paul Bodmer: Exuperantius, Felix and Regula

• 

  Fresco by Paul Bodmer in former cloister

Literature

• Peter Vogelsanger: Zürich und sein Fraumünster. Eine elfhundertjährige Geschichte (853–1956). NZZ Libro, Zürich 1994, ISBN 3-85823-515-6

See also

• Grossmünster
• Wasserkirche

Coordinates: 47°22′11″N 8°32′28″E / 47.36972°N 8.54111°E / 47.36972; 8.54111