The Pfaffenbrief is a contract dated to October 7, 1370, between six states of the
Old Swiss Confederacy,
Zürich
, neighboring_municipalities = Adliswil, Dübendorf, Fällanden, Kilchberg, Maur, Oberengstringen, Opfikon, Regensdorf, Rümlang, Schlieren, Stallikon, Uitikon, Urdorf, Wallisellen, Zollikon
, twintowns = Kunming, San Francisco
Zürich ...
,
Lucerne,
Zug
, neighboring_municipalities = Cham, Baar, Walchwil, Steinhausen, Unterägeri
, twintowns = Fürstenfeld (Austria), Kalesija (Bosnia-Herzegowina)
Zug (Standard German: , Alemannic German: ; french: Zoug it, Zugo r ...
,
Uri,
Schwyz
The town of Schwyz (; french: Schwytz; it, Svitto) is the capital of the canton of Schwyz in Switzerland.
The Federal Charter of 1291 or ''Bundesbrief'', the charter that eventually led to the foundation of Switzerland, can be seen at the ' ...
and
Unterwalden
Unterwalden, translated from the Latin ''inter silvas''(''between the forests''), is the old name of a forest-canton of the Old Swiss Confederacy in central Switzerland, south of Lake Lucerne, consisting of two valleys or '' Talschaften'', no ...
(with
Bern and
Glarus
, neighboring_municipalities= Glarus Nord, Glarus Süd, Muotathal (SZ), Innerthal (SZ)
, twintowns= Wiesbaden-Biebrich (Germany)
}
Glarus (; gsw, Glaris; french: Glaris; it, Glarona; rm, Glaruna) is the capital of the canton of Glarus ...
missing).
In the Pfaffenbrief they for the first time expressed themselves as a territorial unity, referring to themselves as ''unser
Eydgnosschaft''. They assumed in this document authority over clericals (''Pfaffen''), subjecting them to their worldly legislation. Furthermore, the ''Pfaffenbrief'' forbade
feuds and the parties pledged to guarantee the peace on the road from Zürich to the
St. Gotthard pass.
The immediate cause of the contract was an attack of the
provost of the cathedral (
Grossmünster
The Grossmünster (; "great minster") is a Romanesque-style Protestant church in Zürich, Switzerland. It is one of the four major churches in the city (the others being the Fraumünster, Predigerkirche and St. Peterskirche). Its congregation f ...
) of Zürich, Bruno Brun, on
Peter von Gundoldingen, mayor of Lucerne, on September 13, 1370. Brun held Gundoldingen imprisoned and refused to recognize the jurisdiction of a secular court, but was banned from Zürich and his prisoner released. The Pfaffenbrief was drawn up because the Confederacy was concerned that Brun, who was in
Habsburg services, might still appeal to a court of the
Holy Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire was a political entity in Western, Central, and Southern Europe that developed during the Early Middle Ages and continued until its dissolution in 1806 during the Napoleonic Wars.
From the accession of Otto I in 962 ...
, or to an ecclesiastical court, and to avoid similar disputes in the future.
References
*
External links
*
*Schaff, Ph.:
Pfaffenbrief', entry from ''New Schaff-Herzog Encyclopedia of Religious Knowledge'', CCEL online edition. In English.
{{Authority control
Legal history of Switzerland
14th century in the Old Swiss Confederacy
1370s in the Holy Roman Empire
1370 in Europe
1370s treaties