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19 September 1946: the Münsterhof is packed to the last spot; thousands of people crowd the square, the windows of the surrounding buildings and every conceivable vantage point. At the centre of it all stands a platform in front of the Zunfthaus zur Meisen, directly opposite the Zunfthaus zur Waag. It is here that the British wartime Prime Minister Winston Churchill addresses the people of Zurich on this day.
It is a historic moment, just one year after the end of the Second World War. Churchill, who had led Great Britain through the darkest years of the war, speaks in Zurich about the future of Europe. Earlier, at the local university, he had called for a vision that seemed bold at the time: the creation of a United States of Europe. The speech on the Münsterhof, framed by the historic facades of the guild houses and the Fraumünster, became one of the great moments in the city's post-war history.
The photograph shown at the top of this article has survived and powerfully captures the enthusiasm of that moment: a sea of people, packed tightly together, all eyes fixed on the small platform. This image has long since become one of the iconic pictures associated with the history of the Münsterhof – with the Zunfthaus zur Waag in the centre of the background as a silent yet unmistakable witness.
It is characteristic of the Münsterhof that, over the centuries, it has repeatedly served as the backdrop for moments of significance far beyond Zurich – from imperial receptions in the Middle Ages to Churchill's speech in the 20th century. Anyone crossing the square today is literally following in the footsteps of such moments, with the Zunfthaus zur Waag as a constant observer in the background.
Text: historical information based on Philipp Oswald Welti, former guild master of the Zunft zur Waag.
Cover image: NZZ Archive
Article image: Kulturplatz Münsterhof
