Appenzell Wars
Encyclopedia
The Appenzell Wars were a series of conflicts that lasted from 1401 until 1429 in the Appenzell
region of Switzerland
. The wars were a successful uprising of cooperative
groups, such as the farmers of Appenzell or the craftsmen of the city of St. Gallen
, against the traditional medieval power structure
represented by the House of Habsburg and the Prince-Abbot
of the Abbey of St. Gall
.
Appenzell, the name in means "cell (i.e. estate) of the abbot
," had been under the personal control of the abbot of St. Gall. While the Prince-Abbot appointed agents or bailiffs, the communities in Appenzell were governed by a council appointed by the Landsgemeinde
, in which every citizen could vote. The success of the Swiss Confederation
, with similar Landsgemeinden, against the aristocratic Habsburgs encouraged the Appenzell citizens to consider throwing off the Abbot's agents. By about 1360, conflicts over grazing rights
, taxes, and tithes were causing concern for both parties. Both the abbot and the farmers of Appenzell wanted to protect their rights and interests by joining the new Swabian League
. In 1377 Appenzell was allowed to join the League with the support of the cities of Konstanz
and St. Gallen
(the city of St. Gallen was often at odds with the neighboring Abbey of St. Gall). With the support of League, Appenzell refused to pay many of the gifts and tithes that the Abbot Kuno von Stoffeln demanded. In response to the loss of revenue from his estates, Kuno approached the Austrian House of Habsburg for help. In 1392 he made an agreement with the Habsburgs, which was renewed in 1402. In response, in 1401 Appenzell entered into an alliance with the city of St. Gallen to protect their rights and freedom.
, a member of the Old Swiss Confederation that had defeated the Austrians in the last century. Glarus
provided less support, but authorized any citizen who wished to support Appenzell to do so. In response, the League raised an army and marched to St. Gallen before heading toward Appenzell. In May of 1403, the abbot's and the League's troops marched toward Trogen
. On 15 May 1403, they entered the pass to Speicher
and outside the village of Vögelinsegg met the Appenzell army. A small force of about 80 Appenzellers started the attack from a hill over the valley, with about 300 soldiers from Schwyz and 200 from Glarus moving around the flanks of the army. When the League's cavalry
charged up the hill, they met 2000 Appenzellers and were forced to retreat. During the retreat, about 600 horsemen and many of the 5000 infantry
were killed by the Appenzell army. The League signed a peace treaty with Appenzell at Arbon
, but the peace was short lived.
Along with independence, in the peace treaty Appenzell gained some of the abbot's land in the Rhine valley
and around Lake Constance
, which angered the abbot. Additionally, over the next two years, the city of St. Gallen and Appenzell drew closer. By 1405 the abbot had found another ally and was ready to retake his land. Frederick IV, Duke of Austria
provided the abbot with two Austrian armies to attack Appenzell.
On 17 June 1405, the main army marched into Stoss Pass
on the border of Appenzell and there met the Appenzell army. Following a brutal battle, the Austrian army was forced to retreat. The story that the Austrians retreated when they saw a second Appenzeller army, which was actually the women of Appenzell who had come to help their husbands and brothers, only appears in later sources and is not considered accurate.
Following the Appenzell victory at Stoss Pass, they formed an alliance with the city of St. Gallen, which was known as the Bund ob dem See (alliance over the sea, which refers to the nearby Lake Constance). The creation of the Bund shook the foundation of Austrian power in the Lake Constance region. By 1406 they had taken more than 60 castles and destroyed 30. During the expansion, Appenzell had even captured the abbot of St Gall and in response they were excommunicated
by the Bishop of Constance.
However, while the Bund expanded the Austrians used the peace to regain their strength. On September 11, 1406 an association of nobles formed a knightly order known as the Sankt Jörgenschild (Order of St. George's Shield) to oppose the rebellious commoners of the Bund. The order besieged the Bund city of Bregenz
in 1407. On January 13, 1408 Bund troops marched against the Order and Austrian troops outside the city. The attack was a disaster for the Bund, when their troops were defeated and driven back from the walls. Following the defeat Appenzell was unable to hold the Bund together. The city of St. Gallen and the Canton of Schwyz each paid off the Austrians to avoid an attack, and the Bund was dissolved by King Rupert
on April 4, 1408.
As part of the peace treaty, the abbot gave up his ownership of Appenzell, but was still owned certain taxes. However, it wasn't until 1410 that the area was at peace.
