Sempach is a municipality in the district of Sursee in the canton of Lucerne in Switzerland .
44-515: It has retained some traces of its medieval appearance, especially the main gateway, beneath a watch tower, and reached by a bridge over the old moat. About half an hour distant to the north-east, on the hillside, is the site of the famous Battle of Sempach (9 July 1386), in which the Swiss defeated the Austrians, whose leader, Duke Leopold , lost his life. The legendary deed of Arnold of Winkelried
88-528: A full century after the battle. The earliest evidence of the Winkelried legend is the depiction of the battle in the Lucerne Chronicle of 1513. As was the custom and a matter of honour in such a battle, each canton had one of their comrades carry their municipal flag in the lead. One such recorded was Rudolf Hön (today's spelling, Höhn, English, Hoehn), who represented Arth , a municipality in
132-531: A huge pile of these shoe-tips was found after the battle, and they are also depicted in the background of the battle scene in the Lucerne Chronicle of 1513. The main body of the Confederation army finally completed its deployment from the marching column, formed up, and aggressively attacked the knights from the flank. The Austrian force, however, formed a wide rank and threatened to surround
176-432: A large number of nobles and knights, were slain, including several members of the noble families of Aarberg , Baldegg , Bechburg , Büttikon , Eptingen , Falkenstein , Hallwil , Reinach , Rotberg and Wetter . Another prominent casualty was Otto I, Margrave of Baden-Hachberg . An armistice was agreed upon on 12 October, followed by a peace agreement valid for one year, beginning on 14 January 1387. The battle
220-495: Is associated with this victory. The spot is now marked by an ancient and picturesque Battle Chapel (restored in 1886) and by a modern monument to Winkelried. A few years later, in 1393, the so-called Sempacherbrief was signed between the Acht Orte (the original eight Swiss cantons), plus the associated Canton of Solothurn . It was the first document signed by all eight (plus Solothurn), but it also defined that none of them
264-427: Is given in the following chart: As of 2013, there were a total of 1,878 people employed in the municipality. Of these, a total of 137 people worked in 32 businesses in the primary economic sector . The secondary sector employed 650 workers in 55 separate businesses. Finally, the tertiary sector provided 1,091 jobs in 238 businesses. In 2014 a total of 5.8% of the population received social assistance. In
308-524: Is largely a restoration of the painting of 1643. Swiss patriotism in the restored Confederacy of 1815–1847 rediscovered the formative phase of the Old Confederacy as a source of national identity. The modern Sempacherlied is a product of 1830s patriotism. During the World Wars , the Swiss policy of armed neutrality was also ideologically fueled by reference to the military successes of
352-451: Is precipitation for an average of 13.2 days. The month with the most days of precipitation is May, with an average of 13.6, but with only 115 mm (4.5 in) of precipitation. The driest month of the year is October with an average of 66 mm (2.6 in) of precipitation over 13.2 days. Battle of Sempach Old Swiss Confederacy The Battle of Sempach was fought on 9 July 1386, between Leopold III, Duke of Austria and
396-453: Is used for orchards or vine crops. Of the settled areas, 6.37% is covered with buildings, 0.89% is industrial, 0.22% is classed as special developments, 1.23% is parks or greenbelts and 7.6% is transportation infrastructure. Of the unproductive areas, 0.34% is unproductive standing water (ponds or lakes), and 0.11% is other unproductive land. It is built above the eastern shore of Lake Sempach , and about 2 miles (3.2 km) by road north of
440-779: The 2015 federal election the most popular party was the CVP with 30.6% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the SVP (20.9%), the FDP (20.5%) and the SP (11.3%). In the federal election, a total of 1,800 votes were cast, and the voter turnout was 60.7%. In 2014 the crime rate, of the over 200 crimes listed in the Swiss Criminal Code (running from murder, robbery and assault to accepting bribes and election fraud), in Sempach
484-576: The Old Swiss Confederacy . The battle was a decisive Swiss victory in which Duke Leopold and numerous Austrian nobles died. The victory helped turn the loosely allied Swiss Confederation into a more unified nation and is seen as a turning point in the growth of Switzerland. During 1383 and 1384, the expansion of the Old Swiss Confederacy collided with Austrian interests. The interests of Austria were further undermined in
