In 1975, a Neolithic stilt house village located on the northern shore of the Lake Greifen area called Böschen was discovered by recreational divers.

Initially, they found ceramics, lavishly decorated pots and bowls, and simple, large food tanks.

Weaving spindles made of clay, tools, needles and fishing hooks from bronze, charred wild apples and cereals have been conserved.

Probably in the late 12th century, a tower house (later Castle of Greifensee) was built at the location of a small village, estimated to be a settlement by the Counts of Rapperswil.

On January 7, 1300, Greifensee was given by Elisabeth von Rapperswil-Habsburg-Laufenburg, the sister of Rudolf V, Count of Rapperswil, to the nobleman Hermann II of Landenberg.

His son, Hermann IV (the younger Marshal), fortified the small town, Greifensee castle and the city walls.

He donated, for his salvation and on his wife's favour, the Gallus Chapel around 1330–1340, Greifensee's former Parish church, too.

The town was captured after four weeks, on May 27, and all but two of the surviving 64 defenders were beheaded on the next day, including the leader, Wildhans von Breitenlandenberg.

Even in times of war, mass execution was widely considered a cruel and unjust deed.

Of the rest of the land, 44.6% is settled (buildings or roads) and the remainder (6.4%) is non-productive (rivers, glaciers or mountains).

The town has a historic part complete with a castle and a unique church (Gallus Chapel) which was shaped as a triangle so it could fit into the city walls.

[5] The historical population is given in the following table:[3] Located on Greifensee lakeshore, Greifensee–Storen–Wildsberg is part of the 56 Swiss sites of the UNESCO World Heritage Site Prehistoric pile dwellings around the Alps,[7] and the settlement is also listed in the Swiss inventory of cultural property of national and regional significance as a Class object.