Old Swiss Confederacy
44-485: The Battle of Sempach was fought on 9 July 1386, between Leopold III, Duke of Austria and 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
88-442: A Fachhochschule ). As of 2000 there are 594 households, of which 120 households (or about 20.2%) contain only a single individual. 91 or about 15.3% are large households, with at least five members. As of 2000 there were 387 inhabited buildings in the municipality, of which 317 were built only as housing, and 70 were mixed use buildings. There were 256 single family homes, 39 double family homes, and 22 multi-family homes in
132-416: A Bavarian incursion into Tirol, bringing all of Tirol under Habsburg authority in 1370. In 1372 Leopold broke with his brother over rights, prestige and income that he felt he was owed. On 25 July 1373 the brothers signed a peace treaty which granted Leopold control over Tirol, Further Austria and Carniola while income would be split between the dukes. In 1375 their relative Enguerrand VII de Coucy led
176-501: 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 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
220-641: A mercenary army into Alsace and Switzerland to capture the Habsburg possessions of Sundgau , Breisgau and the county of Ferrette in the Gugler war of 1375 . After Leopold was unable to defeat his cousin, he retreated to Breisach on the Rhine . A coalition of Swiss cities then attacked and drove the Gugler army out of their country and ended the war. By 1375 Leopold had inherited the former Gorizia possessions in
264-460: Is a municipality in the district of Sursee in the canton of Lucerne in Switzerland . Hildisrieden is first mentioned in 1173 as Hiltensrieden . Hildisrieden has an area of 7 km (2.7 sq mi). Of this area, 78% is used for agricultural purposes, while 11.9% is forested. The rest of the land, (10.2%) is settled. In the 1997 land survey , 11.87% of the total land area
308-730: 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 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 Leopold III, Duke of Austria Leopold III (1 November 1351 – 9 July 1386), known as
352-468: 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 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
396-470: The Alsace , and Tyrol , as well as troops from Burgundy , Milan , and even England. In 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,
440-565: 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 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
484-581: 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 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
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#1732788119626528-522: 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 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
572-646: The Treaty of Neuberg , Leopold became the exclusive ruler of Styria (then including Wiener Neustadt ), Carinthia, Carniola, Tyrol and the Further Austrian lands in Swabia . In 1382 he was granted the city of Trieste as part of his payment for defeating Venice. Leopold significantly promoted trade and commerce in the Tyrolean lands, encouraging the development of cities such as Meran . He gained control over
616-577: The Windic March , White Carniola , Friuli and Istria and the city of Feldkirch in Vorarlberg . On 6 August 1376 he was granted the right to make alliances with foreign rulers. In 1377 Albert traveled to Prussia for about five months, leaving Leopold in charge of all the Habsburg lands. During this time, Leopold signed a peace treaty with one of his brother's bitterest rivals, Heinrich von Schaunberg. When on 7 July 1379 he and Albert III signed
660-450: The tertiary sector , with 46 businesses in this sector. As of 2000 53.2% of the population of the municipality were employed in some capacity. At the same time, females made up 40.6% of the workforce. In the 2000 census the religious membership of Hildisrieden was; 1,320 (78.8%) were Roman Catholic, and 182 (10.9%) were Protestant, with an additional 13 (0.78%) that were of some other Christian faith. There are 26 individuals (1.55% of
704-587: 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, 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
748-453: The Austrian "hereditary lands" were again declared a common possession of the brothers, though the eldest received a number of additional rights. After Rudolf's death on 27 July 1365, Albert III and Leopold (their elder brother Friedrich had died in 1362) assumed the rule over the Habsburg lands, with Albert taking the additional rights as eldest. While Albert ruled, Leopold became a general leading Habsburg troops in battle. In 1368 he defeated
792-423: 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 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
836-551: 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 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
880-408: The Confederation. For posterity, and recognition of the actual deed, Hön's name can be seen inscribed twice in the list of fallen on 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
924-593: The Dukes Rudolf IV and Albert III . His mother, Joanna of Pfirt , a daughter of Princess Joanna of Burgundy , was 51 when she gave birth to him and died shortly after. Upon the death of Albert II, his eldest son Rudolf IV, called the Founder, assumed the rule over the Habsburg dominions, despite the regulations on a joint rule left by his father. Nevertheless, on 18 November 1364 he promulgated his own house law ( Rudolfinische Hausordnung ), according to which
