Dominik Gmür (politician, 1800)

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Dominik Gmür (born June 21, 1800 in Schänis ; † January 7, 1867 there ) was a Swiss politician . From 1848 to 1851 he was a member of the National Council. During the Sonderbund War of 1847 he was the leader of the troops from the canton of St. Gallen .

biography

Gmür came from a leading family in the Gasterland . His father of the same name was the last under-bailiff of Schänis before the Helvetic Republic was proclaimed in 1798 . From 1815 to 1817 Gmür stayed in Milan , where he did modern language and technical-mathematical studies. After his return he ran a restaurant in the town hall of Schänis, which was owned by the family . He also worked as a truck driver and farmer, after a few years he rose to become the largest landowner in Gasterland. In the military he had the rank of colonel from 1839 , and he was also president of the cantonal military court.

Gmür represented radical liberal views and was elected to the Grand Council of the Canton of St. Gallen in 1831 , to which he belonged with interruptions until his death. With two dozen like-minded people he moved to Rapperswil in January 1833 in order to break through roadblocks there in the so-called "guest war", which in his opinion hindered free trade between Zurich and Graubünden . Although a Catholic himself, Gmür was a staunch opponent of the Sonderbund of Catholic-Conservative Cantons. Which side the «fateful canton» of St. Gallen would take had to be decided in the elections for the Grand Council on May 2, 1847. The voters of the Gaster district met in Schänis for an election meeting. Gmür convinced those present, among whom numerous non-voting Glarus residents had mingled, to elect mostly liberal candidates.

The Liberals gained the upper hand in the Grand Council. As a result, a majority of the cantons now advocated the violent dissolution of the Sonderbund. In the subsequent Sonderbund War , Gmür led the 6,000-strong 5th Division, which was mainly composed of St. Gallen. He won the battle at Meierskappel on November 23, 1847 and accepted the surrender of the Canton of Schwyz . In October 1848 Gmür ran for the first national council elections and was elected in the constituency of St. Gallen-West . In the so-called Büsinger trade of 1849, he was commander-in-chief of the brigades on the northern border and had no luck in handling the affair, which cost him his good reputation among the Swiss citizens. In 1851 he decided not to be re-elected. For several years, Gmür organized the emigration of impoverished Schänis residents to North America. He was also significantly involved in the planning and construction of the Rapperswil – Ziegelbrücke railway line, which opened in 1859 .

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Albert Leutenegger: The Büsinger Handel: 1849. In: Thurgauische contributions to patriotic history , Heft 63 (1926), p. 66 footnote. doi : 10.5169 / seals-585265
personal data
SURNAME Gmür, Dominik
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Swiss politician
DATE OF BIRTH June 21, 1800
PLACE OF BIRTH Schänis
DATE OF DEATH January 7, 1867
Place of death Schänis