Battles of Villmergen

The battles of Villmergen opposed the cantons reformed to the catholic cantons of the Confédération of the XIII cantons in Switzerland on January 24th, 1656 and on July 24th, 1712 on the territory of the commune of Villmergen.

First battle

The first battle was caused by an attempt at reform of the Confederation in 1655 but the operation failed because of catholic resistance. The political conflict on bottom of Reform between Zurich and Schwytz envenima. Zurich required as soon as possible of its allies to declare the war with the catholic cantons. The troops inhabitants of Zurich carried out by the general Rodolphe Werdmüller besieged vainly the city of Rapperswil whereas the catholic troops cut the bonds between Zurich and Bern while beating in manner flash thanks to “Peace of Aarau”. The religious conflict was going however to brood until the Guerre of Sonderbund in 1847 which led to the Swiss Confédération.

The troops Bernese and inhabitants of Zurich, victorious, seized the library of the Abbaye of Saint-Gall. If Bern returned later the goods concealed, Zurich preserved part of the spoils, in particular manuscripts and a sphere of astronomy. This problem was solved only in 2006 since it is thanks to the intervention of Pascal Couchepin that the two cantons found a compromise. The property of the objects remained in hands inhabitants of Zurich but a certain number of manuscripts were lent in the long run to Saint-Gall. The sphere is always with the Landesmuseum of Zurich but a certified copy should be offered to Saint-Gall.

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