In 1411 Appenzell signed a defensive treaty with the entire Swiss Confederation (except Berne
), which strengthened their position against the abbot. Appenzell joined the Confederation as an "Associate Member", and wouldn't become a full member until 1513. In the following years, Appenzell refused to pay the taxes that they owed the abbot. In 1421 the Confederation supported the abbot again Appenzell over the matter of these taxes, and an imperial ban was declared to try to force them to pay. When this was unsuccessful, in 1426 they were placed under an interdict
and an army was sent into Appenzell to force them to pay. Friedrich VII of Toggenburg
supported by the Order of St. George's Shield marched into Appenzell. On 2 December 1428 they encountered and defeated the Appenzell army behind a heavy fortification (known as a Letzi) on the field between Gossau
and Herisau
. Following the battle, in 1429 Appenzell was forced to repay the owed taxes but was granted freedom from the obligations in the future. This treaty represented the end of Appenzell's last financial tie to the Abbey of St. Gall, and a movement to closer relationships with the Confederation.
Appenzell
Appenzell is a region and historical canton in the northeast of Switzerland, entirely surrounded by the Canton of St. Gallen....
region of Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
. The wars were a successful uprising of cooperative
Cooperative
A cooperative is a business organization owned and operated by a group of individuals for their mutual benefit...
groups, such as the farmers of Appenzell or the craftsmen of the city of St. Gallen
St. Gallen
St. Gallen is the capital of the canton of St. Gallen in Switzerland. It evolved from the hermitage of Saint Gall, founded in the 7th century. Today, it is a large urban agglomeration and represents the center of eastern Switzerland. The town mainly relies on the service sector for its economic...
, against the traditional medieval power structure
Feudalism
Feudalism was a set of legal and military customs in medieval Europe that flourished between the 9th and 15th centuries, which, broadly defined, was a system for ordering society around relationships derived from the holding of land in exchange for service or labour.Although derived from the...
represented by the House of Habsburg and the Prince-Abbot
Prince-abbot
A Prince-Abbot is a title for a cleric who is a Prince of the Church , in the sense of an ex officio temporal lord of a feudal entity, notably a State of the Holy Roman Empire. The secular territory ruled by the head of an abbey is known as Prince-Abbacy or Abbey-principality...
of the Abbey of St. Gall
Abbey of St. Gall
The Abbey of Saint Gall is a religious complex in the city of St. Gallen in present-day Switzerland. The Carolingian-era Abbey has existed since 719 and became an independent principality during the 13th century, and was for many centuries one of the chief Benedictine abbeys in Europe. It was...
.
Background
Abbot
The word abbot, meaning father, is a title given to the head of a monastery in various traditions, including Christianity. The office may also be given as an honorary title to a clergyman who is not actually the head of a monastery...
," had been under the personal control of the abbot of St. Gall. While the Prince-Abbot appointed agents or bailiffs, the communities in Appenzell were governed by a council appointed by the Landsgemeinde
Landsgemeinde
The Landsgemeinde or "cantonal assembly" is one of the oldest forms of direct democracy. The first historically documented assembly took place in 1294...
, in which every citizen could vote. The success of the Swiss Confederation
Old Swiss Confederacy
The Old Swiss Confederacy was the precursor of modern-day Switzerland....
, with similar Landsgemeinden, against the aristocratic Habsburgs encouraged the Appenzell citizens to consider throwing off the Abbot's agents. By about 1360, conflicts over grazing rights
Grazing rights
Grazing rights is a legal term referring to the right of a user to allow their livestock to feed in a given area.- United States :...
, taxes, and tithes were causing concern for both parties. Both the abbot and the farmers of Appenzell wanted to protect their rights and interests by joining the new Swabian League
Swabian League
The Swabian League was an association of Imperial States - cities, prelates, principalities and knights - principally in the territory of the Early medieval stem duchy of Swabia, established in 1488 at the behest of Emperor Frederick III of Habsburg and supported as well by Bertold von...
. In 1377 Appenzell was allowed to join the League with the support of the cities of Konstanz
Konstanz
Konstanz is a university city with approximately 80,000 inhabitants located at the western end of Lake Constance in the south-west corner of Germany, bordering Switzerland. The city houses the University of Konstanz.-Location:...
and St. Gallen
St. Gallen
St. Gallen is the capital of the canton of St. Gallen in Switzerland. It evolved from the hermitage of Saint Gall, founded in the 7th century. Today, it is a large urban agglomeration and represents the center of eastern Switzerland. The town mainly relies on the service sector for its economic...
