Niklaus von Wengi
Niklaus von Wengi the Younger (* around 1485 in Solothurn ; † 1549 ibid) was a Solothurn politician. Wengi became known as the “hero of the Solothurn Reformation” who, as a Catholic mayor, prevented a religious war in the canton of Solothurn through courageous intervention .
Origin and name
Niklaus von Wengi was born around 1485 as the son of a butcher and a farmer's daughter. His family came from the Bernese village of Wengi and always called themselves "von Wengi" after this place of origin. The common name form Niklaus Wengi is therefore incorrect. Niklaus von Wengi the younger was not related to the older mayor of the same name; the representation of the historical-biographical lexicon of Switzerland , which describes the younger Niklaus von Wengi as the illegitimate great-nephew of the older one, is wrong and based on a mix-up.
Political career
In 1507 Niklaus von Wengi was elected to the Solothurn Grand Council . From 1518 to 1521 he was Governor in the rule Gösgen . In 1523 he was promoted to the Small Council (today a government councilor ), from 1525 he was also a member of the city court and from 1528 the builder (responsible for construction). Frequent diplomatic missions took him to the neighboring cantons, French-speaking Switzerland and Central Switzerland . In 1530 he was elected sack master and in 1532 to succeed the mayor Peter Hebolt ; In the former office, Niklaus von Wengi replaced a Reformed man , and as mayor he was preferred to the Reformed Hans Hugi. Both were related to the decreasing success of the reformatory efforts in Solothurn and the increasing driving back of the Reformed.
Intervene in confessional conflict
The Solothurn supporters of the Reformed denomination were banned from worship in the city of Solothurn in 1532 after a conflict over the election of Niklaus von Wengi as mayor broke out. This ultimately led to an uprising by the Reformed in November 1533. They holed up in the suburb of Solothurn, where they hoped for help from Bern . The Catholic Solothurners intended to end this uprising by force by destroying the suburb with cannon fire from the other bank of the Aare . According to the tradition of the historian Franz Haffner , Niklaus von Wengi stood in front of the muzzle of the second cannon that was ready to fire after the first cannon shot and called with the following words not to shoot at fellow citizens:
"[...] dear pious burgers / if you are willing to shoot over, I want to be the first to be the man who has to perish, look at and endure the things [...]"
Even though von Wengi stood up - successfully - against an armed conflict, he always defended the Catholic position and in the subsequent negotiations, without making any concessions to the Reformed, campaigned for the restoration of the ecclesiastical unity of the canton and city of Solothurn.
Alternating with his counterparts Urs Hugi and Urs Schluni, Niklaus von Wengi continued to work as mayor until his death in 1549. He lived on Hauptgasse, on the site of today's Jeger wallpaper shop.
Monuments
Various streets in the canton of Solothurn are named after Niklaus von Wengi, including Wengistrasse in Solothurn and Niklaus-Wengi-Strasse in Grenchen . One of the bridges that connect the old town with the suburb of Solothurn is called the Wengibrücke .
literature
- Hans Sigrist: Niklaus von Wengi the Younger . In: Yearbook for Solothurn History; 53: 63-70 (1980). Gassmann, Solothurn 1980. ( doi : 10.5169 / seals-324740 )
Individual evidence
- ↑ Sigrist, p. 63
- ↑ Sigrist, p. 63
- ^ Franz Haffner: The small Solothurn general Schaw-Platz [...] 2. Theyl. Johann Jacob Bernhardt, Solothurn 1666, p. 217 ( online ).
- ↑ Sigrist, p. 69
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Wengi, Niklaus von |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Solothurn politician |
| DATE OF BIRTH | 1485 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Solothurn |
| DATE OF DEATH | 1549 |
| Place of death | Solothurn |