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#1732787903375528-624: The Pact of Constance , a union of Zürich , Zug , Solothurn and 51 cities of Swabia. In 1385, there were various attacks, without formal declaration of war or central organization, by forces of Zürich, Zug and Lucerne on the Austrian strongholds of Rapperswil , Rothenburg , Cham and Wolhusen . In 1384 the people of Entlebuch receive the Lucerne citizenry and on Epiphany , on 6 January 1386, Lucerne expanded its sphere of influence by providing
572-469: The foundation of the confederacy as a loose pact in the 14th century, and its growth into a significant political and military power during the 15th century. A culture of remembrance formed from the city of Lucerne whose Grand Council ordered in the 1380–1390s to remember the 9 July and that annually for bread to the poor and praise to God and Virgin Mary should be provided with. In the following two decades,
616-456: The 16th century has attributed the turning of the tide to the heroic deed of Arnold von Winkelried , who opened a breach in the Habsburg lines by throwing himself into their pikes, taking them down with his body so that the confederates could attack through the opening. Winkelried is usually shown as a legendary figure introduced to explain the Swiss victory against the odds, perhaps as late as
660-444: The 635 inhabited buildings in the municipality, in 2000, about 58.0% were single family homes and 18.3% were multiple family buildings. Additionally, about 14.0% of the buildings were built before 1919, while 21.4% were built between 1991 and 2000. In 2013 the rate of construction of new housing units per 1000 residents was 5.78. The vacancy rate for the municipality, in 2015, was 0.64%. As of 2000 there were 615 inhabited buildings in
704-421: The Sempach railway station (9 miles (14 km) N.W. of Lucerne ) on the main line between Lucerne and Olten . Steinibühlweiher is located above the town. Sempach has a population (as of December 2020) of 4,234. As of 2014, 7.9% of the population are resident foreign nationals. Over the last 4 years (2010–2014) the population has changed at a rate of 3.52%. The birth rate in the municipality, in 2014,
748-490: The battle is marked by the old battle chapel, which was originally consecrated in the year after the battle. The Swiss held the wooded high ground close to the village of Hildisrieden . Since the terrain was not deemed suitable for a cavalry attack, Leopold's knights dismounted, and because they did not have time to prepare for the engagement, they were forced to cut off the tips of their poulaines which would have hindered their movement on foot. The Swiss chroniclers report how
792-588: The battle was lost, the knight hid in a forest, where he was killed. Today, the forest is one of the few places where the Calla is found naturally in Switzerland. A new peace agreement between the confederacy and Austria was concluded on 1 April 1389, valid for seven years, extended to 20 years on 16 July 1394. Not without justification, the Battle of Sempach came to be seen as the decisive turning point between
836-411: The canton of Schwyz. Volunteering to do this meant that he did not carry a weapon, either to defend himself or attack the enemy. Thus, by leading his comrades into battle without a weapon, he diverted the attention of the enemy and sacrificed himself for the intended good of the Confederation. For posterity, and recognition of the actual deed, Hön's name can be seen inscribed twice in the list of fallen on
880-443: The city of Lucerne. The Austrian army had a troop of mowers with them to cut the crops and destroy the harvests along their route. The town of Willisau was plundered and burned, and the army moved on to Sursee on Lake Sempach , and then towards Sempach on 9 July. Leopold's men taunted those behind the walls of the town, and a knight waved a noose at them and promised them he would use it on their leaders. Another mockingly pointed to
924-550: The confederate call for assistance. The Confederation army had presumably assembled at the bridge over the Reuss River at Gisikon . It marched from there, hoping to catch Leopold still at Sempach where he could be pressed against the lake. Around noon, the two armies made contact about 2 km outside of Sempach. This was to the mutual surprise of both armies, which were both on the move and not in battle order. But both sides were willing to engage and formed ranks. The site of
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#1732787903375968-530: The confederate cities, especially Lucerne, Bern and Solothurn , an unchecked expansion into the undefended Habsburg lands. Bern, which had not participated in the Sempach war, took the opportunity and began its conquest of what would become the Canton of Bern , sending military expeditions into the cantons of Jura , the Oberland , Emmental and Aargau . Lucerne, by 1389, was able to consolidate its control over
