A Building with a story
Opened in 1898 as Zurich’s main post office, the Fraumünsterpost quickly became a central hub for mail and telegraph services. In the 1920s, it was part of Zurich’s pioneering pneumatic post (Rohrpost) network, which used underground tubes to rapidly send telegrams and express letters between key city locations like the main telegraph office, the main station, and the banks along Bahnhofstrasse.
Pneumatic tube transport (PTT)
In 1926, Zurich’s pneumatic post began operating from the Fraumünsterpost, making it the second Swiss city (after Lausanne) to have such a system. The network revolutionized communication by quickly distributing messages across town via pressurized tubes, though it eventually became obsolete due to newer technologies. The building remains a historic reminder of this innovative era.
The Great Post Robbery
One of the most dramatic episodes in the building’s history is the legendary post robbery, where thieves made off with 53 million Swiss Francs in one of Zurich’s most famous criminal cases. After a massive manhunt, all involved were eventually arrested, the last in Miami in 1998. This event is etched in local lore as the „Postraub des Jahrhunderts” (post robbery of the century).
Built
1898
Architect
Johann Emil Schmid-Kerez
Zurich’s Main Post Office until
1930
