Schauplatz

Written records show that Frau Minne, her sons Moses ben Menachem and Mordechai ben Menachem, and an unnamed daughter resided in Zurich in the 1320s. Nothing is known about what became of Minne’s husband Menachem. Therefore, as a widow, Frau Minne was the head of the family. Moses ben Menachem is also believed to be Rabbi Moses, the author of the “Zürcher Semak” (an acronym for “Sefer Mizvot Katan” or “Little Book of Commandments”). He ran a small Torah school, presumably in the medieval synagogue located nearby at Froschaugasse 4. Sources show that the entire family was engaged in money lending.

Around the same time that the murals were created, one of the most famous manuscripts of the Middle Ages, the “Codex Manesse,” was produced in Zurich. The anthology contains love songs by important minnesingers, or minstrels, from the 13th century. In certain respects, the murals in the Brunngasse and the illustrations in the codex bear a striking resemblance. It is possible that they were created by the same artists.

Structure of the murals

The walls of the hall were once completely covered in images. The murals can be divided into four areas, with a frieze containing foliage at the top followed by a frieze depicting coats of arms. Each coat of arms is adorned with fine Hebrew lettering. The areas below are what draw the viewer’s gaze. The east wall depicts peasants and noblewomen engaged in a circular dance while, on the west wall, a couple is shown hunting with a falcon. The southern wall may possibly show the biblical figure of Esau. The last area features a trompe-l’œil painting of hanging fabric.

Two ways of interpreting the murals

The murals depict popular motifs from courtly culture, which were appreciated both by wealthy citizens of Zurich and by the Jewish family, since they provided a topic of conversation. Jewish viewers may have understood the contrast between dancing noblewomen and peasants, as well as the dangers of falconry, as a warning not to be too seduced by the world and its fashions.

Zurich’s first Jewish community was established in the mid-13th century. The church’s prohibition on Christians charging interest together with occupational bans meant that Jews wanting to settle in Zurich were required by the city council to lend money. The conditions for this business – the high interest rates, for example – were set by the Christian authorities.

Back then, most of the members of the Jewish community lived near the synagogue in Froschaugasse. Yet it was not a Jewish quarter, but a neighborhood in which Jews and Christians lived side by side. In 1349, there were outbreaks of anti-Jewish violence in many European cities. After the bubonic plague reached Europe, the Jewish population was blamed for the disease. This also happened in Zurich. On February 23, 1349, the men from the first Jewish community were burned to death, while the women and children were expelled from the city. The plague probably served as a pretext allowing debtors to avoid repaying the money they owed. Jewish property was confiscated by the city authorities. Frau Minne’s house was acquired by the Order of St. John. Today, the building belongs to the City of Zurich.