Trotte (Münchenstein)
Encyclopedia
The Trotte lies in the village centre of Münchenstein
Münchenstein
Münchenstein is a municipality in the district of Arlesheim in the canton of Basel-Landschaft in Switzerland.-Historical records:Münchenstein is first mentioned in 1196 as Kekingen. In 1270 it was mentioned as Geckingen and in 1279 as Munchenstein.* 1259: The hamlet and the mill, between "Neue...

, in the canton
Cantons of Switzerland
The 26 cantons of Switzerland are the member states of the federal state of Switzerland. Each canton was a fully sovereign state with its own borders, army and currency from the Treaty of Westphalia until the establishment of the Swiss federal state in 1848...

 of Basel-Country
Basel-Country
Basel-Landschaft , is one of the 26 cantons of Switzerland. The capital is Liestal...

 in Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....

.

The German word Trotte means wine press
Wine press
A wine press is a device used to extract juice from crushed grapes during wine making. There are a number of different styles of presses that are used by wine makers but their overall functionality is the same. Each style of press exerts controlled pressure in order to free the juice from the fruit...

.

Location

The ruins of Münchenstein Castle
Münchenstein Castle
Münchenstein Castle is a landmark above the village centre of Münchenstein, in the canton of Basel-Country in Switzerland. The ruins of the castle can still be visited and viewed, but are under private ownership.-Location:...

 are situated on a long, but narrow rock above the urban centre of Münchenstein. The oldest residential buildings, that form the village centre are strung in a row along the foot of the castle rock. This pattern is interrupted by the inclination of the Trotte, which is situated directly below the castle ruins.

History

Up until the foundation and the erection of the Castle (Schloss), the small residential colony had only a few houses and the village was named Geckingen. The first historical records in written form was in 1196 and the colony was named as Kekingen.

Around the year 1260 the up-rising cavalier family Münch
Münch (family lineage)
The history of the dynasty of the family Münch unfolded within a period of about three hundred years, between 1200 and 1500 AD. During this time the Münchs were one of the most influential family lineages in Basel.- Official seal of genital :...

 acquired the village on the hills adjacent to the river Birs
Birs
The Birs is a 73-km long river in Switzerland that flows through the Jura region and ends as a tributary to the Rhine between Basel and Birsfelden.- Picture gallery :...

 and established their estate there. After the year 1279 the village Geckingen was called Münchenstein. The cavalier family Münch named themselves henceforth Münch von Münchenstein. During 1470 Konrad Münch von Münchenstein had to sell the deeds to the city of Basel
Basel
Basel or Basle In the national languages of Switzerland the city is also known as Bâle , Basilea and Basilea is Switzerland's third most populous city with about 166,000 inhabitants. Located where the Swiss, French and German borders meet, Basel also has suburbs in France and Germany...

. The Trotte served the farmers as wine press and here within the building the tax "Weinzehnt" was taped (every tenth measure was retained as charge/tax).

As the governance/sovereignty of Münchenstein was transferred to authorities of the city, the Zehntentrotte was rebuilt. During 1560 it was totally reconstructed and expanded.

During the first half of the 19th century the building was refurbished into its modern day status. Its interior was rebuilt, the wine press rooms were replaced by a large modern hall with oak pillars, a wooden ceiling and historical wall paintings.

Wall Paintings

Das alte Schloss zu Münchenstein (The old Castle to Münchenstein): During the year 1334 the castle was completed and was at its largest. A few years later, the castle was damaged by the Basel earthquake
1356 Basel earthquake
The Basel earthquake of 18 October 1356 is the most significant seismological event to have occurred in Central Europe in recorded history and may have had a Mw magnitude as strong as 7.1....

 on the 18th October 1356, but soon restored to its original condition.

Ritter Münch mit seinen knappen (Cavalier Münchs tight money policy): Anno 1300: Oh how marvellous the cavaliers Münch, with their tight money policy, could live in Münchenstein, they would drink the best wines and need not fork out for them.

Heute baden wir im Rosen – da friss eine der Rosen (today we bathe in Roses – here eat one of the Roses): Burkhard VII. Münch
Burkhard VII. Münch
Burkhard VII. Münch was a knight and life peer, a renowned late member of the Landskron branch of the Münch family. He achieved sad reputation after the Battle of St. Jakob an der Birs....

 achieved sad reputation after the Battle of St. Jakob an der Birs
Battle of St. Jakob an der Birs
The Battle of St. Jakob an der Birs was fought between the Old Swiss Confederacy and French mercenaries , on the banks of the river Birs...

 in 1444. According to the legend, after the battle where he acted as negotiator and translator for the Armagnacs
Armagnac (party)
The Armagnac party was prominent in French politics and warfare during the Hundred Years' War. It was allied with the supporters of Charles, Duke of Orléans against John the Fearless after Charles' father Louis of Orléans was killed at the orders of the Duke of Burgundy in 1407...

, he rode his horse across the battlefield to witness the dead and the wounded. As he raised the visor of his helmet he uttered a sentence that was to become famous: "Ich siche in ein rossegarten, den min fordren geret hand vor hunderd jar". This ostentation and the arrogant phrase provoked one of the wounded Swiss pikemen to sling a stone into the open visor. The pikeman made the equally famous commentary "Here eat one to the roses".
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