Golden Charter of Bern

The Golden Hand festivals of Bern (also: Bernese Tangible ) is a medieval town charter, issued on April 15, 1218 in Frankfurt am Main by Emperor Frederick II Bern was carried them to the imperial city and the de facto independent city-state.

The Tangible is dated 1218, but it is according to the prevailing view today a fake subsequently created in the 13th century. It is kept in the State Archives of the Canton of Bern.

Content

The 54 articles or by-laws of Tangible awarded Bern extensive privileges, including the right to free choice of school Theissen and to adopting their own laws. They also provided for the establishment of an imperial mint, which from 1228 marked the first Bernese pennies at the latest. On January 15, 1274 King Rudolf I confirmed the Tangible formally and therefore recognized the Bernese privileges. The Golden Hand festivals can therefore be considered first constitution of the city of Bern.

The Tangible is "golden " named after the ornate golden bull that graces the document as a seal. The front shows Frederick II on the throne with the emperor regalia scepter and orb, and the inscription: ". Friedrich, by God's grace Roman king, always of the Empire, King of Sicily "

Authenticity question

Since the 1860s, the authenticity of Tangible is controversial. According to the currently prevailing opinion, it is a custom built in the mid-13th century forgery. It is believed that Berns government wanted to retain the rights in writing, the Bern possessed since the extinction of the Zähringerplatz de facto. The research indicates that the securitized in the Tangible rights for that time were unusually far-reaching, and that the handwriting to that of a contemporary writer on Frienisberg monastery resembles. The monks of this time were masters of pious fraud, the " pious fraud ", which was to adapt documents subsequently the presumed will of a deceased donor.

On the other hand, X-ray examinations in the year 2002, contrary to expectations, no evidence found that the golden bull - which is indisputably authentic - was taken from a genuine imperial decree and subsequently attached to the Golden Hand festivals. The debate about the authenticity of Tangible is not done yet.

Swell

  • Rainer C. Schwinges: Successfully forged - the Golden Hand festivals. In: Rainer C. Schwinges (ed.): Berns brave time. The 13th and 14th century rediscovered. Schulverlag BLMV AG and Stämpfli Verlag AG, Bern 2003, ISBN 3-7272-1272-1, pp. 231-232.
  • Barbara Spalinger: The Golden Bull of Tangible x-ray. In: Rainer C. Schwinges (ed.): Berns brave time. The 13th and 14th century rediscovered. Schulverlag BLMV AG and Stämpfli Verlag AG, Bern 2003, ISBN 3-7272-1272-1, p 233
  • Fritz Häusler: From the city foundation until the Reformation. In: Peter Meyer (Ed. ): Bernese - your story. Landscape and city of Berne from prehistory to the present ( = Illustrated Encyclopedia Bernese 2). Büchler Verlag, Bern 1981, ISBN 3-7170-0185- X, pp. 51-106, here p 58
Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor Haandfæstning Globus cruciger Frienisberg Abbey
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