(NOKIA-5800)Photos by:-Vincent Jeyan
The origin of the Swiss Confederation is conventionally regarded as being the oath of mutual support sworn between the three "original cantons" - Schwyz, Uri and Unterwalden (now divided into Nidwalden and Obwalden) - in 1291.
They were prompted to do this by the death of the German Emperor, Rudolf of Habsburg, because they feared that his successor might try to take away the rightsand freedoms they had been granted and impose an outside governor.
Similar alliances had been sworn before by the various communities in central Switzerland, but this is the first one whose text has been preserved.
The swearing ceremony took place on the Rütli meadow by Lake Lucerne, which has since become a symbol of Swiss freedom.
The origin of the Swiss Confederation is conventionally regarded as being the oath of mutual support sworn between the three "original cantons" - Schwyz, Uri and Unterwalden (now divided into Nidwalden and Obwalden) - in 1291.They were prompted to do this by the death of the German Emperor, Rudolf of Habsburg, because they feared that his successor might try to take away the rightsand freedoms they had been granted and impose an outside governor.
Similar alliances had been sworn before by the various communities in central Switzerland, but this is the first one whose text has been preserved.
The swearing ceremony took place on the Rütli meadow by Lake Lucerne, which has since become a symbol of Swiss freedom.
