Niklaus Thut

Niklaus-Thut-Brunnen in the old town of Zofingen

Niklaus Thut († July 9, 1386 ; spelling at the time: Claus Tuto ) was mayor of the Habsburg (now Swiss ) city of Zofingen and fell in the battle of Sempach . He has been revered as a legendary city hero since the 16th century.

His date of birth is unknown as almost all of the city's documents were destroyed in the city fire in 1396. He was a wealthy city citizen and went through the official career that was customary at the time. From 1375 to 1379 he held the highest office to be awarded, that of mayor. After 1380, Lucerne began to deliberately expand its territory; while other cities in the area allied themselves with the Lucerne people, Zofingen remained loyal to the Habsburgs.

In the battle of Sempach on July 9, 1386, Niklaus Thut led the Zofingen auxiliary troops into battle as the standard bearer. He and eleven other Zofingers died in the battle. According to legend, shortly before his death, he tore the Zofingen banner from the stick, swallowed it and thus withdrew it from the confederates' access . In this way he saved the city from great disgrace. When Thut's body was transferred to his hometown three days after the battle, the banner was found in his stomach.

The fate of the Zofinger banner and its rescue is not mentioned in contemporary sources, the first written record only appeared in the 16th century. The story of Thut's heroism subsequently developed into the actual city myth and Niklaus Thut has since been venerated as the city's patron. In 1894, the Zofingia student association founded the Niklaus-Thut-Brunnen on the occasion of its 75th anniversary. The Gerechtigkeitsplatz in the old town of Zofingen, on which the fountain was built, has since been called Niklaus-Thut-Platz.

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personal data
SURNAME	Thut, Niklaus
ALTERNATIVE NAMES	Tuto, Claus
BRIEF DESCRIPTION	Schultheiss of the Habsburg city of Zofingen
DATE OF BIRTH	13th century or 14th century
DATE OF DEATH	July 9, 1386