Neumarkt district

You are now in the Neumarkt district, in Zurich’s Old Town. On this quiet little square, you’ll find plenty of interesting elements. You’ll notice the large white guild house, which today hosts the Neumarkt Theater and an adjoining restaurant. This building dates back to the 13th century and was taken over by the shoemakers’ guild in the 1750s. At the end of the 18th century, the guilds lost their political power and had to give up their premises, so the building later became a school for girls from wealthy families, then a center of political resistance and meeting point for the Swiss Communist Party. It was here that Trotsky worked on his revolutionary manifesto, and that Lenin prepared the Russian Revolution. By the way, he used to live in an apartment right next to Cabaret Voltaire, and would often come to read and write in the library rooms. Across the square, behind the fountain, you can spot a beautiful medieval tower with a red clock face. That’s the Grimmenturm, and it had many functionalities over the years. It was likely built by a local family, around 1250, to serve as a private residence, being one of about 30 residential towers that once stood in medieval Zurich. In 1350, it became part of a nearby hospital to house nurses. Later on, this space turned into a convent. When the Reformation swept through Zurich, it was dissolved then transformed into a wine cellar and storage. It also served as parish house, for 300 years, until the government of Zurich took over in 1962. It’s considered part of the city’s first medieval fortifications and is listed as a Swiss cultural heritage site of national importance.