Battle of Dornach
Encyclopedia
The Battle of Dornach was a battle fought on 22 July 1499 between the troops of Emperor Maximilian I
and the Old Swiss Confederacy
close to the Swiss village of Dornach
.
The battle turned into a decisive defeat for Maximilian, and concluded the Swabian War
between the Swiss and the Swabian League
: it amounted to de-facto independence of Switzerland
from the Holy Roman Empire
, acknowledged by Maximilian in the Treaty of Basel
on 22 September (the independence was however not formally recognized until the Peace of Westphalia
of 1648).
On 19 July, Imperial troops marching on Dornach castle were sighted, and Solothurn
called Bern for help. Bern sent 5000 troops, Zürich
400, and smaller contingents from Uri
, Unterwalden
and Zug
also started to move to Dornach. On 20 July, 600 troops left Lucerne
. The Austrians had about 16000 troops. Many of these were bathing in the Birs. The first attacks on 22 July were executed by the troops of Bern, Zurich and Solothurn, but they were beaten back. Only with the arrival of the reinforcements from Lucerne and Zug, which suddenly broke out of the woods "with horns and shouting" would the Imperial troops be turned to flight after several hours' fighting.
The commander of the Imperial troops, Heinrich von Fürstenberg , was killed at the early stages of fighting. When Maximilian in Überlingen
heard about the lost battle, he was reportedly devastated by the news.
The battle of Dornach was the last armed conflict between the Swiss and the Holy Roman Empire
. A large relief in downtown Dornach commemorates the battle.
Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor
Maximilian I , the son of Frederick III, Holy Roman Emperor and Eleanor of Portugal, was King of the Romans from 1486 and Holy Roman Emperor from 1493 until his death, though he was never in fact crowned by the Pope, the journey to Rome always being too risky...
and the Old Swiss Confederacy
Old Swiss Confederacy
The Old Swiss Confederacy was the precursor of modern-day Switzerland....
close to the Swiss village of Dornach
Dornach
Dornach is a municipality in the district of Dorneck in the canton of Solothurn in Switzerland.-History:Dornach is first mentioned in 1223 as de Tornacho. In 1307 it was mentioned as zu Dornach...
.
The battle turned into a decisive defeat for Maximilian, and concluded the Swabian War
Swabian War
The Swabian War of 1499 was the last major armed conflict between the Old Swiss Confederacy and the House of Habsburg...
between the Swiss and the 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...
: it amounted to de-facto independence 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....
from the Holy Roman Empire
Holy Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire was a realm that existed from 962 to 1806 in Central Europe.It was ruled by the Holy Roman Emperor. Its character changed during the Middle Ages and the Early Modern period, when the power of the emperor gradually weakened in favour of the princes...
, acknowledged by Maximilian in the Treaty of Basel
Treaty of Basel (1499)
The Treaty of Basel of 22 September 1499 was an armistice following the Battle of Dornach, concluding the Swabian War, fought between the Swabian League and the Old Swiss Confederacy. The accession of Basel to the confederacy in 1501 is a direct consequence of the treaty....
on 22 September (the independence was however not formally recognized until the Peace of Westphalia
Peace of Westphalia
The Peace of Westphalia was a series of peace treaties signed between May and October of 1648 in Osnabrück and Münster. These treaties ended the Thirty Years' War in the Holy Roman Empire, and the Eighty Years' War between Spain and the Dutch Republic, with Spain formally recognizing the...
of 1648).
On 19 July, Imperial troops marching on Dornach castle were sighted, and Solothurn
Solothurn
The city of Solothurn is the capital of the Canton of Solothurn in Switzerland. The city also comprises the only municipality of the district of the same name.-Pre-roman settlement:...
called Bern for help. Bern sent 5000 troops, Zürich
Zürich
Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is located in central Switzerland at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich...
400, and smaller contingents from Uri
Canton of Uri
Uri is one of the 26 cantons of Switzerland and a founding member of the Swiss Confederation. It is located in Central Switzerland. The canton's territory covers the valley of the Reuss River between Lake Lucerne and the St. Gotthard Pass. German is the primary language spoken in Uri...
, Unterwalden
Unterwalden
Unterwalden is the old name of a forest-canton of the Old Swiss Confederacy in central Switzerland, south of Lake Lucerne, consisting of two valleys or Talschaften, now organized as two half-cantons, an upper part, Obwalden, and a lower part, Nidwalden.Unterwalden was one of the three participants...
and Zug
Canton of Zug
The Canton of Zug is one of the 26 cantons of Switzerland. It is located in central Switzerland and its capital is Zug. With 239 km² the canton is one of the smallest of the cantons in terms of area. It is not subdivided into districts.- History :The earlier history of the canton is...
also started to move to Dornach. On 20 July, 600 troops left Lucerne
Lucerne
Lucerne is a city in north-central Switzerland, in the German-speaking portion of that country. Lucerne is the capital of the Canton of Lucerne and the capital of the district of the same name. With a population of about 76,200 people, Lucerne is the most populous city in Central Switzerland, and...
. The Austrians had about 16000 troops. Many of these were bathing in the Birs. The first attacks on 22 July were executed by the troops of Bern, Zurich and Solothurn, but they were beaten back. Only with the arrival of the reinforcements from Lucerne and Zug, which suddenly broke out of the woods "with horns and shouting" would the Imperial troops be turned to flight after several hours' fighting.
The commander of the Imperial troops, Heinrich von Fürstenberg , was killed at the early stages of fighting. When Maximilian in Überlingen
Überlingen
Überlingen is a city on the northern shore of Lake Constance . After the city of Friedrichshafen, it is the second largest city in the Bodenseekreis , and a central point for the outlying communities...
heard about the lost battle, he was reportedly devastated by the news.
The battle of Dornach was the last armed conflict between the Swiss and the Holy Roman Empire
Holy Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire was a realm that existed from 962 to 1806 in Central Europe.It was ruled by the Holy Roman Emperor. Its character changed during the Middle Ages and the Early Modern period, when the power of the emperor gradually weakened in favour of the princes...
. A large relief in downtown Dornach commemorates the battle.
Further reading
- Kurz, H.R.: Schweizerschlachten, 2nd ed; Francke, Bern 1977; pp. 165 – 171, ISBN 3-7720-1369-4.