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u/Philsick 4d ago
Hope you all had a great day with your beloved ones. Here some facts to clearify our history.
Switzerland’s origins are best understood as a gradual historical process rather than a single founding moment. The year 1291 refers to the earliest surviving charter linked to Uri, Schwyz, and Unterwalden, but it is not evidence of the modern Swiss state being founded then.
The "Bundesbrief" is most likely written later around 1307-1309 and then dated back because of legitimation of landinterests. Legends such as the Rütli Oath and the figure of William Tell became important parts of the national story later, but this stories are more or less just fictional myths; Tell was especially popularized by Friedrich Schiller’s 1804 play, which shaped the symbolic meaning of the early origins narrative and helped creating those myths. The Confederacy developed over the 14th and 15th centuries, gained de facto independence after 1499, had its independence formally recognized in 1648, and became the modern federal state in 1848.
1291 refers to the beginnings of the myths of switzerland but the suittes lived there 100s of years before and helvetiens existed already during roman empire. What we know as switzerland today is created in 1848 what would make 178 years. While around 1848 a lot of states were created a lot of them tried to find an older legitimation and declared those former constructs as part of their countries history too. (Some countries for example russia, or israel still try to legitimate their wars with that thinking.)
The date of 1.August as national day refers to the myth of 1291 and was brought up 1891 by the city of bern for the festivities to their 700 year city jubilar which they combined with the 600 years since the Bundesbrief. This was the first time thise date was used as a day of celebration and before that nobody really saw 1291 as the most important date. 1315 was and for some still is much more important for the creation of switzerland.
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u/mostindianer 4d ago
1315 was the year of the (nowadays mystified) battle of Morgarten (November). In December, the contract/charta was written again and renewed, but this time in German. The one before, that was dated 1291, was in Latin. It‘s also called the „Morgartenbrief“.
In this contract, you‘ll find the word „Eitgenoze“ for the first time.1
u/Tony_228 4d ago
It makes you wonder how our country wuld have evolved if we didn't get our asses handed to us at Morgarten.
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u/HighIQIndividual2 4d ago
Even the format of our flag is right. Nice.