View source for Early history of Switzerland

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{{History of Switzerland}}
The '''early history of Switzerland''' begins with the earliest settlements up to the beginning of [[Habsburg]] rule, which in 1291 gave rise to the independence movement in the central [[Swiss cantons|canton]]s of [[Canton of Uri|Uri]], [[Schwyz]], and [[Unterwalden]] and the [[growth of the Old Swiss Confederacy]] during the [[Late Middle Ages]].

==Prehistory==
{{see also|Agriculture in Switzerland#Prehistory}}

===Paleolithic to Mesolithic===
{{Main|Paleolithic in Switzerland|Mesolithic in Switzerland}}
{{see|Paleolithic Europe|Mousterian|Aurignacian}}

A hand-axe fashioned by [[Homo erectus]] has been found in [[Pratteln]], which has been dated to 300,000 years ago.<ref>[https://www.archaeologie.bl.ch/entdecken/fundstelle.php?fsid=4 Archäologie Baselland]</ref> [[Neanderthal]] presence is known from the Grotte de Cotencher in [[Neuchâtel]], dating to 70,000 years ago<ref>[https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/business/jaw-dropping_meet-a-neanderthal-woman-from-one-of-europe-s-oldest-cave-sites/44248602 Swiss Info - Meet a Neanderthal Woman from one of Europe's Oldest Cave Sites]</ref> and from the caves of [[Wildkirchli]] in the [[Appenzell Alps]], dated to about 40,000 years ago.<ref>{{HDS|12768|Wildkirchli}}</ref>

[[European early modern humans|Anatomically modern humans]] reached Central Europe 30,000 years ago,<ref name="Currat">
Before between 1,300 and 1,200 generations ago according to a simulation in {{cite journal |author1=Currat, M. |author2=Excoffier, L. |title=Modern Humans Did Not Admix with Neanderthals during Their Range Expansion into Europe |journal=PLOS Biol |volume=2 |issue=12 |pages=e421 |year=2004 |doi=10.1371/journal.pbio.0020421 |pmid=15562317 |pmc=532389 |doi-access=free }} ([[:File:CurratExcoffierNeandethalmtDNA.png|Figure 2]])</ref> but most of what is now Switzerland was covered by glaciers during the [[Last Glacial Maximum]] ([[Würm glaciation]]). The ice-free parts, northern Switzerland along the [[High Rhine]] and part of the [[Aar basin]], were exposed to [[permafrost]].

Human habitation in the [[Swiss Plateau]] can be shown for the beginning [[Mesolithic]], in [[Wetzikon-Robenhausen]] beginning around 10,000 years ago.

<gallery>
File:PN-NE-MZ venus-originale ya.jpg|[[Venus of Monruz]], {{circa|9000}} BC
</gallery>

===Neolithic to Copper Age===
{{Main|Neolithic in Switzerland}}
{{see|Prehistoric pile dwellings around the Alps|Linear Pottery culture}}

The [[Neolithic Europe|Neolithic]] reached the Swiss plateau before 7,000 years ago (late 6th millennium BC), dominated by the [[Linear Pottery culture]].

The area was relatively densely populated, as is attested to by the many archeological findings from that period. Remains of [[Prehistoric pile dwellings around the Alps|pile dwelling]]s have been found in the shallow areas of many lakes, attributed to archaeological cultures such as [[Cortaillod culture|Cortaillod]], [[Pfyn culture|Pfyn]] and [[Horgen culture|Horgen]]. Artifacts dated to the 5th millennium BC were discovered at the [[Schnidejoch]] in 2003 to 2005.<ref>{{cite news| last = [[Associated Press]]| title = 5000 Jahre alter Pfeilbogen im Berner Oberland gefunden| language = de| publisher = [[NZZ]]| date = 2006-01-18| url = http://www.nzz.ch/2006/01/18/vm/newzzEILL9E47-12.html| access-date = 2008-11-14| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090912123224/http://www.nzz.ch/2006/01/18/vm/newzzEILL9E47-12.html| archive-date = 2009-09-12| url-status = dead}} In a later [http://www.nzz.ch/2006/01/18/vm/newzzEILL9E47-12.html NZZ article] (21 August 2008), the date is revised to c.4500BC instead of c.3000BC {{in lang|de}}</ref> The pre-Indo-European population of the Alpine region is typified by [[Ötzi the Iceman]], an individual of the late 4th millennium BC found in the [[Austrian Alps]] (some 25&nbsp;km east of the [[Austria–Switzerland border|Swiss border]]). The [[Bell Beaker culture]] marks the transition from the Chalcolithic to the early Bronze Age.

