Part 1
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The Story of the Nations
THE STORY OF SWITZERLAND
BY
LINA HUG
AND
RICHARD STEAD
NEW YORK G. P. PUTNAM'S SONS London: T. FISHER UNWIN 1890
COPYRIGHT, 1890 BY G. P. PUTNAM'S SONS
_Entered at Stationer's Hall, London_ BY T. FISHER UNWIN
Press of G. P. PUTNAM'S SONS New York
THE STORY OF THE NATIONS
12MO, ILLUSTRATED. PER VOL., $1.50
THE EARLIER VOLUMES ARE
THE STORY OF GREECE. By Prof. JAS. A. HARRISON THE STORY OF ROME. By ARTHUR GILMAN THE STORY OF THE JEWS. By Prof. JAS. K. HOSMER THE STORY OF CHALDEA. By Z. A. RAGOZIN THE STORY OF GERMANY. By S. BARING-GOULD THE STORY OF NORWAY. By Prof. H. H. BOYESEN THE STORY OF SPAIN. By E. E. and SUSAN HALE THE STORY OF HUNGARY. By Prof. A. VÁMBÉRY THE STORY OF CARTHAGE. By Prof. ALFRED J. CHURCH THE STORY OF THE SARACENS. By ARTHUR GILMAN THE STORY OF THE MOORS IN SPAIN. By STANLEY LANE-POOLE THE STORY OF THE NORMANS. By SARAH O. JEWETT THE STORY OF PERSIA. By S. G. W. BENJAMIN THE STORY OF ANCIENT EGYPT. By GEO. RAWLINSON THE STORY OF ALEXANDER'S EMPIRE. By Prof. J. P. MAHAFFY THE STORY OF ASSYRIA. By Z. A. RAGOZIN THE STORY OF IRELAND. By Hon. EMILY LAWLESS THE STORY OF THE GOTHS. By HENRY BRADLEY THE STORY OF TURKEY. BY STANLEY LANE-POOLE THE STORY OF MEDIA, BABYLON, AND PERSIA. BY Z. A. RAGOZIN THE STORY OF MEDIÆVAL FRANCE. By GUSTAVE MASSON THE STORY OF MEXICO. By SUSAN HALE THE STORY OF HOLLAND. By JAMES E. THOROLD ROGERS THE STORY OF PHOENICIA. By GEORGE RAWLINSON THE STORY OF THE HANSA TOWNS. By HELEN ZIMMERN THE STORY OF EARLY BRITAIN. By Prof. ALFRED J. CHURCH THE STORY OF THE BARBARY CORSAIRS. By STANLEY LANE-POOLE THE STORY OF RUSSIA. By W. R. MORFILL. THE STORY OF THE JEWS UNDER ROME. By W. D. MORRISON. THE STORY OF SCOTLAND. By JAMES MACKINTOSH.
For prospectus of the series see end of this volume
G. P. PUTNAM'S SONS, NEW YORK AND LONDON
RESPECTFULLY DEDICATED TO PROFESSOR GEORG VON WYSS AND PROFESSOR G. MEYER VON KNONAU
PREFACE.
For many reasons, some of which are obvious to the least thoughtful, the history of Switzerland is peculiarly interesting, and not least so to English-speaking peoples. In the first place, the "playground of Europe" is every year visited by large numbers of British and Americans, some of whom indeed are familiar with almost every corner of it. Then to the Anglo-Saxon race the grand spectacle of a handful of freemen nobly struggling for and maintaining their freedom, often amidst enormous difficulties, and against appalling odds, cannot but be heart-stirring. To the citizen of the great American republic a study of the constitution of the little European republic should bring both interest and profit--a constitution resembling in many points that of his own country, and yet in many other respects so different. And few readers, of whatever nationality, can, we think, peruse this story without a feeling of admiration for a gallant people who have fought against oppression as the Swiss have fought, who have loved freedom as they have loved it, and who have performed the well-nigh incredible feats of arms the Switzers have performed. And as Sir Francis O. Adams and Mr. Cunningham well point out in their recently published work on the Swiss Confederation, as a study in constitutional history, the value of the story of the development of the Confederation can hardly be over-estimated.