1012-425: The confederates on the part of the nobility. According to the account by Tschudi, seeing the small strength of the confederate force, the nobles were concerned that if they sent the mercenaries in front, as would have been common practice, they might not see any action at all, as the mercenaries would finish the job on their own. Therefore, they insisted on taking the front ranks. Traditional Swiss historiography since
1056-428: The course of a few weeks, no less than 167 noblemen, both secular and of the church, declared war on the Swiss. These declarations were sent to the Swiss diet in 20 packets, in order to increase the effect of shock. On 24 June, a messenger from Württemberg brought 15 declarations of war. Before all letters had been read, the messenger from Pfirt delivered another eight, and before he had finished speaking, letters from
1100-436: The inner wall of Sempach Battle Chapel (situated next to the battleground). One for being a confederate and the other as a flag bearer. The oldest accounts of the battle are unambiguous in the judgement that the Swiss victory was against all odds and expectations, and is attributed to the grace of God. In any case, the Swiss did break through the Austrian ranks and routed the enemy army completely. Duke Leopold, and with him
1144-401: The lords of Schaffhausen were brought in. Another eight messengers arrived on the following day. The gathering of Austrian forces at Brugg suggested an intended attack on Zürich, and the confederate forces moved to protect that city. But Leopold marched south, to Zofingen and on to Willisau, ostensibly with the intention of ravaging the Lucerne countryside and perhaps, ultimately, aiming for
1188-523: The medieval confederacy. Swiss modernist author Robert Walser (1878–1956) recounts the Battle of Sempach in brief but violent detail in his short story "The Battle of Sempach". 47°08′44″N 8°12′48″E / 47.14556°N 8.21333°E / 47.14556; 8.21333 Primary sector of the economy Too Many Requests If you report this error to the Wikimedia System Administrators, please include
1232-516: The municipality, of which 474 were built only as housing, and 141 were mixed use buildings. There were 358 single family homes, 44 double family homes, and 72 multi-family homes in the municipality. Most homes were either two (248) or three (163) story structures. There were only 16 single story buildings and 47 four or more story buildings. Most of the population (as of 2000) speaks German (93.8%), with Albanian being second most common (2.2%) and Spanish being third (0.7%). The historical population
1276-659: The neighboring towns and districts of Lucerne were still held by the Habsburg dynasty and in them, the Habsburgian fallen were remembered in the churchly mass . Only in 1415 Sempach came under control of Lucern. At the peak of the military success of the Eight Cantons in the period of 1470 to 1510, Swiss historiography paid great attention to the Battle of Sempach. It is depicted in the Swiss illustrated chronicles of
1320-511: The outnumbered confederates. How and at what point the battle turned in favour of the confederates is a matter of debate. It has been suggested that an important factor was the midday heat in July, which wore out the Austrian knights wearing heavy armour, much more than the lightly armed confederates (some of which had reportedly no other "armour" than a wooden plank tied to their left arm as a shield). Another factor may have been an underestimation of
1364-435: The period, and discussed by Reformation era historiographers such as Aegidius Tschudi and Wernher Steiner . Since there are few historiographical accounts of the battle predating 1470, it is difficult to judge the historicity of the individual details. The legend of Arnold Winkelried is recorded in this period, but it cannot be shown to predate 1500. The battle chapel at Sempach was consecrated already in 1387. The chapel
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1408-423: The population (between age 25-64) have completed either non-mandatory upper secondary education or additional higher education (either university or a Fachhochschule ). In the 2000 census the religious membership of Sempach was as follows: 2,678 (76.9%) were Roman Catholic and 485 (13.9%) were Protestant, with an additional 22 (0.63%) that were of some other Christian faith. There were 86 individuals (2.47% of
1452-506: The population) who are Muslim. Of the rest, there were 15 (0.43%) individuals who belonged to another religion (not listed), 123 (3.53%) who did not belong to any organized religion, and 74 (2.12%) who did not answer the question. Sempach has an average of 133.9 days of rain per year and on average receives 1,114 mm (43.9 in) of precipitation . The wettest month is June during which time Sempach receives an average of 148 mm (5.8 in) of precipitation. During this month there
