![Following the French invasion and Helvetic revolution, rebels in the canton of Basel set fire to medieval castles in which the bailiffs resided. Pictured is the burning Farnsburg Castle near Ormalingen in the canton of Basel-Landschaft in an undated gouache by J. J. Ketterlin (detail).](https://blog.nationalmuseum.ch/app/uploads/brennedne-farnsburg-titel-ai-300x225.jpg)
Vandalism as a political tool in the Helvetic period
The French invasion 225 years ago not only brought about major political upheaval in Switzerland, but also death and destruction. Vestiges of acts of vandalism to cultural property can still be seen today.
Napoleon and the conquest of the Old Swiss Confederacy
![Napoleon Bonaparte enters Basel, 1797.](https://blog.nationalmuseum.ch/app/uploads/einzug-von-napoleon-bonaparte-in-basel-gbe-33985-lm-30941-300x157.jpg)
![French soldiers plundering cottages during the “days of terror in Nidwalden” in September 1798.](https://blog.nationalmuseum.ch/app/uploads/franzosische-soldaten-plundern-hutten-wahrend-den-sogenannten-schreckenstage-in-nidwalden-im-september-1798-gbe-65971-lm-39491-300x220.jpg)
Where does vandalism come into it?
![Farnsburg Castle near Ormalingen in the canton of Basel Landschaft on fire, in a caricature of a cartoon by Franz Feyerabend on the legendary flight of the last bailiff, carried away in a big basket.](https://blog.nationalmuseum.ch/app/uploads/farsburg-feyerabend-210x300.jpg)
![The ossuary with a memorial to the Battle of Murten in Murten, canton of Fribourg, having been pillaged by French troops on 3 March 1798. Lithograph from c. 1820.](https://blog.nationalmuseum.ch/app/uploads/das-beinhaus-mit-gedenkstatte-zur-murtenschlacht-in-murten-fr-nach-der-brandschatzung-durch-franzosische-truppen-am-3-marz-1798-300x197.jpg)
![The Mercy Chapel in Einsiedeln monastery church, canton of Schwyz, following its restoration from 1803 to 1807.](https://blog.nationalmuseum.ch/app/uploads/die-gnadenkapelle-in-der-klosterkirche-einsiedeln-sz-nach-der-wiederherstellung-in-den-jahren-1803-bis-1807-221x300.jpg)
The days of terror in Nidwalden in September 1798
![The ruins of St. Jakob church and rectory in Ennetmoos Nidwalden after being burnt down on 9 September 1798.](https://blog.nationalmuseum.ch/app/uploads/st-jacob-ennenmoos-300x203.jpg)
Fury against historical coats of arms
![Reconstruction of the relief of the coat of arms of Ambassador Robert Gravel on the facade of Solothurn Jesuit Church: the replica of the cartouche damaged in April 1798 with the new coat of arms modelled in plaster (left) provides a template for the reconstruction of the coat of arms in Solothurn limestone (right).](https://blog.nationalmuseum.ch/app/uploads/rekonstruktion-des-wappenreliefs-von-ambassador-robert-gravel-an-der-fassade-der-jesuitenkirche-solothurn-300x199.jpg)
Vandalism of Solothurn Jesuit Church
![Restorer Ottorino Olgiati in 1953 at the uncovering and restoration of the coat of arms, painted over in May 1798, of Franz Sury-Glutz in Solothurn Jesuit Church.](https://blog.nationalmuseum.ch/app/uploads/der-restaurator-ottorino-olgiati-1953-bei-der-freilegung-und-restaurierung-276x300.jpg)
Eradication of an historical event?
![Facade of Solothurn Jesuit Church in its damaged state before the restoration in 1936 (left). A cartouche above the portal bore the coat of arms of King Louis XIV, which was scraped off in April 1798. Above the sculptures at the sides, the cartouches bearing the coat of arms of the French ambassador have been erased.](https://blog.nationalmuseum.ch/app/uploads/fassade-der-jesuitenkirche-solothurn-im-schadhaften-zustand-300x225.jpg)
![In the right picture is the facade of Solothurn Jesuit Church in 2023 with the restored inscription of Louis XIV and the coat of arms of the Ambassador and his wife.](https://blog.nationalmuseum.ch/app/uploads/fassade-der-jesuitenkirche-solothurn-im-zustand-von-2023-300x225.jpg)
ZAK – the academic journal of the Swiss National Museum
This is a summary of an article in the Journal of Swiss Archaeology and Art History (ZAK), which the Swiss National Museum has been publishing for exactly 80 years. ZAK is published four times a year and can be subscribed to. Further information available at: landesmuseum.ch/zak