Few of the existing accounts of Swiss history which have appeared in the English language go back beyond the year 1291 A.D., the date of the earliest Swiss League, and of course Switzerland as a nation cannot boast of an earlier origin. But surely some account should be given of the previous history of the men who founded the League. For a country which has been occupied at different periods by lakemen, Helvetians, and Romans; where Alamanni, Burgundians, and Franks have played their parts; where Charlemagne lived and ruled, and Charles the Bold fought; where the great families of the Zaerings, the Kyburgs, and Savoy struggled; and whence the now mighty house of Habsburg sprang (and domineered)--all this before 1291--a country with such a story to tell of its earlier times, we say, should not have that story left untold. Accordingly in this volume the history of the period before the formation of the Confederation has been dwelt upon at some little length. It should be mentioned, too, that in view of the very general interest caused by the remarkable discovery of the Swiss lake settlements a few years ago, a chapter has been devoted to the subject.
Mindful, however, of the superior importance of the formation and progress of the Confederation, an endeavour has been made to trace that progress step by step, showing how men differing in race, in language, in creed, and in mode of life, combined to resist the common enemy, and to build up the compact little state, we now see playing its part on the European stage. The whole teaching of the history of the country may be summed up in Mr. Coolidge's words, in his "History of the Swiss Confederation" (p. 65). "Swiss history teaches us, all the way through, that Swiss liberty has been won by a close union of many small states." And Mr. Coolidge adds an opinion that "it will be best preserved by the same means, and not by obliterating all local peculiarities, nowhere so striking, nowhere so historically important as in Switzerland."
It remains to add a few words as to the authorities consulted by the writers of this little volume. The standard Swiss histories have naturally been largely used, such as those of Dr. Carl Dändliker, Dierauer, Vulliemin, Daguet, Strickler, Vögelin, and Weber ("Universal History"). Amongst other histories and miscellaneous writings--essays, pamphlets, and what not--may be mentioned those of Dr. Ferdinand Keller, Wartmann, Heer, Heierli, Von Arx, Mommsen, Burkhardt, Morel, Marquardt, Dahn, Büdinger, Secretan, Von Wyss, Meyer von Knonau, Schweizer, Finsler, Roget, Bächtold, Marcmonnier, Rambert, Hettner, Scherer, Roquette, Freytag, Pestalozzi, Schulze, and Kern. Amongst the English works consulted are Freeman's writings, the Letters of the Parker Society, Adams and Cunningham's "Swiss Confederation," Coolidge's reprint from the "Encyclopædia Britannica" of the article on the "History of the Swiss Confederation," Bryce's "Holy Roman Empire," &c.
The authors are indebted for most kind and valuable assistance to several eminent Swiss scholars. To Prof. Georg von Wyss and Prof. Meyer von Knonau special thanks are due, whilst Prof. Kesselring, Herr J. Heierli, and others, have shown much helpful interest in the progress of the work. They also owe many thanks to Dr. Imhoof, who has most kindly furnished them with casts from his famous collection of coins; and to the eminent sculptors, Vela and Lanz, who have given permission to use photographs of their latest works for illustration purposes.
ZURICH and FOLKESTONE, _July, 1890_.
CONTENTS.
PAGE
PREFACE ix
TABLE OF CANTONS xiii
TABLE SHOWING NAMES, AREAS, AND POPULATIONS OF CANTONS xxiv
I.
THE LAKE DWELLERS 1-12
Discovery of Lake Settlements--Dr. Ferdinand Keller's explorations--Three distinct epochs--Daily life of the Lakemen--Lake Settlements in East Yorkshire.
II.
THE HELVETIANS 13-28
Extent of their territory--Their government and mode of life--Orgetorix--Divico beats the Roman forces--Cæsar routs Helvetians--Vercingetorix--Valisians--Rhætians.
III.
HELVETIA UNDER THE ROMANS 29-43
Cæsar's mode of dealing with Helvetia--Augustus--Helvetia incorporated into Gaul--Vespasian--Alamanni and Burgundians--Christianity introduced.
IV.
THE ANCESTORS OF THE SWISS NATION 44-57
The Huns and their ravages--Alamanni--Burgundians--"The Nibelungenlied"--The Franks subdue both Alamanni and Burgundians--Irish monks preach in Switzerland.
V.
THE CAROLINGIANS--CHARLEMAGNE 58-70
Pepin le Bref--Charlemagne--His connection with Zurich.
VI.