<gallery>
File:Modell Pfyn Breitenloo P1020773.jpg|[[Pfyn culture]] settlement at Breitenloo, c. 3700 BC
File:HMB Essen und Kochgerät Jungsteinzeit.jpg|Neolithic implements, pottery and foodstuffs, Cortaillod culture
File:Laténium-pointe-cristal.jpg|Crystal arrowhead, [[Cortaillod culture]], c. 3500 BC
File:Landesmuseum Württemberg Stuttgart Neolithikum 156.jpg|Wooden wheel fragment, Horgen culture
File:Pierre percee Traves dolmen 2.JPG|[[Megalithic]] dolmen, [[Horgen culture]]
File:Goldberg axe 1.jpg|Alpine copper axe, 4th millennium BC
File:Anthropomorphic stele no 25, Sion, Petit-Chasseur necropolis 13.jpg|Anthropomorphic stele, [[Le Petit-Chasseur|Sion]], [[Bell Beaker culture]], {{Circa|2700 BC}}
File:Copper jewellery Switzerland 2700 BC.jpg|Copper necklace and ornaments, c. 2700 BC
</gallery>

===Bronze Age===
{{Main|Bronze Age in Switzerland}}
{{further|Bronze Age Europe|Bell Beaker culture|Urnfield culture}}

In the 3rd millennium BC, Switzerland lay on the south-western outskirts of the [[Corded Ware]] horizon, entering the early [[Bronze Age Europe|Bronze Age]] ([[Bell Beaker culture]]) in step with Central Europe, in the late centuries of the 3rd millennium. The Early Bronze Age [[Rhône culture]] in western Switzerland ({{Circa|2200}}-1500 BC) developed from the Bell Beaker culture and was closely related to the [[Unetice culture]] in central Europe. This was followed by the [[Tumulus culture]] ({{Circa|1500}}-1300 BC) in the Middle Bronze Age, and the [[Urnfield culture]] in the Late Bronze Age ({{Circa|1300 BC}}). Settlements included [[Prehistoric pile dwellings around the Alps|lakeside villages]] and fortified settlements on elevated sites. The {{interlanguage link|Bronze Hand of Prêles|de|Bronzehand von Prêles}} dating from the 16th-15th century BC, is a unique find from the Tumulus culture period.<ref>{{cite web |title=Photo of the Bronze Hand of Prêles |url=https://qph.cf2.quoracdn.net/main-qimg-ff5c3a342559b1415cdf6aaeeb9a7664}}</ref> Described as "the earliest metal representation of a human body part ever found in Europe",<ref>{{cite web |date=2018 |title=3,500-Year-Old Hand is Europe's Earliest Metal Body Part |url=https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/bronze-hand-ancient-switzerland-archaeology |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210219220618/https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/bronze-hand-ancient-switzerland-archaeology |archive-date=February 19, 2021 |website=National Geographic}}</ref> it may have been a ritual object, or mounted on a [[Vexillum|standard]] like similar metal hands known from the [[Iron Age Europe|Iron Age]],<ref>{{cite web |title=Das bronzezeitliche Grab und die Bronzehand von Prêles. Ergebnisse der Table Ronde vom 30.Oktober 2019 in Bern |work=Hefte zur Archäologie im Kanton Bern Nr. 8 |date=January 2021 |url=https://www.academia.edu/51155651 |last1=Schaer |first1=Andrea |last2=Brunner |first2=Mirco |last3=Ballmer |first3=Ariane |last4=Senn |first4=Marianne |last5=Bär |first5=Barbara |last6=Meller |first6=Harald }}</ref> or possibly a [[prosthesis]].<ref>{{cite web |date=2018 |title=Was This Man a Bronze-Age Cyborg? His Metal Hand May Have Been a Prosthetic |url=https://www.livescience.com/63690-oldest-metal-hand-europe.html |website=Live Science}}</ref> It was found in a grave along with a bronze hair-ring, pin and dagger. The hand had a golden bracelet or cuff decorated with solar motifs.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Garrow |first1=Duncan |title=The World of Stonehenge |last2=Wilkin |first2=Neil |date=2022 |publisher=British Museum Press |isbn=978-07141-2349-3 |location=London |page=21}}</ref>

<gallery>
File:Dagger-P4140344-black.jpg|Dagger, [[Unetice culture|Unetice]]/[[Rhône culture|Rhône]] culture {{Circa|2000 BC}}
File:Età del bronzo,armi e oggetti da una tomba del 1800 ac circa, da thun 02.JPG|[[Rhône culture|Thun-Renzenbühl axe]], {{Circa|1800 BC}}
File:Eschenz gold cup 1.jpg|[[Eschenz]] gold cup, [[Tumulus culture]], {{Circa|1600 BC}}
File:Goldschale Altstetten - 2 von 10.jpg|[[:de:Goldschale von Altstetten|Altstetten]] gold bowl, [[Urnfield culture]], {{Circa|1000 BC}}
File:Età del bronzo finale, due spade, 1300-800 ac ca..JPG|Bronze swords, Urnfield culture, 10th century BC
File:Urnfield culture pottery inlaid with tin foil, Switzerland, c. 1000 BC.jpg|Pottery inlaid with [[tin foil]], [[Urnfield culture]], {{Circa|1000 BC}}
File:HMB Bronzezeit Wasserfunde Bern.jpg|River and lake finds from Bern, Urnfield culture
File:Bronze Age lake settlement at Cortaillod-Est, Switzerland. Laténium museum.png|Lake settlement at [[:fr:Cortaillod-Est|Cortaillod-Est]]
</gallery>

