Claimed to be Zurich's oldest church, the Fraumünster Abbey and extensive lands were founded in 853 by Louis the German for his daughter Hildegard and placed under his direct authority.
The abbess of Fraumunster became even more powerful in 1045 when the Abbey was given rights that effectively gave it control of the city. But this power slowly reduced in the 14th century and the Abbey completely dissolved in 1524 under reformist Zwingli.
In a state of disrepair, the monastery buildings were razed in 1898 to make way for a new Stadthaus, with the church itself becoming a 'simple' parish church.