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The Battle of Murten, 1476

Significance of the Battle (2)

Symbolic significance

Murten’s symbolic significance for the old Confederates, and for Berne, Solothurn and Fribourg in particular, has always been immense. As a loose confederation of states, at odds most of the time and used to pursuing their own private interests, it had succeeded for the first time by closing ranks in vanquishing Europe’s best armed and at the time most powerful prince. Strength through unity became something of a Helvetic motto.

Even in the 19th and 20th century the patriotic symbolism lost none of its force, as the great battle celebrations and political speeches have shown.

Indeed, it was this context of patriotism that prompted the speculators from the town of Einsiedeln to commission the Panorama of the Battle of Murten.

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