THE KINGDOM OF BURGUNDY; THE DUCHY OF SWABIA; AND THE GERMAN EMPIRE 71-82
Division of Charlemagne's territory into three--Rudolf the Guelf--Swabian Dukes--Genealogical tables.
VII.
BURGUNDY AND SWABIA UNDER THE GERMAN EMPERORS 85-94
Bertha, the "Spinning Queen"--Her son Conrad--Helvetia in close connection with Germany--Henry III.--Struggle with the Papal power.
VIII.
THE REIGN OF THE HOUSE OF ZAERINGEN 95-100
Their origin--Freiburg and other towns founded--Bern founded--Defeated by Savoy--The Crusades.
IX.
THE HOUSES OF KYBURG, SAVOY, AND HABSBURG 101-117
Fall of the Zaerings--Kyburg dynasty--Growth of Feudalism--The Hohenstaufen--Savoy--Rise of the Habsburgs--Rudolf.
X.
THE CONFEDERATION, OR EIDGENOSSENSCHAFT 118-130
The Forest Cantons--The Oath on the Rütli--Rudolf oppresses the Waldstätten--Tell and the apple--Investigation as to the facts relating to the foundation of the League.
XI.
THE BATTLE OF MORGARTEN 131-137
Attempt on Zurich by the Habsburgs--Albrecht--Gathering of the Wald peoples--Austrian defeat.
XII.
THE LEAGUE OF THE EIGHT STATES 139-146
Lucerne joins the League--Zurich follows--War with Austria--Glarus attached to the League as an inferior or protected State--Zug joins the Union--Bern.
XIII.
ZURICH AN EXAMPLE OF A SWISS TOWN IN THE MIDDLE AGES 147-157
Abbey Church of our Lady--Influence of the Lady Abbess--Citizens in three classes--They gradually gain freedom--Trade of the city--Zurich a literary centre--Uprising of the working classes--A new constitution.
XIV.
BERN CRUSHES THE NOBILITY: GREAT VICTORY OF LAUPEN 158-166
Bern of a military bent--Forms a West Swiss Union--Siege of Solothurn--Bern opposes the Habsburgs--Acquires Laupen--Victory at Laupen--League of the Eight States completed.
XV.
THE BATTLES OF SEMPACH AND NAEFELS 167-178
Opposition to Austria--Leopold III., Character of--His plans--Defeat and death at Sempach--Winkelried--Battle of Naefels.
XVI.
HOW SWITZERLAND CAME TO HAVE SUBJECT LANDS 179-189
Acquisition of surrounding territories desirable--Appenzell--Valais--Graubünden--Aargau--Quarrels with Milan.
XVII.
WAR BETWEEN ZURICH AND SCHWYZ 190-199
Dispute concerning Toggenburg lands--Stüssi of Zurich and Von Reding of Schwyz--Zurich worsted--Makes alliance with Austria--France joins the alliance--Battle of St. Jacques.
XVIII.
BURGUNDIAN WARS 200-216
Charles the Bold--Louis XI. of France--Causes which led to the war--Policy of Bern--Commencement of hostilities--Battle of Grandson--Morat--Siege of Nancy and death of Charles.
XIX.
MEETING AT STANZ, &C. 217-229
Prestige gained by the League--Disputes respecting the admission of Freiburg and Solothurn--Diet at Stanz--Nicolas von der Flüe--Covenant of Stanz--Waldmann--His execution.
XX.
THE LEAGUE OF THE THIRTEEN CANTONS COMPLETED 230-242
Maximilian--Swabian War--Separation of Switzerland from the Empire--Basel joins the League--Schaffhausen--Appenzell--Italian wars--Siege of Novara--Battle of Marignano--St. Gall.
XXI.
THE GREAT COUNCILS, LANDSGEMEINDE, AND DIET, &C. 243-253
Two kinds of Canton--Constitution of Bern and of Zurich--Landsgemeinde--Tagsatzung--Intellectual and literary life.
XXII.
THE REFORMATION IN GERMAN SWITZERLAND 254-268
Zwingli--His early life--His desire for a reformation--Appointed to Zurich--A national Reformed Church established--Spread of the new faith--The Kappeler Milchsuppe--Disputes between Luther and Zwingli--Second quarrel with the Forest--Zwingli killed.
XXIII.
