Neunkirch

Neunkirch is a small, historic town and a municipality in the canton of Schaffhausen in Switzerland.

It is set in the south of the Lange Rande (900 metres (3,000 ft)), part of the mountains range Randen.

The name was finally fixed as Neunkirch because it belonged to the Bishopric of Constance, whose diocese already included a town called Niuchilchun or Neukirch.

Neunkirch was mentioned first in a deed of gift to the Rheinau Abbey on a Sunday 21 September in the reign of Louis the German.

The document itself doesn't exist anymore, but there is a copy in the public record office of Zürich.

In 1260 the bishop bought the majority of land in Neunkirch as well as the low and high justice.

For 250 years Neunkirch had belonged to the Bishopric of Constance till in 1525 the bishop sold his rights of the low and high justice to Schaffhausen for 8500 guilder.

The blazon of the municipal coat of arms is Azure a Church Argent roofed Gules.

Of the rest of the land, 6.8% is settled (buildings or roads) and the remainder (0.6%) is non-productive (rivers or lakes).

Of the foreign population, (as of 2008[update]), 37.6% are from Germany, 17.4% are from Italy, 3.9% are from Croatia, 2.3% are from Serbia, 16.7% are from Macedonia, 2.3% are from Turkey, and 19.8% are from another country.

Only portions of the old city wall remain, though this includes the large Obertor tower.

Neunkirch
Aerial view by Walter Mittelholzer (1923)
Johannes von Müller, 1791