White Book of Sarnen

The White Book of Sarnen was written from 1470 to 1472 by the Canton Obwalden and writer Hans Schriber handwritten on paper with supplements from him to 1474 and supplements of 5 other hands from 1481 to 1607 is in the State Archives of Obwalden in the witches tower in Sarnen kept ( signature.: A.02.CHR.0003 ).

Content

The White Book of Sarnen contains the first part of about 350 pages of transcripts relevant for Obwalden deeds and contracts from the early Confederation. The lyrics are from different cities, places, princes, bishops, French and German kings, their decision to fish, the regime of navigation of Alpnach to Luzern (from 1424), the control of the borders with Entlebuch and other document copies from 1315.

The second part of 22 pages and 706 lines describes the history of Uri, Schwyz and Unterwalden. The book draws on older templates that go back in some parts to the 14th century. On line 66 of the second part the later repeatedly embellished Tell motifs are described, underpinned by personal and place names. Here are the oldest representations of the various elements of the exemption say: bad bailiffs, which have exceeded their powers vested in them, tortured subjects and various secret meetings on the Rütli.

It tells of a " Thall " ( William Tell ) and a " Gijssler " ( Hermann Gessler ), " dero of Urij and Schwijtz landvogt " who at Linde in Altdorf a hat on a pole has had stuck.

Name

The name of the book could be explained by its cover made of white- brownish pigskin. More likely, however, is that the name comes from the fact that the book should teach, namely legal relationships ( first part) and mythical- historical events (second part).

History and reception

The chronicler Petermann Etterlin took texts from the White Paper, in particular the tell - tale, in its federal Chronicle of 1507. Too, the Glarus Aegidius Tschudi had united in the 16th century, the Sarner Chronicle with some known him documents in a very free manner and to a decisive for centuries of Swiss history, the Chronicon Helveticum redesigned. About the reality content of these composite narratives from various sources is not clear. Through the drama Wilhelm Tell by Friedrich Schiller, the story of William Tell became world famous. The original author of the tell - tale, Hans Schriber, fell into oblivion.

The White Paper was rediscovered in October 1854, " in the attic, in mountains of old files ." The Zurich state archivist Gerold Meyer von Knonau which was set to Sarnen and immediately realized to what a priceless treasure it was. On the book cover in white pigskin was noted in handwriting: " The so called oldest white book or copies of old Bündnüßinen ". Following also the Zurich history professor Georg von Wyss learned of the Fund. They both wanted to apply as the discoverer of the book and argued about the first publication. It was only in 1928 identified the Nidwaldner State Archivist Robert Durrer Historical and Biographical Dictionary of Switzerland Hans Schriber as the actual author of the Chronicle and the Tell story.

Since 2012, the entire text of the White Paper can be viewed as a facsimile Online, see section links. For the Chronicle part there is a transcription.

" The White Book of Sarnen is for the national identity in Switzerland an important work ," wrote the historian Roger Sablonier. The German scholar Peter von Matt wrote in relation to the author of the book: " No Swiss author has ever written a work of greater effect. "