thumb
Niklaus Leuenberger (c. July 17, 1615 – executed 6 September, 1653 Bern) was one of the leaders of the rural rebellion that led to the
Swiss peasant war of 1653
The Swiss peasant war of 1653 () was a popular revolt in the Old Swiss Confederacy at the time of the Ancien Régime. A devaluation of Bernese money caused a tax revolt that spread from the Entlebuch valley in the Canton of Lucerne to the Emmen ...
in Switzerland. He was nicknamed the "King of the Peasants"
Leuenberger was baptized on July 17, 1615. He was part of a well-to-do peasant family. His father, Hans, was born in 1586. From 1643, he was a member of the court of Ranflüh.
Appointed leader of the uprising shortly before the formation of the "League of Huttwil" (May 14, 1653), he was nicknamed the "King of the Peasants" because he was one of the leaders of the rebellion. Leuenberger had Bern besieged by his troops on May 22, 1653. Six days later, after reaching an agreement with the mayor of Bern (the "peace of Murifeld") Leuenberger left the vicinity of the city.
On June 3, 1653, his troops clashed at Wohlenschwil with the contingent of Conrad Werdmüller, who had not been informed in time of the development of the situation. Ill-equipped, Leuenberger's army was defeated and had to retreat.
On June 4 1653, he signed the Treaty of Mellingen along with Christian Schybi.
On June 7, 1653, a Bernese expedition led by Sigmund von Erlach encountered a regiment of 2,000 men from Leuenberger. The peasants fell back to Herzogenbuchsee where they were defeated by Von Erlach. The city was burned during the battle and Leuenberger fled. He tried to hide but was betrayed by a neighbor
On June 9, 1653, Samuel Tribolet, the Landvogt (sheriff) of the district of Bern apprehended him.
On September 6, 1653, After the defeat of the peasants at
Herzogenbuchsee
Herzogenbuchsee is a municipality in the Oberaargau administrative district in the canton of Bern in Switzerland.
The population is 7055 (2011), counting the villages in the Oberaargau. The traditional name was ''Buchsi''.
History
Herzogenb ...
, he was delivered to the
Bernese authorities. Leuenberger was executed by decapitation with a sword and drawn and quartered in Bern. His head was fixed on a gallows with a copy of the Huttwil league federal charter next to it. Four parts of his body were exhibited on the four highways out Bern.
On June 7, 1903, on the occasion of the 250th anniversary of the Peasants' War, in
Emmental
The Emmental ( en, Emme Valley) is a valley in west-central Switzerland, forming part of the canton of Bern. It is a hilly landscape comprising the basins of the rivers Emme (river), Emme and Ilfis (river), Ilfis. The region is mostly devoted to ...
(municipality of
Ruderswil) erected a monument in honor of Niklaus Leuenberger.
Footnotes
* All dates are given according to the Gregorian calendar, which was already in effect in all the Catholic cantons. The Protestant cantons still followed the Julian calendar at that time.
[Stüssi-Lauterburg 2003, p. 20.]
Notes
References
*Stüssi-Lauterburg, J.; Luginbühl, H.; Gasser, A.; Greminger, A. (2003): ''Verachtet Herrenpossen! Verschüchet fremde Gäst!'', Verlag Merker im Effingerhof, Lenzburg; 2003. .
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Leuenberger, Niklaus
Swiss rebels
1653 deaths
Year of birth uncertain
17th-century Swiss people
Executed Swiss people
People executed by Switzerland by decapitation
17th-century executions by Switzerland
Peasant revolts
