The Munot is the undisputed landmark of the city of Schaffhausen. No other city in the Confederation built a comparably monumental structure in the 16th century. There are numerous traditional and modern customs relating to Schaffhausen's most famous building, all of which are organised and supported by the Munotverein (Munot association), founded in 1839. Between the end of June and the end of August, the traditional Munot balls are held on the battlements of the fortress, with the highlight since 1886 being a ballroom dance called the quadrille. A children's festival with fireworks has been held since 1940, and since 1996 the fortress has hosted a highly popular open air cinema festival each summer. Until 1926, the Munotwächter (Munot watchperson) functioned effectively as a lookout. Today, the watchperson – who still lives in the fortress tower – tolls the Munot bell by hand at nine o'clock every evening. Constructed in 1589, the famous bell is the subject of a legend and a song that is well-known throughout Switzerland.
View of the Munot in the city of Schaffhausen © Schaffhausen Tourismus
The Munot bell in the circular tower of the Schaffhausen Munot © Schaffhausen Tourismus
The opening of the Munot ball season, July 2007 © Max und Sonja Baumann, Schaffhausen, 2007/Stadtarchiv Schaffhausen
The Munot fireworks, September 2006 © Max and Sonja Baumann, Schaffhausen, 2006/Stadtarchiv Schaffhausen
The Munot festival on the battlements, 1897 © F. Kugler, Schaffhausen/Stadtarchiv Schaffhausen
Detailed description
Traditionen um den Munot (PDF, 347 kB, 31.05.2018)Ausführliche Beschreibung
Category
Performing arts
Canton
Video
Audio
The sound of the Munot bell © Schaffhausen Tourismus
Els Peyer-von Waldkirch: «S Nüüniglöggli» (from: Sagen und Lieder des Kantons Schaffhausen mit Langspielplatten, Schaffhausen, 1974) © Robert F. Hauser/Kantonaler Lehrmittelverlag Schaffhausen
«Das Munotglöcklein», in in the version by David Bell © David Bell/RedRoomMusicStudio 2012
Connected traditions
Publications
Kurt Bänteli, Hans Lieb, Werner Meyer, Peter Scheck, Karl Schmuki, Jürg Zimmermann: Beiträge zur Geschichte des Munots zu Schaffhausen. In: Erinnerung an den Abschluss des Baus vor vierhundert Jahren 1589 (Schaffhauser Beiträge zur Geschichte 66). Ed. Historischer Verein des Kantons Schaffhausen. Schaffhausen, 1989
Werner Meyer, Hans-Ulrich Wipf: Der Munot in Schaffhausen. Ed. Gesellschaft für Schweizerische Kunstgeschichte. Bern, 1992
Rolf C. Müller: Das Munot-Kinderfest. In: Schaffhauser Mappe. Schaffhausen, 1989, p. 31-32
Werner Thomann: Munotverein Schaffhausen. Schaffhausen, 1989
Walter Wettstein: Geschichte des Munotvereins 1839-1909. Schaffhausen, 1909
Links
Multimedia on-line
Keywords
Contact
Munotwächter
Munotverein
Schaffhausen