Pfaffenbrief
ThePfaffenbriefis a contract dated to October 7, 1370, between six states of theOld Swiss Confederacy,Zürich,Lucerne,Zug,Uri,SchwyzandUnterwalden(withBernandGlarusmissing).
In the Pfaffenbrief they for the first time expressed themselves as a territorial unity, referring to themselves asunserEydgnosschaft.They assumed in this document authority over clericals (Pfaffen), subjecting them to their worldly legislation. Furthermore, thePfaffenbriefforbadefeudsand the parties pledged to guarantee the peace on the road from Zürich to theSt. Gotthardpass.
The immediate cause of the contract was an attack of theprovostof the cathedral (Grossmünster) of Zürich, Bruno Brun, onPeter 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 inHabsburgservices, might still appeal to a court of theHoly Roman Empire,or to an ecclesiastical court, and to avoid similar disputes in the future.
References
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This article incorporates text from a publication in thepublic domain:Jackson, Samuel Macauley, ed. (1914).New Schaff–Herzog Encyclopedia of Religious Knowledge(third ed.). London and New York: Funk and Wagnalls.{{cite encyclopedia}}:Missing or empty|title=(help)
External links
[edit]- Carl Pfaff:PfaffenbriefinGerman,FrenchandItalianin the onlineHistorical Dictionary of Switzerland.
- Schaff, Ph.:Pfaffenbrief,entry fromNew Schaff-Herzog Encyclopedia of Religious Knowledge,CCEL online edition. In English.