THE REFORMATION IN WEST SWITZERLAND 269-278
Political condition of Vaud and Geneva--Charles III. and Geneva--The "Ladle Squires"--Bonivard thrown into Chillon--Reformed faith preached in French Switzerland by Farel--Treaty of St. Julien--Operations in Savoy.
XXIV.
GENEVA AND CALVIN 279-290
Calvin--His "Institutes"--His Confession of Faith--Banishment from Geneva--His return--The _Consistoire_--The "Children of Geneva"--Servetus burnt--The Academy founded--Calvin's death.
XXV.
THE CATHOLIC REACTION 291-302
_Droit d'asile_--Pfyffer--Carlo Borromeo, Archbishop of Milan--Borromean League--Protestants driven from Locarno--Switzerland an asylum for religious refugees--Effect of Swiss Reformation on England--Revival of learning--Escalade of Geneva.
XXVI.
THE ARISTOCRATIC PERIOD 303-314
Thirty Years' War--Graubünden and its difficulties--Massacre in Valtellina--Rohan--Jenatsch--Peasants' Revolt--Treaty with France.
XXVII.
POLITICAL MATTERS IN THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY 315-323
Aristocracy and plebeians--French League--Massacre at Greifensee--Davel's plot--Bern--Its three castes--Constitutional struggles in Geneva--Affray in Neuchâtel.
XXVIII.
SWITZERLAND AND THE RENAISSANCE: INFLUENCE OF VOLTAIRE AND ROUSSEAU 324-342
Voltaire--Residence at Ferney--No special influence on Geneva--Rousseau--Madame de Staël--Swiss savants--Zurich a Poets' Corner--Breitinger, Bodmer, Haller, Klopstock, &c.--Pestalozzi--Lavater--The Helvetic Society.
XXIX.
THE FRENCH REVOLUTION AND SWITZERLAND 343-359
Swiss Guards massacred in Paris--Insurrection of Stäfa--Treaty of Campo Formio--The Paris Helvetic Club--The "Lemanic Republic"--Surrender of Bern--Helvetic Republic proclaimed--Opposition by Schwyz, Stanz, &c.
XXX.
THE "ONE AND UNDIVIDED HELVETIC REPUBLIC" 357-368
A levy ordered by France--Franco-Helvetic alliance--Austrian occupation--Russian occupation--Battle of Zurich--Suwarow's extraordinary marches--Heavy French requisitions--Rengger and Stapfer,--Centralists and Federalists--Napoleon as mediator.
XXXI.
THE MEDIATION ACT AND NAPOLEON 369-381
Conference in Paris on Swiss matters--Mediation Act signed--The Bockenkrieg--Six new cantons formed--Material and intellectual progress--Extinction of Diet--The "Long Diet"--Congress of Vienna--Completion of twenty-two cantons.
XXXII.
SWITZERLAND UNDER THE CONSTITUTION OF 1815-48 382-394
Dissatisfaction with results of Vienna Congress--The French revolution of 1830--The "Day of Uster"--The Siebner Concordat--Catholic League--Progress of education--Political refugees in Switzerland--Louis Philippe--Louis Napoleon--Disturbances in Zurich by the Anti-Nationalists--The Sonderbund War.
XXXIII.
UNDER THE CONSTITUTION OF 1848 395-407
New Federal Constitution--Federal Assembly--Federal Council--Federal Tribunal--Powers of the individual cantons--Military service--Neuchâtel troubles--Federal Pact amended--The Initiative--The Referendum.
XXXIV.
INDUSTRY, COMMERCE, RAILWAYS, EDUCATION. THE "RIGHT OF ASYLUM" 408-421
Extent of trade--Exports and imports--Railways--Education--Keller the poet--The Geneva Convention--International Postal Union--International Labour Congress--Switzerland as a political asylum--Franco-German War--Summary of population statistics.
GENEALOGICAL TABLES 83, 84
INDEX 423
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.
