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The Federal Charter or Letter of Alliance (German: Bundesbrief) is one of the earliest constitutional documents of Switzerland. A treaty of alliance from 1291 between the cantons of Uri, Schwyz and Unterwalden, the Charter is one of a series of alliances from which the Old Swiss Confederacy emerged.
- Early August 1291
- Union of three cantons in what is now central Switzerland
The Federal Charter from early August 1291 is Switzerland's oldest constitutional document. In this ancient pact, the valley communities of Central Switzerland, Uri, Schwyz and Nidwalden pledged to help each other resist any threat of violence or injustice.
The Federal Charter of 1291 first assumed great importance in a report by the Federal Department of Home Affairs of 21 November 1889, suggesting a celebration in Bern in 1891 that would combine the city's 700th anniversary with the Confederacy's 600th anniversary.
- First of August
- Switzerland
- 1st August
- Anniversary of the Federal Charter of 1291
August 1 – Federal Charter of 1291: The "three forest cantons" (Waldstätte) of Switzerland (Schwyz, Uri and Unterwalden) form a defensive alliance to protect themselves from the House of Habsburg, this is a starting point for growth of the Old Swiss Confederacy.
The Federal Charter of 1291 and the legend of William Tell are also parts of the historical events and myths surrounding the country's origins. The Swiss Cross, once an identifying military feature of the Swiss Confederation, did not become the official national emblem of modern Switzerland until 1889.
Switzerland's day of remembrance is August 1, which commemorates the creation of an alliance in 1291 when the states of Uri, Schwyz, and Nidwalden (part of Unterwalden) established a "perpetual league" by authorizing the "Federal Charter" or Bundesbrief. This pact was perhaps an early step toward the founding of the Swiss state, because it ...
The Federal Charter of 1291 and the Founding of the Swiss State. Albert Winkler, Brigham Young University - Provo Follow. Keywords. Federal Charter, Bundesbrief, forgery of manuscripts, Switzerland history, Switzerland politics, House of Habsburg, Perpetual League, 1291. Abstract.
