Rudolf Stüssi
Encyclopedia
Burgomaster
Burgomaster is the English form of various terms in or derived from Germanic languages for the chief magistrate or chairman of the executive council of a sub-national level of administration...
of 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...
during the mid-fifteenth century. His expansionist ambitions for Zurich caused the Old Zürich War
Old Zürich War
The Old Zürich War , 1440–46, was a conflict between the canton of Zürich and the other seven cantons of the Old Swiss Confederacy over the succession to the Count of Toggenburg....
(1440–46).
Biography
Stüssi's father came from GlarusCanton of Glarus
The Canton of Glarus is a canton in east central Switzerland. The capital is Glarus.The population speaks a variety of Alemannic German.The majority of the population identifies as Christian, about evenly split between the Protestant and Catholic confessions.-History:According to legend, the...
and became a citizen of Zürich in 1375. Stüssi's father was elected to offices in Zürich starting in 1388.
Rudolf was elected to city offices from 1414. In 1424, he served as Zürich's envoy in the Old Swiss Confederacy
Old Swiss Confederacy
The Old Swiss Confederacy was the precursor of modern-day Switzerland....
. He served as mayor of Zürich from 1430 until his death.
In 1433, he traveled to Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
as a representative of Zürich to attend the coronation of Sigismund of Luxembourg. There he was knight
Knight
A knight was a member of a class of lower nobility in the High Middle Ages.By the Late Middle Ages, the rank had become associated with the ideals of chivalry, a code of conduct for the perfect courtly Christian warrior....
ed.
He lived in a house later called the Stüssihofstatt, situated some 100m northeast of the Rathaus (47.3724°N 8.5436°E).
Career
During his term of office, Stüssi attempted to extend the rule and influence of his city. In 1436, Count Friedrich VII of Toggenburg died, leaving neither heir nor will. The canton of Zürich, led by Stüssi, claimed the Toggenburg lands; the cantons of SchwyzSchwyz
The town of is the capital of the canton of Schwyz in Switzerland.The Federal Charter of 1291 or Bundesbrief, the charter that eventually led to the foundation of Switzerland, can be seen at the Bundesbriefmuseum.-History of the toponym:...
and Glarus made counter-claims, backed by the other cantons. Stüssi allied himself in 1442 with Frederick III, Holy Roman Emperor
Frederick III, Holy Roman Emperor
Frederick the Peaceful KG was Duke of Austria as Frederick V from 1424, the successor of Albert II as German King as Frederick IV from 1440, and Holy Roman Emperor as Frederick III from 1452...
against the Old Swiss Confederacy.
He died at the Battle of St. Jakob an der Sihl
Battle of St. Jakob an der Sihl
The Battle of St. Jakob an der Sihl was a battle of the Old Zürich War that occurred on July 22, 1443, resulting in a defeat for Zürich.The battle took place outside the gates of Zürich, beyond the Sihl . The troops of Zürich, with Habsburg reinforcements, met the attacking confederates on the...
, defending the bridge over the Sihl
Sihl
The Sihl is a river of Switzerland. It rises at Drusberg in the Canton of Schwyz. It passes through the Sihlsee near Einsiedeln, and then enters the Canton of Zurich, flowing through the Sihl valley at the foot of the Albis, passing the Sihlwald, the largest remaining deciduous forest of the Swiss...
while covering the retreat of the army of Zürich. According to chroniclers, he was killed by a confederate hiding below the bridge.