Hemmental

Hemmental was a municipality in the canton of Schaffhausen in Switzerland. In 2009 Hemmental merged with Schaffhausen.Hemmental was roughly 4.5km outside of the city limits of Schaffhausen and 7km away from the Schaffhausen train station.First SettlementIt is generally accepted that Hemmental was settled between the 7th and 8th centuries by the Alemans. Local tradition states that the village was named after a Germanic priest probably named Hemo. According to the records of Burkhard of Nellenburg, in 1090 Hemo gave Hemmental, together with Buesingen and Berslingen, to the Abbey of Allerheiligen in Schaffhausen. About 30 families may have lived at that time in Hemmental.Leu, Schlatter, Hatt and Mettler familiesIn the year 1483, the name "Schlatter" first appears in Hemmental, followed by those of "Mettler", "Hatt" and "Leu". These families dominated in the area. Today, there are also the four place names, Schlatter, Leuen, Hatten and Mettlerhof reflecting this influence. Three of these family names still prevail in Hemmental; the name Mettler no longer being found here. It is these four names which, in 1951, led to the resolution that a new village coat of arms be introduced - four golden stars on blue and red shield. The blazon of the municipal coat of arms is Per saltire Gules and Azure in each a Mullet Or.GeographyHemmental had an area, of 10.9km2. Of this area, 26.6% is used for agricultural purposes, while 70.3% is forested. The rest of the land, (3%) is settled. It is a farming village at the foot of the Randen range.