Grüningen is a town and municipality in the district of Hinwil in the canton of Zürich in Switzerland, notable for its well-preserved historic nucleus.
History
Grüningen is first mentioned in 1243 as apud Gruningin. The village of Itzikon was first mentioned in 837 as in Izinheimo and Binzikon was mentioned in 854 as in willa Pinuzzinhovun.
In the Strangenholz area of the municipality, burial mounds from a Hallstatt era population have been found. The Alamannic settlement dates to c. the 8th century, based on 9th-century records of Itzikon and Binzikon.
Grüningen castle was built from the early 13th century, most likely by the counts of Rapperswil, who acted as reeves for Einsiedeln Abbey. Grüningen is recorded as a possession of Einsiedeln during 1217–1222. Around 1230, Grüningen passed from Einsiedeln to the Abbey of Saint Gall and was at first given as a fief to the counts of Kyburg, and in 1253 to Lütold VI, head of the baronial Regensberg family. The small settlement that had grown up around the castle was developed into a medieval city, with fortifications and market rights, around the mid 13th century, likely under Lütold VI. In 1269, Lütold was forced to cede the fief back to St. Gallen, as he was in financial difficulties following his feuds with both the city of Zürich and with count Rudolf von Habsburg The abbey pawned the fief to Walter von Elgg in 1273, but it was acquired by Rudolf von Habsburg, now elected King Rudolf I of Germany, in the following year.
Grüningen held city rights since before 1370 (first record of the city seal and coat of arms), as one of four localities in the canton of Zürich which held city rights before the end of the medieval period, the other three being Zürich itself (1218), Winterthur (1264) and Elgg (1371). The town remained in Habsburg possession throughout the 14th century, administered by the counts of Toggenburg from 1314, and by Heinrich Gessler of Meienberg from 1374. Gessler improved the castle fortifications against the threat of the Swiss Confederacy in the years leading up to the Sempach War, and Grüningen was raided several times by Zürich during the 1370s to 1380s.
Heinrich Gessler died in 1403 and was succeeded by his son Hermann, who was finally forced to cede Grüningen to Zürich. Heinrich Hagnauer was elected reeve in 1416. Hagnauer implemented a strict regime, creating resentment towards the new lords. Frederick IV of Habsburg was upset over the loss of the territory, and made several attempts to regain Grüningen from Zürich, but ultimately without success.
In 1440, Grüningen bailiwick was invaded by the forces of Schwyz and Glarus in the course of the Old Zürich War. A force of 1,000 laid siege to the town and castle, which were defended by Jakob Murer and a garrison of 40 men. The defenders surrendered on 10 November 1440, three weeks before Zürich was forced to sign the unfavourable peace of Lucerne, on 1 December 1440. Frederick V of Habsburg and III of Germany at this time requested the return of Grüningen to Habsburg, but the intercession of Bern, in the so-called Berner Spruch of 17 March 1441, prevented the loss of Grüningen (which would have left a Habsburg-owned enclave within the Swiss Confederacy after the re-admission of Zürich in 1450). With the renewed hostilities of 1443, Grüningen was besieged again, during 11 to 16 July, and the garrison surrendered once again. The attackers killed Zürich reeve Peter Kilchmann in spite of having offered safe conduct. The rest of the garrison retreated to Zürich, where they were imprisoned and fined for cowardice. With Grüningen in Swiss hands, the territory of Grüningen bailiwick was harried by Swiss troops led by Ital Reding. These laid siege to Greifensee in Mai 1444, where the entire garrison was killed upon surrendering. With the peace of 24 August 1450, Grüningen was returned to Zürich, and would remained a bailiwick (Landvogtei) administrated by Zürich reeves until the French invasion of 1798.
Conrad Grebel (c. 1498–1526), co-founder of the Swiss Brethren movement, was likely a native of Grüningen.