Morgarten

The Battle of Morgarten is an integral part of the Swiss festival calendar, even though little is known about the encounter between the Habsburgs and the people of Schwyz. Not even the exact location of the battle is definitively established. Since 1800, the site has been sought, visited, and described by travelers as a classic or historical location. The celebrations for the 700th anniversary of the Battle of Morgarten in 2015 served as the starting point for this book. Silvia Hess examines not only the political use of history but also, for the first time, Morgarten as a tourist attraction. A visit to the site has been associated with opportunities to see and feel the historical events of the battle since the late 18th century, culminating in the landscaping for the anniversary year 2015.