Unterwalden facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Unterwalden
Unterwalden
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| c. 1300–1798 1815–1999 |
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 Flag
 Coat of arms
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| Status | Canton of the Old Swiss Confederacy | ||||||||||||||||
| History | |||||||||||||||||
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• Established
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c. 1300 | ||||||||||||||||
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• Imperial immediacy
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1309 | ||||||||||||||||
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• Pact of Brunnen
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1315 | ||||||||||||||||
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• division of Obwalden and Nidwalden
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before 1500 | ||||||||||||||||
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• Disestablished
modern canton |
1798 1815–1999 |
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Unterwalden was an old name for a special area in central Switzerland. Its name means "between the forests" in Latin. It was once a part of the Old Swiss Confederacy, which was like an early version of Switzerland.
This area was made up of two valleys, or Talschaften. Today, these two valleys are separate Swiss regions called Obwalden and Nidwalden. They are located south of Lake Lucerne.
Contents
Discovering Unterwalden's Past
The name Unterwalden was first written down in 1304. It came from the Latin words inter silvas, meaning "between the forests." This name was used for lands owned by monasteries in the region.
Early History and Important Dates
In 1291, a ruler named Rudolf I of Germany bought lands in places like Stans, Alpnach, and Giswil. From 1304, the local leaders, called bailiffs, started using their own official seals.
In 1309, Henry VII, a powerful emperor, confirmed that Unterwalden was directly under his rule. This meant it was part of the Waldstätte imperial area. However, it was not yet a fully independent political region on its own.
The Federal Charter, a very important document dated 1291, is believed to have been created around this time. In this document, Unterwalden is mentioned as the "community of the men between the mountains of the Lower Valley." This part is often thought to mean Nidwalden.
Unterwalden was one of the three original areas that formed the Old Swiss Confederacy. It joined with Uri and Schwyz in the Pact of Brunnen in 1315.
How Unterwalden Divided
Over time, Unterwalden slowly split into two separate areas: Obwalden and Nidwalden. This happened during the 14th and 15th centuries. Even though they became two distinct areas with their own local governments, they still had only one vote together in the Swiss Confederacy.
Symbols and Flags of Unterwalden
In the 14th and 15th centuries, the flag of Unterwalden was split horizontally with red on top and white on the bottom. This was the same as the flag of Solothurn. When Solothurn joined the Confederacy in 1481, they had to change Solothurn's flag a bit to tell them apart.
By the year 1600, Nidwalden was known as Unterwalden itself, or Subsylvania. Obwalden was called "Unterwalden ob dem Wald," which meant "Unterwalden above the forest." This was a bit confusing since "Unterwalden" already meant "between the forests."
Around this time, Obwalden and Nidwalden also got their own separate coats of arms. Nidwalden kept the red-and-white flag. Obwalden had a silver key on a red background.
By the 1640s, these two designs were combined. The new coat of arms for the united Unterwalden had a white and red key on a background that was half red and half white.
Unterwalden's Role in the Confederacy
In the early modern period, Unterwalden was seen as one single state when dealing with other parts of the Swiss Confederacy. However, inside Unterwalden, it was actually two separate states. They had their own governments, laws, and flags.
A writer named Martin Zeiller noted in 1642 that Unterwalden was divided into two Talschaft areas. He even wrote that the people in Obwalden came from "Romans" and those in Nidwalden came from "Germans."
Unterwalden in Modern Times
Unterwalden was brought back together in 1803 with a single constitution. But it still had two separate capitals, Sarnen and Stans. It also had two separate local assemblies, called Landsgemeinde, which had equal power.
Unterwalden was listed as a canton in the Swiss Constitution of 1848, called Unterwalden (ob und nid dem Wald). However, in the 1999 constitution, the name Unterwalden was removed. Now, Obwalden and Nidwalden are officially named as two separate cantons.
Gallery
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This image from 1572 shows Unterwalden as one of the thirteen cantons. Its name is in Latin, Sylvania. The date 1315 is given as its founding year, which was the date of the Pact of Brunnen. This pact was seen as the start of the Swiss Confederacy for a long time. You can also see the old flag of Unterwalden, which looked just like the later Flag of Solothurn.
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This is a Standesscheibe (a type of stained glass panel) from the 16th century. It shows the red-and-white design for Obwalden and the double-key design for Nidwalden.
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A map of Underwalden from 1642 by Matthäus Merian.
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