(the city of St. Gallen was often at odds with the neighboring Abbey of St. Gall). With the support of League, Appenzell refused to pay many of the gifts and tithes that the Abbot Kuno von Stoffeln demanded. In response to the loss of revenue from his estates, Kuno approached the Austrian House of Habsburg for help. In 1392 he made an agreement with the Habsburgs, which was renewed in 1402. In response, in 1401 Appenzell entered into an alliance with the city of St. Gallen to protect their rights and freedom.
Outbreak of the war
Following increasing conflicts between the Appenzellers the abbot's agents, including the bailiff of Appenzell demanding that a dead body be dug up because he wanted the man's clothes, the Appenzellers planned an uprising. On a certain day, throughout the abbot's lands, they attacked the bailiffs and drove them out of the land. Following unsuccessful negotiations Appenzell and St. Gallen entered into a treaty. The treaty between St. Gallen and Appenzell marked a break between the abbot and his estates. Perhaps fearing the Habsburgs, in 1402 the League expelled Appenzell. During the same year, St. Gallen reached an agreement with the abbot and Appenzell could no longer count on St. Gallen's support. Appenzell declared itself ready to stand against the abbot, and in 1403 formed an alliance with the Canton of SchwyzCanton of Schwyz
Schwyz is a canton in central Switzerland between the Alps in the south, Lake Lucerne in the east and Lake Zurich in the north, centered around and named after the town of Schwyz....
, a member of the Old Swiss Confederation that had defeated the Austrians in the last century. Glarus
Glarus
Glarus is the capital of the Canton of Glarus in Switzerland. Glarus municipality since 1 January 2011 incorporates the former municipalities of Ennenda, Netstal and Riedern....
provided less support, but authorized any citizen who wished to support Appenzell to do so. In response, the League raised an army and marched to St. Gallen before heading toward Appenzell. In May of 1403, the abbot's and the League's troops marched toward Trogen
Trogen
Trogen is a municipality in the canton of Appenzell Ausserrhoden in Switzerland. The town is the seat of the canton's judicial authorities.-History:...
. On 15 May 1403, they entered the pass to Speicher
Speicher, Switzerland
Speicher is a municipality in the canton of Appenzell Ausserrhoden, in Switzerland.-History:Speicher is first mentioned in 1309 as Spicher. The name originated in the Middle Ages, during the heyday of the Abbey of Saint Gall. At that time the village church served as a granary of the monastery...
and outside the village of Vögelinsegg met the Appenzell army. A small force of about 80 Appenzellers started the attack from a hill over the valley, with about 300 soldiers from Schwyz and 200 from Glarus moving around the flanks of the army. When the League's cavalry
Cavalry
Cavalry or horsemen were soldiers or warriors who fought mounted on horseback. Cavalry were historically the third oldest and the most mobile of the combat arms...
charged up the hill, they met 2000 Appenzellers and were forced to retreat. During the retreat, about 600 horsemen and many of the 5000 infantry
Infantry
Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...
were killed by the Appenzell army. The League signed a peace treaty with Appenzell at Arbon
Arbon
Arbon may refer to:* Arbon, Haute-Garonne, French commune* Arbon, Switzerland* Arbon , in Switzerland* Arbon Valley, Idaho...
, but the peace was short lived.
Independence for Appenzell
Rheintal
Rheintal is a Wahlkreis of the Canton of St. Gallen, Switzerland, formed under the new constitution of the canton on 10 June 2001...
and around Lake Constance
Lake Constance
Lake Constance is a lake on the Rhine at the northern foot of the Alps, and consists of three bodies of water: the Obersee , the Untersee , and a connecting stretch of the Rhine, called the Seerhein.The lake is situated in Germany, Switzerland and Austria near the Alps...
, which angered the abbot. Additionally, over the next two years, the city of St. Gallen and Appenzell drew closer. By 1405 the abbot had found another ally and was ready to retake his land. Frederick IV, Duke of Austria
Frederick IV, Duke of Austria
Frederick IV, Duke of Further Austria , also known as Frederick of the Empty Pockets, was the Habsburg duke of Further Austria from 1402, and Count of Tyrol from 1406, until his death...
provided the abbot with two Austrian armies to attack Appenzell.
