Inheritance (Switzerland)

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Two contracts between the Habsburgs and the Confederates, which were concluded in 1477 and 1511 , are referred to as inheritance . A contract of the three leagues with the House of Austria, signed in 1518 , is also called inheritance.

In contrast to princely inheritance, one did not assign each other the possessions in case of inheritance, but only inherited the contract itself. In principle, the Swiss-Habsburg inheritance was concluded for an unlimited period of time. The first of the unions was concluded on October 13, 1477 between the cantons of Zurich, Bern, Solothurn and Lucerne on the one hand and Duke Sigismund of Tyrol on the other. The other Swiss towns joined in January 1478. In the treaty the territorial status quo was recognized and Sigismund renounced all former Habsburg possessions in Switzerland. But this was done by Emperor Friedrich III., the head of the Habsburg house, not recognized.

While the emperor was still alive , a new inheritance was negotiated with his successor, King Maximilian , in 1487, the content of which corresponded to the first. Maximilian signed the contract - probably out of consideration for Friedrich III. - then not ratified. The second attempt to renew the contract in 1500 also failed. The second inheritance between Maximilian and the Swiss did not come about until February 7, 1511. The treaty was not only valid for the emperor himself, but also for his grandson Karl as heir to the county of Burgundy. On the Swiss side, Appenzell and the city and abbey of St. Gallen were now included.

The contracts contained a no-challenge clause. In contrast to that of 1477, the inheritance of 1511 no longer provided for any obligation to help. Charles V tried to include such a provision in the treaty in order to win the Swiss as allies against France, but failed.

Maximilian I concluded an inheritance with the Drei Bünden in 1518, which took the place of older, temporary contracts.

The legacies were repeatedly confirmed by the contracting parties and remained valid until 1798.

Web links