PAGE
LAKE DWELLINGS, ZURICH LAKE, FROM A DESIGN BY DR. FERDINAND KELLER _Frontispiece_
MAP, SHOWING LAKE SETTLEMENTS AROUND ZURICH LAKE, BY MR. HEIERLI 2
(1) DECORATION ON SWORD HILT; (2 AND 3), STONE CELTS FOUND IN SWISS LAKE DWELLINGS (COPIED BY PERMISSION FROM "HARPER'S MAGAZINE") 4
(1) VESSEL; (2) SPECIMENS OF WOVEN FABRICS FOUND IN SWISS LAKE DWELLINGS (COPIED BY PERMISSION FROM "HARPER'S MAGAZINE") 7
SPECIMENS OF POTTERY FOUND IN SWISS LAKE DWELLINGS (COPIED BY PERMISSION FROM "HARPER'S MAGAZINE") 10
JOHANNISSTEIN, WITH RUINS OF CASTLE OF "HOHENRHÆTIA," NEAR THUSIS, GRAUBÜNDEN 16
HOUSE (FORMERLY CHAPEL) IN ROMAUNSH STYLE, AT SCHULS, LOWER ENGADINE, GRAUBÜNDEN 27
SILVER COIN, VERCINGETORIX (DR. IMHOOF, WINTERTHUR) 29
GOLD COIN, VESPASIAN [VESPASIANUS IMPERATOR-AETERNITAS] (DR. IMHOOF) 34
GOLD COIN OF SIXTEENTH CENTURY [ST. FELIX, ST. REGULA-SANCTUS CAROLUS] (DR. IMHOOF) 42
THE EIGER 52
GREAT MINSTER AND WASSERKIRCHE, ZURICH (APPENZELLER, ZURICH) 67
FURKA PASS 79
CATHEDRAL (EXTERIOR), LAUSANNE 92
CHÂTEAU DE VUFFLENS, VAUD (FOURTEENTH CENTURY) 102
BRONZE FIGURES FROM MAXIMILIAN MONUMENT, INNSBRUCK (ARTHUR OF THE ROUND TABLE, BRITAIN; THEODOBERT, DUKE OF BURGUNDY; ERNEST, DUKE OF AUSTRIA; THEODORIC, KING OF THE OSTROGOTHS) 106
THE OLD HABSBURG CASTLE, CANTON AARGAU 112
THALER OF THE THREE CANTONS (URI, SCHWYZ, AND UNTERWALDEN) 120
MAP OF OLD SWITZERLAND 138
UPPER FALL OF THE REICHENBACH (MEYRINGEN) 160
PORCH OF BERN MINSTER, WITH STATUE OF RUDOLF VON ERLACH 165
WINKELRIED'S MONUMENT, STANZ 174
ARMS OF URI 189
ST. JACQUES MONUMENT, BASEL, BY SCHLÖTH 196
ARMS OF SCHWYZ 198
ELIZABETH, WIFE OF ALBERT II.; MARIA OF BURGUNDY; ELEANOR OF PORTUGAL; KUNIGUNDE, SISTER OF MAXIMILIAN (FROM MAXIMILIAN MONUMENT, INNSBRUCK) 201
MAP OF GRANDSON 210
OLD WEAPONS AND ARMOUR IN ZURICH ARSENAL 214
INNER COURT OF THE ABBEY OF OUR LADY. LUTH CHAPTER OF ZURICH 220
ARMS OF UNTERWALDEN 229
MARBLE RELIEVI, MAXIMILIAN MONUMENT, INNSBRUCK 231
CITY WALLS OF MURTEN 235
CUSTOM-HOUSE, FREIBURG 240
SARNEN, BERN 244
CITY WALLS, LUCERNE 246
ULRICH ZWINGLI 256
MINSTER, BERN 270
THALER OF 1564 (ST. GALL) 289
HIGH ALTAR, CHUR CATHEDRAL 306
ROUSSEAU 329
PESTALOZZI 330
HALLER 333
LAVATER 340
THE LION OF LUCERNE 344
LA HARPE 348
REDING 354
DILIGENCE CROSSING THE SIMPLON PASS 362
INTERLAKEN, FROM THE FELSENEGG 386
POLYTECHNIKUM AT ZURICH 397
VIEW OF SION 404
LAW COURTS AT LAUSANNE 407
"VICTIMS OF THE WORK," ST. GOTHARD TUNNEL, FROM A BAS-RELIEF BY VELA (BY SPECIAL PERMISSION OF SCULPTOR) 411
PORTRAIT OF GOTFRIED KELLER, THE POET 413
INTERIOR OF LAUSANNE CATHEDRAL 419
TABLE
SHOWING NAMES (GERMAN AND FRENCH), AREAS, AND POPULATIONS OF CANTONS.