===Iron Age===
{{further|Iron Age Europe|Hallstatt culture|La Tène culture|Gauls|Rhaetian people}}
[[File:Holzstatue von Eschenz Kopie.jpg|thumb|left|Celtic wooden statue from [[Eschenz]], {{Circa|10 BC}}|291x291px]]
[[File:Historische Karte CH Helvet.png|thumb|Map of late Iron Age Switzerland on the eve of the Roman conquest, indicating tribal territories, large settlements and oppida]]
The Swiss plateau lay in the western part of the Early Iron Age [[Hallstatt culture]],<ref>N. Müller-Scheeßel, '' Die Hallstattkultur und ihre räumliche Differenzierung. Der West- und Osthallstattkreis aus forschungsgeschichtlicher Sicht'' (2000)</ref> and it participated in the early [[La Tène culture]] (named for the type site at [[Lake Neuchâtel]]) which arose out of the Hallstatt background from the 5th century BC.<ref>[http://www.edunet.ch/classes/marin/la_tene.htm La Tène site description] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090207123052/http://www.edunet.ch/classes/marin/la_tene.htm |date=2009-02-07 }}{{in lang|fr}}</ref>

By the final centuries BC, the Swiss plateau and Ticino were settled by [[Continental Celtic]] speaking peoples ([[Gauls]]): the [[Helvetii]] and [[Vindelici]] inhabited the western and eastern part of the Swiss plateau, respectively, and the [[Lugano]] area
by the [[Lepontii]].
The interior Alpine valleys of eastern Switzerland ([[Grisons]]) were inhabited by the non-Celtic [[Raetians]].

The distribution of La Tène culture burials in Switzerland indicates that the Swiss plateau between [[Lausanne]] and [[Winterthur]] was relatively densely populated. Settlement centres existed in the [[Aare]] valley between [[Thun]] and [[Bern]], and between [[Lake Zurich]] and the [[Reuss (river)|Reuss]]. The [[Valais]] and the regions around [[Bellinzona]] and [[Lugano]] also seem to have been well-populated; however, those lay outside the Helvetian borders.

Almost all the Celtic ''[[oppidum|oppida]]'' were built in the vicinity of the larger rivers of the Swiss plateau.
About a dozen oppida are known in Switzerland (some twenty including uncertain candidate sites), not all of which were occupied during the same time. For most of them, no contemporary name has survived; in cases where a pre-Roman name has been recorded, it is given in brackets.<ref>Andres Furger-Gunti: Die Helvetier: Kulturgeschichte eines Keltenvolkes. Neue Zürcher Zeitung, Zürich 1984, pp. 50–58.</ref>
The largest were the one in [[Bern]]-Engehalbinsel (presumably ''Brenodurum'', the name recorded on the [[Bern zinc tablet]]<ref>[http://www.erz.be.ch/site/index/kultur/archaeologie/archaeologie-fundstellen/archaeologie-fundstellen-bernroemerbad.htm Bern, Engehalbinsel, Römerbad] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070930152507/http://www.erz.be.ch/site/index/kultur/archaeologie/archaeologie-fundstellen/archaeologie-fundstellen-bernroemerbad.htm |date=2007-09-30 }}</ref>), on the [[Aare (river)|Aare]], and the one in [[Rheinau, Switzerland|Altenburg-Rheinau]] on the [[Rhine]].
Of intermediate size were those of Bois de Châtel, [[Avenches]] (abandoned with the foundation of ''Aventicum'' as the capital of the Roman province), [[Jensberg]] (near [[Petinesca|vicus Petinesca]], [[Mont Vully]], all within a day's march from the one in Bern, the [[Oppidum Zürich-Lindenhof]] at the [[Lake Zurich]]–[[Limmat]]–[[Sihl]] triangled [[Lindenhof hill]], and the [[Oppidum Uetliberg]], overlooking the Sihl and Lake Zurich shore.
Smaller oppida were at [[Geneva]] (''Genava''), [[Lausanne]] (''Lousonna'') on the shores of [[Lake Geneva]], at [[Sermuz]] on the upper end of [[Lake Neuchâtel]], at [[Eppenberg-Wöschnau|Eppenberg]] and [[Windisch, Switzerland|Windisch]] (''[[Vindonissa]]'') along the lower Aar,
and at [[Mont Chaibeuf]] and [[Mont Terri]] in the [[Jura Mountains]], the territory of the [[Rauraci]].

