Subject area

The structure of the old Confederation in the 18th century. In light colors, the subject areas of the city and country towns, the related places and the common lordships.

Map of the Common Dominions in the Old Confederation

As subjects areas or subjects the country were in the Old Confederacy those areas designated owned the no political independence.

There were essentially four types of subject areas:

The territories of the city centers , with the exception of the cities themselves. Power in the city centers came from the citizens of the capital, or from a small upper class (the patricians ) within it. Thus the rest of these places were de facto subjects. However, there were federal structures based on traditional civil liberties. Within the canton of Bern, the municipal cities of Aarau , Brugg , Zofingen and Lenzburg had their own council constitution and great autonomy. Some of the local authorities were able to choose the Haslital landscape themselves. In the canton of Zurich, the so-called municipal cities of Winterthur and Stein am Rhein also owned subject areas.
The subject areas of the country places . Here the power came from the rural communities , but within the rulership of these places there were also districts whose residents were not given a say. These areas were:
- In the canton of Zug, the municipalities of Cham , Hünenberg , Risch (then Gangolfswil ), Steinhausen and Walchwil .
- In the canton of Schwyz the districts of March , Höfe , Einsiedeln and Küssnacht .
- In the canton of Glarus, the county of Werdenberg (today canton of St. Gallen ).
- In the canton of Uri the Urserental and the Livinental ( Leventina , today Canton Ticino ).
The subject areas of the facing places for example:
- Three groups the areas around the cities of Chiavenna , Sondrio , Morbegno , Tirano and Bormio so the Valtellina .
- Prince Abbey of St. Gallen the landscapes of Toggenburg and Fürstenland .
- Valais the Lower Valais .

The common gentlemen . They were jointly subordinate to several places.