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#1732788119626968-774: The Just , a member of the House of Habsburg , was Duke of Austria from 1365. As head and progenitor of the Leopoldian line , he ruled over the Inner Austrian duchies of Carinthia , Styria and Carniola as well as the County of Tyrol and Further Austria from 1379 until his death. Born in Vienna , Leopold was a younger son of Duke Albert II of Austria (thereby a grandson of King Albert I of Germany ), and younger brother of
1012-549: The Old Swiss Confederacy collided with Austrian interests. The interests of Austria were further undermined in 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
1056-523: The city of Basel in 1376 and could also purchase Laufenburg from his Swabian Habsburg cousins ten years later. However, his further attempts to expand his position in Switzerland failed, when he was killed in the Battle of Sempach . Initially buried in Königsfelden Monastery , his mortal remains were transferred firstly to St. Blaise Abbey in a solemn ceremony on 14 November 1770, and finally to Saint Paul's Abbey , Carinthia. He
1100-579: 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 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
1144-560: 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 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 ,
1188-492: 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 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
1232-475: 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 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
1276-458: The intention of ravaging the Lucerne countryside and perhaps, ultimately, aiming for 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
1320-715: The last 10 years the population has grown at a rate of 3.9%. Most of the population (as of 2000 ) speaks German (95.8%), with Albanian being second most common ( 1.3%) and Italian being third ( 0.7%). In the 2007 election the most popular party was the CVP which received 42% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the SVP (25.3%), the FDP (20.3%) and the SPS (5.9%). The age distribution in Hildisrieden is; 426 people or 23.5% of
1364-404: The lead. One such recorded was Rudolf Hön (today's spelling, Höhn, English, Hoehn), who represented Arth , a municipality in 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
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1408-468: 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 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
1452-417: The messenger from Pfirt delivered another eight, and before he had finished speaking, letters from 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
1496-463: The municipality. Most homes were either two (208) or three (69) story structures. There were only 30 single story buildings and 10 four or more story buildings. Hildisrieden has an unemployment rate of 1.46%. As of 2005 , there were 149 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 44 businesses involved in this sector. 95 people are employed in the secondary sector and there are 17 businesses in this sector. 233 people are employed in
1540-413: The people of Entlebuch receive the Lucerne citizenry and on Epiphany , on 6 January 1386, Lucerne expanded its sphere of influence by providing 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
1584-533: The population is 0–19 years old. 440 people or 24.3% are 20–39 years old, and 675 people or 37.3% are 40–64 years old. The senior population distribution is 187 people or 10.3% are 65–79 years old, 71 or 3.9% are 80–89 years old and 13 people or 0.7% of the population are 90+ years old. The entire Swiss population is generally well educated. In Hildisrieden about 83.4% of the population (between age 25-64) have completed either non-mandatory upper secondary education or additional higher education (either university or
1628-463: 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 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
1672-455: The town, and a knight waved a noose at them and promised them he would use it on their leaders. Another mockingly pointed to 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
1716-436: 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 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
1760-447: 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 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
1804-424: Was forested. Of the agricultural land, 71.82% is used for farming or pastures, while 6.15% is used for orchards or vine crops. Of the settled areas, 5.87% is covered with buildings, 0.14% is industrial, 0.43% is parks or greenbelts and 3.72% is transportation infrastructure. Hildisrieden has a population (as of 31 December 2020) of 2,437. As of 2007 , 4.8% of the population was made up of foreign nationals. Over
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1848-559: Was married, on 23 February 1365, to Viridis Visconti (1352–1414), second daughter of Bernabò Visconti , Lord of Milan , and Beatrice Regina della Scala . The marriage produced four sons and three daughters including the following: Leopold was succeeded by his eldest son William who died in 1406. Other sons included Leopold , future Duke of Further Austria, Ernest the Iron , future Duke of Inner Austria, and Frederick , future Duke of Further Austria. Hildisrieden Hildisrieden
1892-514: Was not Leopold's target. The forces of Zürich had remained behind defending their own city, while those of Bern had not heeded 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
1936-399: 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 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
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