A female who died in about 200 B.C was found buried in a carved tree trunk during a construction project at the Kern school complex in March 2017 in [[Aussersihl]]. Archaeologists revealed that she was approximately 40 years old when she died and likely carried out little physical labor when she was alive. A sheepskin coat, a belt chain, a fancy woolen dress, a scarf and a pendant made of glass and amber beads were also discovered with the woman.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.livescience.com/66056-iron-age-celtic-woman-burial.html|title=Iron Age Celtic Woman Wearing Fancy Clothes Buried in This 'Tree Coffin' in Switzerland|last=July 2019|first=Laura Geggel-Associate Editor 30|website=livescience.com|date=30 July 2019 |language=en|access-date=2020-04-05}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/iron-age-celtic-woman-was-buried-hollowed-out-tree-trunk-180972773/|title=This Iron Age Celtic Woman Was Buried in a Hollowed-Out Tree Trunk|last=Solly|first=Meilan|website=Smithsonian Magazine|language=en|access-date=2020-04-05}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.stadt-zuerich.ch/hbd/de/index/ueber_das_departement/medien/medienmitteilungen/2019/juli/190705a.html|title=Kelte trifft Keltin: Ergebnisse zu einem aussergewöhnlichen Grabfund - Stadt Zürich|website=www.stadt-zuerich.ch|language=de|access-date=2020-04-05}}</ref>

<gallery>
File:Età del ferro, recipiente greco da Grächwil vicino Meikirch, 570 ac. ca 01.JPG|[[Grächwil|Grächwil hydria]] (Greek import), [[Hallstatt culture]], 570 BC
File:Hallstatt culture gold.jpg|Gold jewellery, Hallstatt culture, c. 550 BC
File:Età del ferro, cintura a catena, 200 ac ca., da tiefenau berna.JPG|Jewellery, [[La Tène culture]]
File:HMB Keltenschmuck Münsingen-Rain Grab 12.jpg|Jewellery, [[La Tène culture]]
File:Mont Vully Maquette.jpg|[[:fr:Mont Vully (site archéologique)|Mont Vully]] oppidum, La Tène culture
File:Laténium-oreille-carnyx.jpg|[[Carnyx]] ornament, La Tène culture, {{Circa|200 BC}}
File:Iron Age La Tene Sacrificial Site (28472054990).jpg|Lake depositions at [[La Tène (archaeological site)|La Tène]]
File:Latenium Celtic bridge mg 2221.jpg|Reconstructed Celtic Bridge at La Tène, 3rd century BC
</gallery>

==Roman era==
{{main|Switzerland in the Roman era}}
[[Image:Historische Karte CH Rome 1.png|thumb|300px|Switzerland during the Roman era]]
In 58 BCE, the [[Helvetii]] tried to evade migratory pressure from [[Germanic tribes]] by moving into [[Gaul]], but were stopped and defeated at [[Bibracte]] (near modern-day [[Autun]]) by [[Julius Caesar]]'s armies and then sent back. In 15 BCE, [[Tiberius]] and Drusus conquered the Alps, and the region became integrated into the [[Roman Empire]]:<ref name="EBonline">[http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/577225/Switzerland/257014/Roman-Switzerland Encyclopædia Britannica Online: Roman Switzerland] accessed November 13, 2008</ref> the Helvetii settlement area became part first of [[Gallia Belgica]] and later of the province of [[Germania Superior]], while the eastern part was integrated into the Roman province of [[Raetia]].

The following 300 years saw extensive Roman settlement, including the construction of a road network and the founding of many settlements and cities. The center of Roman occupation was at ''Aventicum'' ([[Avenches]]), other cities were founded at ''Arbor Felix'' ([[Arbon, Switzerland|Arbon]]), ''[[Augusta Raurica]]'' ([[Kaiseraugst]] near Basel), ''Basilea'' ([[Basel]]), ''Curia'' ([[Chur]]), ''Genava'' ([[Geneva]]), ''Lousanna'' ([[Lausanne]]), ''Octodurum'' ([[Martigny, Switzerland|Martigny]], controlling the [[Mountain pass|pass]] of the [[Great St. Bernard Pass|Great St. Bernard]]), ''Salodurum'' ([[Solothurn]]), ''Turicum'' ([[Zürich]]) and other places. [[Roman legion|Military garrisons]] existed at ''Tenedo'' ([[Zurzach]]) and ''Vindonissa'' ([[Windisch, Switzerland|Windisch]]).<ref name="EBonline"/>

The Romans also developed the [[Great St Bernard Pass|Great St. Bernard Pass]] beginning in the year 47, and in 69 part of the legions of [[Vitellius]] used it to traverse the [[Alps]]. The passes were expanded from dirt trails to narrow paved roads.<ref name="EBonline"/> Between 101 and 260, the legions moved out of the region, allowing trade to expand. In Raetia, Roman culture and language became dominant.<ref name="EBonline"/> Nearly 2,000 years later, some of the population of [[Graubünden]] still speak [[Romansh language|Romansh]] which is descended from [[Vulgar Latin]].

