Munot Association
The Munot Association was founded in 1839 and has since pursued the same purpose: to preserve the Munot , the landmark of the Swiss city of Schaffhausen . Today the association has over 4,300 members.
The maintenance of the munot
The aim is to preserve the Munot in its character as a historical building. With the membership fees it is possible for the Munot Association to keep this fortress in good condition. Both from the outside and inside, the Munot fulfills the requirements as a symbol of the city of Schaffhausen .
Dance and entertainment on the Munotzinne
Another task of the association is to promote sociability and dance on the battlements of the old fortress. This includes the preservation of the traditional Munot Quadrille (or Française) in its traditional form.
founding
The Munot is the undisputed landmark of the city of Schaffhausen. No other city in Switzerland had a building of comparable monumentality in the 16th century. There is a variety of traditional and modern activities around the Schaffhausen landmark. The Munotverein founded in 1839 is responsible for these activities.
History of the Munot
28 years after Schaffhausen joined the Swiss Confederation in 1501, the desire arose to strengthen the city fortifications. On November 6th, 1563, after years of planning, the councils decided to build a new artillery fortress, the Munot. Construction began in 1564 and was worked on for 25 years, in some cases even as a slave labor, until it was completed in 1589. The Munot served as part of the city fortifications. The built-in components of the fortress, such as caponniers, casemates with light shafts and gun niches with smoke outlets, were already behind the weapons technology of the time and were outdated.
Something about the Munot indicates that the Schaffhausen residents were not only interested in securing the city, but also in creating an impressive, representative building. Soon after its completion, doubts arose as to whether the Munot could withstand the increasingly powerful artillery. The Munot was only occupied once by military forces: in 1799 the French holed up on the Munot on their way back from the Austrians. However, after a brief skirmish, they then fled across the Rhine. The famous Grubenmannsche wooden bridge was set on fire.
Johann Jakob Beck - Savior of Munot
At the beginning of the 19th century the city fortifications lost all meaning. The Munot collapsed and became a quarry.
Johann Jakob Beck (1786–1868) taught visual design at the canton school, was also a life artist and Munot's father. On his initiative, the restoration of the Munot, threatened by collapse, began in 1826. In 1839 the time had come: the restored Munot was inaugurated with speeches, music, singing and 615 gunshots.
On October 30, 1839, the Munotverein was founded, the first president and father of which was Johann Jakob Beck.
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To the casemate
The casemate is the vault inside the Munot. This vault has a ceiling about four meters thick, filled with gravel, and is supported by nine pillars. The casemate is illuminated by four circular light shafts. This space has already been used for theater and concert performances.
To the Munotgraben
The ditch used to be of great importance as a blockade. Because of its location, it was never filled with water. The caponnières had to be renewed again and again. In 1995, Rohrschacher sandstone was used to cover the substructure, according to the original design. A fallow deer colony has lived in the ditch since 1905 , each consisting of around a dozen animals. The bull always bears the name of the current mayor.
To the vineyard
The Munotrebberg belongs to the city of Schaffhausen. With a total of 76 Aren he is today with 49 Aren Pinot Noir vines and 27 Aren Tokay - or Pinot gris planted vines. With around one vine per square meter and an average of one kilogram of grapes per vine, the result - depending on the year - is a yield of 5000 to 7000 liters of "Munötler".
Events
For years there have been many different events around the Munot. Probably the most famous event is the Munot Kino Open Air, which takes place at the beginning of August. For many people, the open air cinema is an integral part of the annual calendar. More or less current films are shown every year.
Munot balls
For over 100 years, traditional balls have been held on the Munot between the end of June and the end of August (every other weekend). Since 1886, the heart of the Munot balls has been the Française, also known as the Quadrille. This is done twice for each ball. The first time after the traditional Munot bell at 9:20 p.m. and the second time around 10:20 p.m.
The quadrille, also known as Française, is a ballroom dance that was first mentioned in France and England in the 17th century.
Concerts
Concerts have already taken place several times at the Munot. Top Swiss bands such as Züri West or Patent Ochsner performed at Munot.
Munot opera plays
The opera plays that take place on the Munot have also been part of the list of events since 2015. Like the open air cinema, the opera plays are also open air.
Salsa party on the Munot
If the weather is fine, the salsa party takes place on the Munotzinne in mid-June. It is THE dance highlight of the Munot Club with dozens of dancing couples. If the weather is not ideal, the event will be moved to the Park Casino.
children Party
The Munot Children's Festival is a festival for children organized by the Munot Association. The Munot Children's Festival takes place every year in the last week of August. Over 1000 girls and boys between the ages of 6 and 12 take part every year. If the festival takes place, three cannon shots will be fired at 12:00 p.m. and the flag of the canton of Schaffhausen will be raised. In the evening the event ends with a fireworks display.
Munot cinema open air
The Munot Kino Openair offers an open-air film experience for anyone interested. The special thing about the films is that they are played back on traditional film rolls.