Neuamt

Neuamt was a bailiwick of the city-state of Zürich within the Old Swiss Confederacy, existing from 1442 to 1798. It comprised a strip of land west of the Glatt River, stretching from Oberglatt to the river’s confluence with the Rhine, with a width of around five kilometers.

History

The Neuamt was established in 1442 following its separation from the County of Kyburg and became an administrative district of Zürich. The local legal code, derived from the "Offnung" of the Neerach manor, which served as a local court for the church tenants in the area, was expanded into the official law of the bailiwick. From the mid-16th century, the bailiwick court met regularly in Niederglatt, where homage was also received. It consisted of a deputy bailiff, two court officers, and twelve judges. After 1600, most disputes were initially decided by the two senior bailiffs residing in Zürich, where the bailiwick’s chancery was also located from the early 17th century.
By the late 15th century, Neuamt had a population of roughly 950 inhabitants, which grew to around 5,500 by 1689 before declining slightly to 4,300 by 1790. The bailiwick maintained its own treasury, which contained over 33,000 gulden by 1798. Following the dissolution of the bailiwick that year, the funds were divided among the municipalities. While local jurisdictions existed across the region in the 15th century, by the 17th century only the village of Weiach retained a distinct episcopal jurisdiction under the Diocese of Constance.
Neerach, one of the villages within the Neuamt, came under Zürich’s rule in 1442 and remained part of the bailiwick until its dissolution in 1798. The characteristic crescent of the Neuamt’s coat of arms, which is also found in the municipal coats of arms of Neerach and other villages, serves as a reminder of the bailiwick’s historical identity.