Hedwig from Burghalden

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Hedwig Fountain (1668), with fountain figure by Gustav Siber (1912)

Hedwig ab Burghalden stands for the resilience of the Zurich women in 1292. Almost nothing is known about her person, only a fountain figure by Gustav Siber from 1912 reminds of her.

The armored women

In 1292 the Austrian Duke Albrecht I of Habsburg moved with a strong army in front of the city in order to force it back under his rule. Shortly before, the people of Zurich had lost many brave citizens in a battle near Winterthur . Albrecht therefore hoped to be able to conquer the city without great effort. He camped with his army on the Spanweid on the slope of the Zürichberg. The danger was great: no one had thought of a siege and there was a shortage of warriors.

In this distress, the women decided to put on armor. On the Muensterhof they gathered and entered, provided with a shield and spear in rows. Then, to the sound of the drums and whistles, the train strode over the upper and lower bridge and up Strehlgasse to the Lindenhof . Hedwig from Burghalden was the leader. They stood at the parapet and, shouting loudly, brandished their weapons at the enemy to show him that they were not afraid.

Duke Albrecht watched from his bed what was going on in the Lindenhof. He believed there were a lot of soldiers in the city. However, since he was not equipped for a long siege and preferred to win the friendship of the well-armed city, he made peace and withdrew with his army to Winterthur. Zurich had been saved by its courageous and determined wives and daughters.

Fountain figure on the Lindenhof in Zurich

At the place of the Kaiserpfalz in Zurich on today's Lindenhof, Hedwig stands from Burghalden in armor and armed as a fountain figure. It is recorded as a fresco on a house in the old town.

Honor

Hedwig ab Burghalden was honored by the Gesellschaft zu Fraumünster in 2001 on the occasion of the annual women's honor at Sechseläuten .

  • Fountain figure by Gustav Siber (1912)

  • fresco

  • Etching, Zurich Central Library, graphic collection and photo archive. The same illustration, but with the dimensions 15.1 × 12.5 cm, was published for the New Year's sheet of the Zurich City Library in 1824. It is attributed to Franz Hegi and is also part of the graphic collection.

Web links

literature

  • Walter Oberholzer: Local history of the city of Zurich. , Verlag Schul- und Büromaterialverwaltung, Zurich 1969, p. 12.
personal data
SURNAME Burghalden, exit Hedwig
BRIEF DESCRIPTION armed fighter
DATE OF BIRTH 13th Century
DATE OF DEATH 13th century or 14th century