Appenzell

Title

Appenzell

Map shows the city of Appenzell.

ca. 1550

Artist

Münster (1489-1552)

Sebastian Münster (1489–1552) was a leading Renaissance cosmographer. His most famous work, the Cosmographia (1544), was a comprehensive description of the world with 24 maps, based on research dating back to 1528. Continuously revised, the 1550 edition already included many new maps. It was the first scientific yet accessible world description published in German, illustrated with numerous woodcuts by artists such as Hans Holbein the Younger. Between 1544 and 1650, the Cosmographia appeared in 46 editions (27 in German) and was translated into several languages. Münster’s work combined the knowledge of scholars, artists, and travelers and remained influential long after his death.

Historical Description

The place name is a compound of Old High German abbat "abbot" and Old High German zëlla "cell, chapel; storehouse, collection point for levies, economic yard" and thus means "economic yard of the monastery of St. Gallen. The townscape of Appenzell is characterized by the buildings from the time after the fire of 1560. Partly colorfully painted wooden houses with curved or broken gables give it its special character, which is most originally conveyed by the rows of houses in the main street. The townscape of Appenzell is characterized by the buildings from the time after the fire of 1560. Partly colorfully painted wooden houses with curved or broken gables give it its special character, which is most originally conveyed by the rows of houses in the Hauptgasse.