A rectangular rustic “townlet” - Neunkirch
Intro
The striking features of Neunkirch in Canton Schaffhausen's Klettgau region are its unique, rectangular medieval layout and the rustic charm of its backstreets. Centuries-long repression by the city of Schaffhausen meant that Neunkirch remained nothing more than a large farming village, albeit with the look of a town.
Neunkirch's uniform rectangular layout features five parallel rows of buildings intersected by four streets. The most prestigious buildings are located along the main street, Vordergasse. Only a handful of buildings stand out from the homogeneous townscape: the imposing town hall in the centre, the bailiff's palace in the north-eastern corner, the school and the parish church.
Built between the sixteenth and nineteenth centuries, the three-storey “byre-dwellings” have south-facing living quarters and north-facing “commercial quarters”, with stables and barns opening onto the street at the back. Particularly captivating are the rendered half-timbered facades with their exposed posts and beams. The town wall with its numerous window apertures is now only visible in places. The leafy road encircling the old town was built on the former moat, and separates the medieval core from later urban developments. Overlooking the town from a prominent hilltop location is the Bergkirche.
The city of Schaffhausen gained dominion over Neunkirch as early as 1525 and made it the seat of the bailiwick. For centuries, strict control from the city prevented the residents of Neunkirch from holding their own market. They were thus to become the driving force in overthrowing the city-state of Schaffhausen and in achieving equal rights for town and country in 1831.
Trip tip
To learn more about the history of Neunkirch, visitors can spend time in the local museum or take a guided tour. Together with 14 other communes, Neunkirch forms the Schaffhausen Regional Nature Park, which organises local leisure activities and offerings relating to Neunkirch's architectural heritage.
ISOS
ISOS is the Federal Inventory of Swiss Heritage Sites of national importance. The inventory is maintained by the Federal Office of Culture (FOC) and lists the most significant settlements in Switzerland. Today, some 1,200 places are included in the inventory, from hamlets right through to cities. The inventory provides information on the development and identity of the settlements listed in it, thereby contributing to the preservation of architectural diversity in Switzerland and promoting both sustainable planning and a high-quality Baukultur.
