What I’m interested in is what surprises me (like the Habsburg in Switzerland) or what illustrates the nature of Switzerland outside the economic propaganda of neutrality, chocolate, cows, chalets and banking. Like the last civil war! It was short. Not many people died. But Switzerland didn’t drop from heaven in 1291 fully formed. No! It was confusing and complicated and cruel.
St. Gallen is an abbey with a famous library. It’s really very nice. Apparently it was founded by an Irish missionary. This dude was 612; the monastery was founded by St. Othmar in 720; the Magyars attacked in 926 and subsequent years. The books were moved to its books were removed to Reichenau to keep them safe. To quote Wikipedia: “Not all the books were returned.” Just saying.
A wall was added from 954 to 975.
The town wanted independence from the abbey and an imperial reeve arrived in 1180. The abbot got to be an imperial prince in 1207. In 1291 the citizens got granted special privileges by the abbot. 1353 the guilds took over civic government. Yay! (The revolution of the guilds in Zürich was 1336.)
In 1405, the Appenzell estates of the abbot rebelled and allied themselves with the Old Swiss Confederation in 1411. We really need to talk about Appenzell, next! But let’s stay with St. Gallen. Because trouble is about to start. A few months later the city follows suit.
In 1415 the city bought its liberty from the German king. They joined the “everlasting alliance” as full members of the Confederation in 1454 and in 1457 became completely free from the abbot.
1451 the abbey became an ally of Zurich, Lucerne, Schwyz, and Glarus who were all members of the Confederation. So now the abbey and the city are part of the confederation and don’t like each other.
In 1463 a new abbot tries to get back old territories and in the city a new mayor, a hero of the Burgundian wars in 1476, tries to oppose the abbot. The abbot wants to move monastery and in 1489 armed troops from St. Gallen and Appenzell destroy the buildings already under construction. In 1490 the four allies of the abbey invade. The people of Appenzell give up and the city is forced into a settlement.
In 1526 the reformation arrives and now the city is reformed and the abbey remains catholic. Great.
1798 Napoleon invades and creates the Helvetic Republic – the abbey and the city are combined with Appenzell into the Canton of Säntis. What a disaster. Of course people squabble. 1803 brings the the Act of Mediation and the city becomes the capital of the Protestant Canton of St. Gallen. Sure enough, the new canton suppresses the abbey.
The constitution is revised in 1831 to bring more direct democracy. Religious disputes lead to the canton taking over education in 1861. More direct democracy arrives in 1890. That constitution stays in place until 2001.
As an aside, the dialect of St. Gallen is often unpopular in the other Swiss German cantons. Then again, badmouthing the other dialects is a popular past time and an excellent small talk topic. 🤪
#Switzerland #History #Cantons