Stein am Rhein is a
municipality in the canton of Schaffhausen in Switzerland. The town has a
well-preserved medieval centre, retaining the ancient street plan. The site of
the city wall, and the city gates are preserved, though the former city wall
now consists of houses. The medieval part of the town has been pedestrianised
and many of the medieval buildings are painted with beautiful frescoes.
In or around 1007 Emperor
Henry II moved St George's Abbey from its former location on the Hohentwiel in
Singen to Stein am Rhein, at that time little more than a small fishing village
on the Rhine. This was in order to strengthen his presence at this strategic
point where major road and river routes intersected. He gave the abbots
extensive rights over Stein and its trade so that they could develop it
commercially. In this they were very successful, and Stein am Rhein rapidly
became a flourishing and prosperous town.
Stein am Rhein has an
area, as of 2006, of 5.8 km2
(2.2 sq mi). Of this area, 29.9% is used for
agricultural purposes, while 42.4% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 22% is
settled (buildings or roads) and the remainder (5.7%) is non-productive (rivers
or lakes). The population is about 3,200.
Coat of arms
The coat of arms of Stein
am Rhein depicts St George killing a dragon. St George is obviously a reference
to the Abbey. This coat of arms bears
similarity to the Coat of arms of Moscow.
This postcard shows the
medieval town and the River Rhine. This
was sent by mapson who had included coins on the cover. The postcard appears to be posted in Germany.
(15 April 2014 - Postcrossing)
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