Gallows war

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A bloodless conflict between the federal estates of Basel and Solothurn in 1531 and 1532 is referred to as the gallows war , which ostensibly concerned court jurisdiction. But denominational differences and territorial rivalries were in the background of the dispute.

Ever since Basel acquired areas in the Sisgau from the first half of the 15th century and Solothurn did the same from the second half, the two cantons have been in a hostile relationship. When the Thierstein-Pfeffingen aristocratic family died out in 1519, an inheritance dispute became acute, in which Solothurn and the Principality of Basel prevailed against Basel in 1522. Solothurn was able to expand Dorneck Castle, bought in 1485, with the hinterland on the Sisgau Gempenplateau . From 1502 it was set up by the Landvogtei Dorneck. However, Basel had acquired the Sisgauer Landgraviate rights in 1461/1510 and saw himself as the supreme court lord over large parts of the northern foot of the Jurassic , including the Gempen plateau. This meant that Solothurn and Basel claims to rule crossed over in the same area. The antagonism was given an intensifying denominational component when Basel reformed itself in 1529, while Solothurn remained Catholic.

The dispute over jurisdiction in a murder case ignited the smoldering conflict in February 1531. Basel demanded the highest jurisdiction over the Solothurn municipalities Dornach , Hochwald , Büren , Nuglar-St. Pantaleon , Seewen and Gempen . In contrast, Solothurn had a gallows demonstratively erected in Gempen to reaffirm its authority. After Basel had this gallows broken off, Solothurn responded with a military contingent. At this point, the Swiss Confederation acted as a mediator between the two warring estates. An arbitration award dated July 27, 1531, approved Solothurn by a Catholic majority. Only in the eastern part of the municipality of Nunningen, Basel remained the high court (until 1665). With the definitive contract of December 13, 1532, the border of the Landgraviate was moved to a line that still separates the cantons of Solothurn and Baselland .

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