In 259, [[Alamanni]] tribes overran the [[Upper Germanic Limes|Limes]] and caused widespread devastation of Roman cities and settlements. The Roman empire managed to reestablish the [[Rhine]] as the border, and the cities on Swiss territory were rebuilt. However, it was now a frontier province, and consequently the new Roman cities were smaller and much more fortified.

<gallery>
File:Roman column - Nyon, Vaud, Switzerland.jpg|Roman remains at [[Noviodunum (Switzerland)|Nyon]]
File:Theater Kaiseraugst.jpg|Roman theatre of [[Augusta Raurica]]
File:Silver Treasure - Roman Museum - Augusta Raurica - August 2013.JPG|[[:de:Silberschatz von Kaiseraugst|Silver treasure of Kaiseraugst]]
File:Achillesplatte Augusta Raurica.jpg|Silver plate from Augusta Rarica
File:AVENTICUM Suisse Franck Devedjian.jpg|Sanctuary at [[Aventicum]] ([[Avenches]]), reconstruction
File:Avenches VD - Römische Amphitheater und Schloss.jpg|Amphitheatre at Avenches
</gallery>

==Christianization and post-Roman era==
{{main|Alemannia}}
In the late Roman period in the 3rd and 4th centuries, the [[Christianization]] of the region began. Legends of Christian martyrs such as [[Felix and Regula]] in [[Zürich]] probably are based on events that occurred during the [[persecution of Christians]] under [[Diocletian]] around 298. The story of the [[Theban Legion]], which was martyred near [[Saint Maurice-en-Valais]] in [[Valais]], figures into the histories of many towns in Switzerland.<ref name="EBonline"/>

The first bishoprics were founded in the 4th and 5th centuries in [[Bishop of Basel|Basel]] (documented in 346), [[Martigny, Switzerland|Martigny]] (doc. 381, moved to [[Bishopric of Sion|Sion]] in 585), [[Geneva]] (doc. 441), and [[Bishop of Chur|Chur]] (doc. 451). There is evidence from the 6th century for a bishopric in [[Bishop of Lausanne|Lausanne]], which may have been moved from Avenches.

With the fall of the [[Western Roman Empire]], Germanic tribes moved in. [[Burgundians]] settled in the [[Jura Mountains|Jura]], the [[Rhône]] valley and the Alps south of [[Lake Geneva]]; while in the north, [[Alemanni]]c settlers crossed the [[Rhine]] in 406 and slowly assimilated the [[Gallo-Roman]] population, or made it retreat into the mountains. Burgundy became a part of the [[Frankish Empire|Frank]]ish kingdom in 534; two years later, the dukedom of [[Alemannia]] followed suit.

The Burgundy kings furthered the Christianization through newly founded monasteries, e.g. at [[Romainmôtier Abbey|Romainmôtier]] or [[Agaunum|St. Maurice]] in the [[Valais]] in 515. In the Alaman part, only isolated Christian communities continued to exist; the [[Germanic paganism|Germanic faith]] including the worship of [[Odin|Wuodan]] was prevalent. The Irish monks [[Columbanus]] and [[Saint Gall|Gallus]] re-introduced Christian faith in the early 7th century. The [[Diocese of Constance|Bishopric of Konstanz]] also was founded at that time.

==Switzerland in the Middle Ages==

=== Early Middle Ages ===
[[Image:Alamannien Hochburgund ca 1000.png|thumb|300px|[[Alemannia]] and [[Upper Burgundy]] around 1000
{{legend|#f6b93e|Alemannia}}
{{legend|#6dbd4e|Upper Burgundy}} ]]

Under the [[Carolingian]] kings, the [[feudal society|feudal system]] proliferated, and monasteries and bishoprics were important bases for maintaining the rule. The [[Treaty of Verdun]] of 843 assigned the western part of modern Switzerland ([[Upper Burgundy]]) to [[Lotharingia]], ruled by [[Lothair I]], and the eastern part ([[Alemannia]]) to the eastern kingdom of [[Louis the German]] that would become the [[Holy Roman Empire]]. The boundary between [[Alamania]], ruled by Louis, and western [[Burgundy (region)|Burgundy]], ruled by Lothar, ran along the lower [[Aare]], turning towards the south at the [[Rhine]], passing west of [[Lucerne]] and across the [[Alps]] along the upper [[Rhône (river)|Rhône]] to [[Saint Gotthard Pass]].

Louis the German in 853 granted his lands in the [[Reuss (river)|Reuss]] valley to the monastery of St Felix and Regula in Zürich (modern day [[Fraumünster]]) of which his daughter Hildegard was the first abbess.<ref name="EB">{{cite EB1911|wstitle=Switzerland/History/Origins |volume= 26 }}</ref> According to legend this occurred after a [[stag]] bearing an illuminated [[crucifix]] between his [[antlers]] appeared to him in the marshland outside the town, at the shore of [[Lake Zürich]]. However, there is evidence that the monastery was already in existence before 853. The Fraumünster is across the river from the Grossmünster, which according to legend was founded by Charlemagne himself, as his horse fell to his knees on the spot where the martyrs [[Felix and Regula]] were buried.

