Old Swiss Confederacy
43-503: Sempacherlied is the title of a number of patriotic songs celebrating the Swiss victory at the Battle of Sempach (1386). The oldest versions are recorded in the late 15th to early 16th century, e.g. by Melchior Russ (1488), by Wernher Schodeler (1515) and by Aegidius Tschudi (1536). A version composed by one Hensli Halbsuter in the late 15th century, comprising a total of 63 verses,
86-528: 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
129-531: 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
172-432: 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
215-589: A single individual. 267 or about 8.1% are large households, with at least five members. As of 2000 there were 1,063 inhabited buildings in the municipality, of which 788 were built only as housing, and 275 were mixed use buildings. There were 418 single family homes, 120 double family homes, and 250 multi-family homes in the municipality. Most homes were either two (317) or three (288) story structures. There were only 33 single story buildings and 150 four or more story buildings. Sursee has an unemployment rate of 2.37%. As of 2005 , there were 104 people employed in
258-437: Is 1,014 people or 11.7% are 65–79 years old, 304 or 3.5% are 80–89 years old and 43 people or 0.5% of the population are 90+ years old. In Sursee about 68.3% of the population (between age 25–64) have completed either non-mandatory upper secondary education or additional higher education (either university or a Fachhochschule ). As of 2000 there are 3,288 households, of which 1,135 households (or about 34.5%) contain only
301-521: Is covered with buildings, 9.23% is industrial, 0.51% is classed as special developments, 3.76% is parks or greenbelts and 15.21% is transportation infrastructure. Sursee has a population (as of 31 December 2020) of 10,361. As of 2007 , 16.9% of the population was made up of foreign nationals. Over the last 10 years the population has grown at a rate of 6.7%. Most of the population (as of 2000 ) speaks German (86.9%), with Albanian being second most common ( 2.8%) and Serbo-Croatian being third ( 2.8%). In
344-524: 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
387-747: Is located at the northern end of Lake Sempach , not far from where the Sure (or Suhre ) stream exits the lake ("See"), hence the name "Sursee". The shores of Lake Sempach have been inhabited since the Neolithic. Sursee municipality is home to the Halbinsel prehistoric pile-dwelling (or stilt house) settlement that is part of the Prehistoric Pile dwellings around the Alps UNESCO World Heritage Site . Halbinsel
430-416: Is used for agricultural purposes, while 21.8% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 46.8% is settled (buildings or roads) and the remainder (0.7%) is non-productive (rivers, glaciers or mountains). In the 1997 land survey , 21.88% of the total land area was forested. Of the agricultural land, 28.72% is used for farming or pastures, while 2.05% is used for orchards or vine crops. Of the settled areas, 17.95%
473-450: The Dukes of Austria in 1299. Sursee was conquered by Lucerne in 1415, and managed to retain its city rights under the new lordship. In the later 19th century, the furnace-factory Ofenfabrik Sursee grew to be the largest employer. By 1950, Sursee was affected by uncontrolled growth and today faces the problems of many agglomeration cities. But during the 1990s, authorities tried to guide
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#1732779908713516-624: 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
559-469: 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,
602-417: The primary economic sector and about 10 businesses involved in this sector. 1990 people are employed in the secondary sector and there are 110 businesses in this sector. 7404 people are employed in the tertiary sector , with 534 businesses in this sector. As of 2000 55.5% of the population of the municipality were employed in some capacity. At the same time, females made up 46.4% of the workforce. In
645-456: 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
688-511: The 2000 census the religious membership of Sursee was; 6,004 (74.5%) were Roman Catholic, and 791 (9.8%) were Protestant, with an additional 269 (3.34%) that were of some other Christian faith. There are 2 individuals (0.02% of the population) who are Jewish. There are 381 individuals (4.73% of the population) who are Muslim. Of the rest; there were 89 (1.1%) individuals who belong to another religion (not listed), 299 (3.71%) who do not belong to any organized religion, 224 (2.78%) who did not answer
731-658: The 2007 election the most popular party was the CVP which received 30.8% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the FDP (23.9%), the SVP (19.7%) and the SPS (12.4%). The age distribution in Sursee is; 1,753 people or 20.2% of the population is 0–19 years old. 2,712 people or 31.2% are 20–39 years old, and 2,862 people or 32.9% are 40–64 years old. The senior population distribution
774-490: 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
817-588: 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
860-411: 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
903-443: 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
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#1732779908713946-550: 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
989-585: 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
1032-425: 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
1075-428: 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
1118-460: The excavation. The Gammainseli site has been known since the 19th century, and was explored by divers in 2005, who found Late Bronze Age potsherds , animal bones and a few bronze items. Some neolithic flints were also found, but no trace of a settlement has been discovered. In the Roman era, there was a vicus just to the west of the town. In the 8th century, a wooden church was built around which
1161-509: The growth in a more controlled, higher quality direction. In 2003, the Wakker Prize was awarded to Sursee for the development and preservation of its architectural heritage. Sursee was awarded the prize for their efforts to control and direct the formerly uncontrolled expansion while avoiding turning the historic old city into a museum or an empty show piece. Sursee has an area of 5.9 km (2.3 sq mi). Of this area, 30.7%
1204-436: 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
1247-401: 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
1290-423: 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 Sursee Sursee is a municipality in the district of Sursee in the canton of Lucerne , Switzerland . Sursee
1333-659: 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
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1376-511: 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
1419-435: 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
1462-450: 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
1505-457: 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
1548-474: 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
1591-424: The village gradually developed. The wooden church was replaced by stonework in c. 800, again rebuilt in c. 1000. An Alamannic cemetery and the remains of another early medieval church were excavated to the north-east of the town. The first mention as Surse dates to 1036, as Ulrich I of Lenzburg gave the village to Beromünster abbey. The village grew into a small town in the 13th century, granted city rights by
1634-544: 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
1677-473: 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
1720-523: 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
1763-573: 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 the Old Swiss Confederacy collided with Austrian interests. The interests of Austria were further undermined in
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1806-427: Was printed in 1599 (incipit Im 1386 iar ). The modern song (incipit Lasst hören aus alter Zeit ) was written ca. 1836 by Heinrich Bosshard (1811-1877), set to music by Ulrich Wehrli (1794-1839), in the context of the period of Regeneration , formative of the Swiss national identity which resulted in the foundation of Switzerland as a federal state in 1848. Battle of Sempach The Battle of Sempach
1849-607: Was settled a number of times during the Neolithic and Bronze Age . At Zellmoos in the Halbinsel site, the bottom layer is from the Cortaillod culture while there are several Late Bronze Age layers above it. There are three Late Bronze Age layers at Gammainseli. The Zellmoos sites were discovered in 1806 and excavated in 1902, 1941, 1991 and 2005. The Bronze Age sites featured several houses with clay floors. A number of ceramic, bronze, bone, stone and flint items were found in
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