An oasis in the middle of the city: with the island of Schütt, Nuremberg has its own river island, on which there are several idyllic places in addition to the Heilig-Geist-Spitals. The island, which was created by damming the north and south branches of the Peignitz, was first mentioned in 1376. The term “Schütt” stands for alluvial or heaped-up soil. During the Middle Ages, the island was used as a place for public amusements, shooting exercises, military parades, state courts, demonstrations and rallies. Nowadays, the island is divided into the “Big Island of Schütt”, the “Front Island”, the “Back Island” and the “Small Island of Schütt”. Today, the popular Old Town Festival takes place every year on the “Vordere Insel Schütt”.