When the land was granted to the monastery, it was exempt from all feudal lords except the king and later the [[Holy Roman Emperor]] (a condition known as [[Imperial immediacy]]; in German {{lang|de|Reichsfreiheit}} or {{lang|de|Reichsunmittelbarkeit}}). The privileged position of the abbey (reduced taxes and greater autonomy) encouraged the other men of the valley to put themselves under the authority of abbey. By doing so they gained the advantages of the Imperial immediacy and grew used to the relative freedom and autonomy.<ref name="EB"/> The only source of royal or imperial authority was the {{lang|la|advocatus}} or {{lang|de|[[Vogt]]}} of the abbey which was given to one family after another by the emperor as a sign of trust.

In the 10th century, the rule of the Carolingians waned: [[Magyars]] destroyed [[Basel]] in 917 and [[St. Gallen]] in 926, and [[Saracen]]s ravaged the [[Valais]] after 920 and sacked the monastery of St. Maurice in 939. The [[Conradines]] (von [[Wetterau]]) started a long time rule over [[Swabia]] during this time. Only after the victory of king [[Otto I the Great|Otto I]] over the Magyars in 955 in the [[Battle of Lechfeld]] were the Swiss territories reintegrated into the empire.

===High Middle Ages===
[[File:Schweiz um 1200.png|thumb|300px|Dominions around 1200:<br/> {{legend0|#ff6666|[[House of Savoy|Savoy]]}} {{legend0|#44aa44|[[Zähringer]]}} {{legend0|#ff66ff|[[Habsburg]]}} {{legend0|#ffff66|[[Counts of Kyburg|Kyburg]]}}
Savoy and the Transjurane Zähringen possessions were part of the [[Arelat]] in the 13th century; Savoy was detached from the Arelat in 1361]]
[[File:Map Kingdom Arelat EN.png|thumb|The [[Arelat]] and the [[Duchy of Burgundy]] in the 12th and early 13th century.
In northeastern Burgundy, what is now [[French-speaking Switzerland]], the spheres of influence of France and the Holy Roman Empire overlapped.
[[Berthold II, Duke of Swabia|Berthold II]] lost his title as the [[Duke of Swabia]] in 1098, and called himself "Duke of Zähringen" from 1100. His son [[Conrad I, Duke of Zähringen|Conrad I]] was the rival of [[Renaud III, Count of Burgundy|Renaud III of Mâcon]] for the government of the Arelat. Renaud prevailed, though he had to cede large parts of the eastern Transjuranian lands to Conrad, who was made "rector of Burgundy" in 1127 against, setting a precedent of western Switzerland being considered a territory separate from the rest of Burgundy.]]

King [[Rudolph III of Burgundy|Rudolph III]] of the [[Arelat kingdom]] (r. 993–1032) gave the Valais as his fiefdom to the [[Bishop of Sion]] in 999, and when Burgundy and thus also the Valais became part of the Holy Roman Empire in 1032, the bishop was also appointed count of the Valais. The Arelat mostly existed on paper throughout the 11th to 14th centuries, its remnants passing to [[Medieval France|France]] in 1378, but without its Swiss portions, [[canton of Bern|Bern]] and [[Aargau]] having come under [[Zähringer]] and [[House of Habsburg|Habsburg]] rule already by the 12th century, and the [[County of Savoy]] was detached from the Arelat just before its dissolution, in 1361.

The dukes of [[House of Zähringen|Zähringen]] founded many cities, the most important being [[Freiburg]] in 1120, [[Fribourg]] in 1157, and [[Bern]] in 1191. The Zähringer dynasty ended with the death of [[Berchtold V of Zähringen|Berchtold V]] in 1218, and their cities subsequently thus became ''independent'', while the dukes of [[House of Kyburg|Kyburg]] competed with the house of [[Habsburg]] over control of the rural regions of the former Zähringer territory. When the house of Zähringen died out in 1218 the office of Vogt over the Abbey of St Felix and Regula in Zürich was granted to the Habsburgs, however it was quickly revoked.<ref name="EB"/>

The rise of the Habsburg dynasty gained momentum when their main local competitor, the [[House of Kyburg|Kyburg dynasty]], died out and they could thus bring much of the territory south of the Rhine under their control. Subsequently, they managed within only a few generations to extend their influence through [[Swabia]] in south-eastern Germany to [[Austria]].

