In my planning for my upcoming trip to Switzerland, I found the the Swiss Rail runs trains to Mettmenstetten and return to Zurich every 30 minuets, and the trip only takes about 20 minuets! I happened on a sports team from Mettmenstetten on the Internet and sent email to them, Martin Sykora was kind enough to answer my tourist questions. I have made this page for the other descendants of Lydia Ann (Funk) Richardson or any of the descendants of Jacob Funk (c1575 - c1640) who may wish to visit the hometown of the Funk family... After my trip, I added the postcard and map.

Donald: Is Ober Mettmenstetten now part of  Mettmenstetten?

Martin: Obermettmenstetten now belongs to Mettmenstetten (for hundreds of years already!).

Donald: I need to know the way from the train station to the older part of town. Is there an old "Reform Church" built in the 1600s in Mettmenstetten?

Martin: The way to the older part of the town is very simple, although there is no newer town like you might imagine.  Mettmenstetten is still a very small town (3500 inhabitants) without big houses or skyscrapers. There's one road that mounts from the station to Obermettmenstetten (funny name, huh?). Follow this road and after 5 minutes you'll see a  crossroad - the Rösslichrüzig -  and our reform church, built in the 17th century. Now go straight on on the mounting road and after 10 more minutes you'll come to the older part of our town.

Donald: How do you pronounce this in German? If "Bitte" is pronounced "BIT-teh", how would "Mettmenstetten"  be accented?

Martin: Obermettmenstetten is pronounced as it is spelled. Like Oh-bare-mettmenshtetten. But locals just say Mettmi (Mett-meeh).

Donald:  So what does it (Mettmenstetten) mean? I have been hard at work with my "high" German dictionary and I can't figure out the meaning of Mettmenstetten. The "Ober" I have!

Martin: Meaning of Mettmenstetten: It's impossible to figure out what it means for a non-german-speaking man. When the  name first appeared in history it was in the year 998. It was then spelled Metmonsteten, within 30 years it changed to  Metemunstat. It's not clear where the name came from, but some say it was a mixture between Latin and Old-German and meant "in the middle of the cities", which were Luzern and Zurich. Others say that it's called after a Settler called Metamon or Metemun, -stetten means "some farm houses" in old-german.

Donald:  I found the town "Germeinden"  (Coat of Arms) is a double unicorn which you use part of in your team logo.

Martin: The unicorns in the badge come from a former owner of our town, the Knights of Hünenberg, who had these unicorns in their family badge.

Donald:  Is the town's history printed someplace, auf English or auf Deutsch?

Martin: A short version of the story of our town is on the website of our team. You'll find it here (it's in German, sorry!):
http://www.geocities.com/Colosseum/Field/5644/MettmiGeschichte.html (click here). [In addition, Dr.med. J.Bänninger sent "At http://www.maettmi.ch/mthome.html you will find more information about Mettmenstetten and the church." ( click here ) this is also in German].

Donald: Is there a "Stadtplan" (city map) for Mettmenstetten? Do they sell stuff with the Mettmenstetten Coat of Arms on it in town? If so, any place on the way to Ober Mettmenstetten?
 

Martin: Unfortunately, you won't find any souvenirs of Mettmenstetten in our town, since tourists don't come here very  often. If you want to know what kind of things they sell, check the office of our community which is located next to the church. There you'll find a Stadtplan, too.

Donald: Did you see my question about the best way from the Zurich Airport to Mettmenstetten? My hotel is nearer the airport, so is it best to go from the airport to Zurich then to Mettmenstetten?

Martin:  There's nothing easier than travelling around in Switzerland. We are the country with the best trainnet on earth. You don't have to care about timetables. You'll never have to wait for a long time. From the airport to Zurich there's a train every ten minutes. From Zurich HB (main station) to Mettmenstetten you have one every half hour. It leaves at XX.04 and XX.34 on track 22 or 23. Don't forget to buy a ticket or else it will cost you 50 Sfr!