Battle of Näfels
Näfels, canton of Glarus, Switzerland
What happened
About 400 men of the canton of Glarus, with Swiss allies, fought a Habsburg Austrian army of several thousand. An Austrian army captured the defensive walls around Näfels, and the Swiss garrison pulled back into the hills. While the Austrians spread out to plunder, the Glarus men attacked out of the snow and fog and took them by surprise. The Austrians fled, and a bridge collapsed under them as they retreated.
Why it matters
Why it matters: Glarus won its independence from Habsburg rule. It was the last of the 14th-century wars between the Swiss and the Habsburgs.
What came next
A peace signed in Vienna in 1389 let the Swiss keep the lands they had won. The people of Glarus began an annual pilgrimage to the battlefield, the Näfelser Fahrt.
Did you know?
The Näfelser Fahrt has been held every April since 1389.
Timeline
- 9 April 1388Glarus wins at Näfels.
- 1389Peace is signed in Vienna.
- 1389The first Näfelser Fahrt is held.
- 1 January 2011Näfels becomes part of Glarus Nord.