Under the [[Hohenstaufen]] rule, the alpine passes in Raetia and the [[St. Gotthard Pass]] gained importance. Especially the latter became an important direct route through the mountains. The construction of the "[[Devil’s Bridge]]" (''{{lang|de|Teufelsbrücke}}'') across the ''{{lang|de|Schöllenenschlucht}}'' in 1198 led to a marked increase in traffic on the mule track over the pass. [[Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor|Frederick II]] accorded the ''[[Reichsfreiheit]]'' to [[Schwyz]] in 1240<ref name="EB"/> in the ''Freibrief von Faenza'' in an attempt to place the important pass under his direct control, and his son and for some time co-regent Henry VII had already given the same privileges to the valley of [[Canton of Uri|Uri]] in 1231 (the ''{{lang|de|Freibrief von Hagenau}}''). [[Unterwalden]] was ''{{lang|la|[[de facto]]}}'' ''reichsfrei'', since most of its territory belonged to monasteries, which had become independent even earlier in 1173 under [[Frederick I, Holy Roman Emperor|Frederick I "Barbarossa"]] and in 1213 under Frederick II. The city of Zürich  became ''reichsfrei'' in 1218.

While some of the "Forest Communities" (''Waldstätten'', i.e. Uri, Schwyz, and Unterwalden) were ''reichsfrei'' the Habsburgs still claimed authority over some villages and much of the surrounding land. While Schwyz was ''reichsfrei'' in 1240, the castle of [[Neuhabsburg Castle|Neu Habsburg]] was built in 1244 to help control [[Lake Lucerne]] and restrict the neighboring Forest Communities.<ref name="EB"/> In 1245 Frederick II was [[excommunicated]] by [[Pope Innocent IV]] at the [[First Council of Lyon|Council of Lyon]]. When the Habsburgs took the side of the pope, some of the Forest Communities took Frederick's side. At this time the castle of Neu Habsburg was attacked and damaged.<ref name="EB"/> When Frederick failed against the Pope, those who had taken his side were threatened with excommunication and the Habsburgs gained additional power. In 1273 the rights to the Forest Communities were sold by a cadet branch of the Habsburgs to the head of the family, [[Rudolph I of Germany|Rudolf I]]. A few months later he became [[King of the Romans]], a title that would become Holy Roman Emperor. Rudolph was therefore the ruler of all the ''reichsfrei'' communities as well as the lands that he ruled as a Habsburg.

He instituted a strict rule in his homelands and raised the taxes tremendously to finance wars and further territorial acquisitions. As king, he finally had also become the direct [[liege lord]] of the Forest Communities, which thus saw their previous independence curtailed. On 16 April 1291 Rudolph bought all the rights over the town of Lucerne and the abbey estates in Unterwalden from [[Murbach Abbey]] in [[Alsace]]. The Forest Communities saw their trade route over Lake Lucerne cut off and feared losing their independence. When Rudolph died on 15 July 1291 the Communities prepared to defend themselves. On 1 August 1291 an Everlasting League was made between the Forest Communities for mutual defense against a common enemy.<ref name="EB"/>

In the Valais, increasing tensions between the [[bishops of Sion]] and the Counts of Savoy led to a war beginning in 1260. The war ended after the Battle at the ''Scheuchzermatte'' near [[Leuk]] in 1296, where the Savoy forces were crushed by the bishop's army, supported by forces from [[Bern]]. After the peace of 1301, Savoy kept only the lower part of the Valais, while the bishop controlled the upper Valais.

===The 14th century===
{{further|Growth of the Old Swiss Confederacy}}
[[File:Historische Karte CH 1315.png|thumb|The Habsburg possessions in Switzerland (pink) and the core territories of the Swiss Confederacy (yellow/orange) as of 1315.]]
With the opening of the [[Gotthard Pass]] in the 13th century, the territory of [[Central Switzerland]], primarily the valley of [[Canton of Uri|Uri]], had gained great strategical importance and was granted ''[[Reichsfreiheit]]'' by the [[Hohenstaufen]] emperors. This became the nucleus of the [[Old Swiss Confederacy|Swiss Confederacy]], which during the 1330s to 1350s grew to incorporate its core of "eight cantons" (''Acht Orte'')

The 14th century in the territory of modern Switzerland was a time of transition from the old feudal order administrated by regional families of lower nobility (such as the houses of [[Bubenberg]], [[Eschenbach, Lucerne|Eschenbach]], [[Falkenstein, Rhineland-Palatinate|Falkenstein]], [[Counts of Freiburg|Freiburg]], [[House of Frohburg|Frohburg]], [[Grünenberg]], [[Greifenstein]], [[House of Homberg|Homberg]], [[House of Kyburg|Kyburg]], [[Landenberg]], [[counts of Rapperswil|Rapperswil]], [[counts of Toggenburg|Toggenburg]], [[House of Zähringen|Zähringen]] etc.) and the development of the great powers of the late medieval period, primarily the first stage of the meteoric rise of the [[House of Habsburg]], which was confronted with rivals in [[Duchy of Burgundy|Burgundy]] and [[House of Savoy|Savoy]]. The free [[imperial city|imperial cities]], [[prince-bishopric]]s and monasteries were forced to look for allies in this unstable climate, and entered a series of pacts. Thus, the multi-polar order of the [[feudalism]] of the [[High Middle Ages]], while still visible in documents of the first half of the 14th century such as the [[Codex Manesse]] or the [[Zürich armorial]]
gradually gave way to the politics of the Late Middle Ages, with the Swiss Confederacy wedged between [[Duchy of Austria|Habsburg Austria]], the [[Duchy of Burgundy|Burgundy]], [[kingdom of France|France]], [[Duchy of Savoy|Savoy]] and [[Duchy of Milan|Milan]].
[[Bern]] had taken an unfortunate stand against Habsburg in the [[battle of Schosshalde]] in 1289, but recovered enough to confront Fribourg ([[Gümmenenkrieg]]) and then to inflict a decisive defeat on a coalition force of Habsburg, Savoy and [[Prince-Bishopric of Basel|Basel]] in the [[battle of Laupen]] in 1339. At the same time, Habsburg attempted to gain influence over the cities of [[Lucerne]] and [[Zürich]], with riots or attempted coups reported for the years 1343 and 1350 respectively. This situation led the cities of Lucerne, Zürich and Bern to attach themselves to the Swiss Confederacy in 1332, 1351, and 1353 respectively.