1496-426: The rest of the land, 20.7% is settled (buildings or roads) and 1.3% is unproductive land. Over the past two decades (1979/85-2004/09) the amount of land that is settled has increased by 61 ha (150 acres) and the agricultural land has decreased by 67 ha (170 acres). In the 1997 land survey, 14.53% of the total land area was forested. Of the agricultural land, 63.8% is used for farming or pastures, while 4.92%
1540-450: The same right also to the people of Sempach . Lucerne entered further pacts with a number of towns and valleys under Austrian control, including, Meienberg, Reichensee and Willisau . These moves were the immediate cause of war. On 14 January, Lucerne called on the confederates for assistance. A local Austrian force defeated the confederate garrison at Meienberg on 28 January, killing over one hundred and forty Swiss soldiers. An armistice
1584-457: The soldiers setting fire to the ripe fields of grain, and asked them to send a breakfast to the reapers. From behind the walls, there was a shouted retort: "Lucerne and the allies will bring them breakfast!" Confederate troops of Lucerne, Uri, Schwyz and Unterwalden had marched back from Zürich once it became clear that this was not Leopold's target. The forces of Zürich had remained behind defending their own city, while those of Bern had not heeded
1628-526: The towns around lake Sempach , Willisau and the Entlebuch , largely corresponding to the extent of the modern Canton of Lucerne . Glarus also took the opportunity to rebel against Habsburg control, and established its independence in the Battle of Näfels in 1388. The legend goes that a Bohemian knight received seeds of the flower Calla for his protection when he decided to accompany Duke Leopold. After
1672-499: Was 12.3, while the death rate was 5.0 per thousand residents. As of 2014, children and teenagers (0–19 years old) make up 24.6% of the population, while adults (20–64 years old) are 61.0% and seniors (over 64 years old) make up 14.4%. In 2015 there were 1,896 single residents, 1,904 people who were married or in a civil partnership, 149 widows or widowers and 210 divorced residents. In 2014 there were 1,598 private households in Sempach with an average household size of 2.58persons. Of
1716-417: Was 42.4 per thousand residents. This rate is only 73.5% of the cantonal rate and 65.6% of the average rate in the entire country. During the same period, the rate of drug crimes was 3.1 per thousand residents, which is about one-third the national rate. The rate of violations of immigration, visa and work permit laws was 0.5 per thousand residents, or about 10% of the national rate. In Sempach about 81.3% of
1760-471: Was a severe blow to Austrian interests in the region, and allowed for the establishment of Lucerne as a regional capital and further growth of the Old Swiss Confederacy . Already weakened by the 1379 division of Habsburg lands , Leopoldian control of the territories left of the Rhine would collapse over the following years, not least due to the death toll among the local elites loyal to Habsburg. This allowed
1804-473: Was built by the Habsburgians to remember their fallen and only after the accession of Sempach to Lucerne in 1415, the chapel became known as a place of worship for the Swiss. A yearly mass was celebrated there on the day of the battle. The chapel was repeatedly enlarged. It was decorated with a fresco in 1551, which was restored and enlarged in 1638–1643, 1695, 1741–1743, 1747, and 1886. The current fresco
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1848-523: Was called on 21 February, and negotiations were held in Zürich. Neither side had any real interest in ending the conflict at this point, and as the armistice ended, the dispute escalated into a full-scale military confrontation. Duke Leopold gathered his troops at Brugg , consisting of his feudal vassals from Swabia , the Alsace , and Tyrol , as well as troops from Burgundy , Milan , and even England. In
1892-541: Was in Beromünster that the first dated book was printed (1470) in Switzerland, by care of the canons, while thence came Gering who introduced printing into France. Sempach is the site of the Sempach Bird Observatory . Sempach has an area, (as of the 2004/09 survey) of 8.91 km (3.44 sq mi). Of this area, about 63.9% is used for agricultural purposes, while 14.1% is forested. Of
1936-422: Was to unilaterally start a war without the consent of all the others. Some miles north of Sempach is the quaint village of Beromünster (973 inhabitants in 1900), with a collegiate church founded in the l0th century and dating, in parts, from the 11th and 12th centuries (fine 17th-century choir stalls and altar frontals), the chapter of secular canons now consisting of invalided priests of the canton of Lucerne: it
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