On 17 June 1405, the main army marched into Stoss Pass
Stoss Pass
Stoss Pass is a mountain pass between the cantons of Appenzell Innerrhoden and Appenzell Ausserrhoden in Switzerland.-History:On June 17, 1405 during the Appenzell Wars, there was a battle on the pass between 400 soldiers from Appenzell and 1200 Habsburg and abbatial soldiers. The Appenzellers...
on the border of Appenzell and there met the Appenzell army. Following a brutal battle, the Austrian army was forced to retreat. The story that the Austrians retreated when they saw a second Appenzeller army, which was actually the women of Appenzell who had come to help their husbands and brothers, only appears in later sources and is not considered accurate.
Following the Appenzell victory at Stoss Pass, they formed an alliance with the city of St. Gallen, which was known as the Bund ob dem See (alliance over the sea, which refers to the nearby Lake Constance). The creation of the Bund shook the foundation of Austrian power in the Lake Constance region. By 1406 they had taken more than 60 castles and destroyed 30. During the expansion, Appenzell had even captured the abbot of St Gall and in response they were excommunicated
Excommunication
Excommunication is a religious censure used to deprive, suspend or limit membership in a religious community. The word means putting [someone] out of communion. In some religions, excommunication includes spiritual condemnation of the member or group...
by the Bishop of Constance.
However, while the Bund expanded the Austrians used the peace to regain their strength. On September 11, 1406 an association of nobles formed a knightly order known as the Sankt Jörgenschild (Order of St. George's Shield) to oppose the rebellious commoners of the Bund. The order besieged the Bund city of Bregenz
Bregenz
-Culture:The annual summer music festival Bregenzer Festspiele is a world-famous festival which takes place on and around a stage on Lake Constance, where a different opera is performed every second year.-Sport:* A1 Bregenz HB is a handball team....
in 1407. On January 13, 1408 Bund troops marched against the Order and Austrian troops outside the city. The attack was a disaster for the Bund, when their troops were defeated and driven back from the walls. Following the defeat Appenzell was unable to hold the Bund together. The city of St. Gallen and the Canton of Schwyz each paid off the Austrians to avoid an attack, and the Bund was dissolved by King Rupert
Rupert of Germany
Rupert of Germany from the House of Wittelsbach was Elector Palatine from 1398 and German King from 1400 until his death...
on April 4, 1408.
As part of the peace treaty, the abbot gave up his ownership of Appenzell, but was still owned certain taxes. However, it wasn't until 1410 that the area was at peace.
In 1411 Appenzell signed a defensive treaty with the entire Swiss Confederation (except Berne
Berne
The city of Bern or Berne is the Bundesstadt of Switzerland, and, with a population of , the fourth most populous city in Switzerland. The Bern agglomeration, which includes 43 municipalities, has a population of 349,000. The metropolitan area had a population of 660,000 in 2000...
), which strengthened their position against the abbot. Appenzell joined the Confederation as an "Associate Member", and wouldn't become a full member until 1513. In the following years, Appenzell refused to pay the taxes that they owed the abbot. In 1421 the Confederation supported the abbot again Appenzell over the matter of these taxes, and an imperial ban was declared to try to force them to pay. When this was unsuccessful, in 1426 they were placed under an interdict
Interdict (Roman Catholic Church)
In Roman Catholic canon law, an interdict is an ecclesiastical censure that excludes from certain rites of the Church individuals or groups, who nonetheless do not cease to be members of the Church.-Distinctions in canon law:...
and an army was sent into Appenzell to force them to pay. Friedrich VII of Toggenburg
Friedrich VII, count of Toggenburg
Friedrich VII, count of Toggenburg , was the last of the Counts of Toggenburg who ruled in what would become Switzerland. His death without heirs or a will led to the Old Zürich War....
supported by the Order of St. George's Shield marched into Appenzell. On 2 December 1428 they encountered and defeated the Appenzell army behind a heavy fortification (known as a Letzi) on the field between Gossau
Gossau
Gossau can mean either of two municipalities of Switzerland:* Gossau, St. Gallen, a city of 17,000 inhabitants* Gossau, Zürich, a town of 9,000 inhabitants...
and Herisau
Herisau
Herisau is a municipality of the canton of Appenzell Ausserrhoden in Switzerland. It is the seat of the canton's government and parliament; the judicial authorities are situated in Trogen....
. Following the battle, in 1429 Appenzell was forced to repay the owed taxes but was granted freedom from the obligations in the future. This treaty represented the end of Appenzell's last financial tie to the Abbey of St. Gall, and a movement to closer relationships with the Confederation.