As elsewhere in Europe, Switzerland suffered a crisis in the middle of the century, triggered by the [[Black Death]] followed by social upheaval and [[moral panics]], often directed [[persecution of the Jews|against the Jews]] as in the [[Basel massacre]] of 1349. To this was added the catastrophic [[1356 Basel earthquake]] which devastated a wide region, and the city of [[Basel]] was destroyed almost completely in the ensuing fire.

The balance of power remained precarious during the 1350s to 1380s, with Habsburg trying to regain lost influence; [[Albert II, Duke of Austria|Albrecht II]] besieged Zürich unsuccessfully, but imposed an unfavourable peace on the city in the treaty of Regensburg. In 1375, Habsburg tried to regain control over the [[Aargau]] with the help of ''[[Gugler]]'' mercenaries. After a number of minor clashes ([[Battle of Sörenberg|Sörenberg]], [[Battle of Näfels|Näfels]]), it was with the decisive Swiss victory at the [[battle of Sempach]] 1386 that this situation was resolved. Habsburg moved its focus eastward and while it continued to grow in influence (ultimately rising to the most powerful dynasty of [[early modern Europe]]), it lost all possessions in its ancestral territory with the Swiss annexation of the Aargau in 1416, from which time the Swiss Confederacy stood for the first time as a political entity controlling a contiguous territory.

Meanwhile, in [[Basel]], the citizenry was also divided into a pro-Habsburg and an anti-Habsburg faction, known as ''Sterner'' and ''Psitticher'', respectively. The citizens of greater Basel bought most of the privileges from the bishop in 1392, and from this time on, though Basel nominally remained the domain of the prince-bishops until the Reformation, it was de facto governed by its city council, which since 1382 had been dominated by the city's guilds. Similarly, the bishop of [[Geneva]] granted the citizenry substantial political rights in 1387.

Other parts of western Switzerland remained under the control of Burgundy and Savoy throughout the 14th century; the [[Barony of Vaud]] was incorporated into Savoy in 1359 and was annexed by Bern only in the context of the [[Swiss Reformation]], in 1536. In the [[Valais]], the [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Sion|bishop of Sion]], allied with [[Amadeus VI, Count of Savoy]], was in conflict over the [[Walser]]-settled upper Valais during the 1340s. Amadeus pacified the region in 1352, but there was renewed unrest in 1353. In 1355, the towns of the upper Valais formed a defensive pact and negotiated a compromise peace treaty in 1361. This lasted until a renewed uprising in response to the 1383 accession of [[Amadeus VII, Count of Savoy]]. Amadeus invaded the Valais in 1387, but after his death in a hunting accident, his mother, Bonne de Bourbon, made peace with the Seven Tithings of the upper Valais, restoring the [[status quo ante bellum|status quo ante]] of 1301. From this time, the upper Valais was mostly independent de facto, preparing the [[République des Sept-Dizains|Republican structure]] that would emerge in the early modern period.
In the [[Grisons]], similar structures of local self-government arose at the same time, with the [[League of God's House]] founded in 1367, followed by the [[Grey League]] in 1395, both in response to the expansion of the House of Habsburg.

==See also==
*[[Charles Guillaume Loys de Bochat]]
*[[Prehistoric pile dwellings around Lake Zurich]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Bibliography==
*Im Hof, U.: ''Geschichte der Schweiz'', [[Kohlhammer Verlag]], 1974/2001. {{ISBN|3-17-017051-1}}
*Schwabe & Co.: ''Geschichte der Schweiz und der Schweizer'', {{ISBN|3-7965-2067-7}}

==External links==
{{Wikisource1911Enc|Switzerland/History/Origins|Origins of the Confederation, up to 1291}}
*[http://history-switzerland.geschichte-schweiz.ch/swiss-history-summary.html Overview of the History of Switzerland]

{{Switzerland topics}}
{{Portal bar|History|Switzerland}}

[[Category:History of Switzerland by period|Early history]]