Battle of Murten. The illustration (detail) from the Lucerne Schilling Chronicle is based on the large battle depiction from 1480 in Fribourg Town Hall.
Battle of Murten. The illustration (detail) from the Lucerne Schilling Chronicle is based on the large battle depiction from 1480 in Fribourg Town Hall. Korporation Luzern

The Battle of Murten

In the Battle of Murten on 22 June 1476, the Swiss Confederate army defeated that of Charles the Bold of Burgundy. The battle marked the beginning of the end of Burgundy as a major European power and became a cornerstone of national pride in traditional Swiss historiography.

James Blake Wiener

James Blake Wiener

James Blake Wiener is a world historian, Co-Founder of World History Encyclopedia, writer, and PR specialist, who has taught as a professor in Europe and North America.

Website: worldhistory.org
After the surprise attack by the Swiss Confederates on the Burgundian forces at Grandson in March 1476, Charles reconsolidated with the remnants of his surviving army within the safety of Lausanne. Despite huge losses, Charles would not concede defeat. He believed that he could regain the strategic upper hand through a coordinated military offensive in what are present-day cantons Vaud and Fribourg, followed by an attack upon Bern. In his estimation, Bern was the locus of Confederate power and animus – it had to be destroyed once and for all. Charles played for time as he raised a new army of over 20,000 men from across Western Europe. It is worth remembering that despite the catastrophe at Grandson, Charles still presided over the most modern army in Europe in the 1470s. His mercenary army included not only highly-trained calvary men, but also infantry battalions and artillery engineers. Charles even had a unit of expert English and Welsh archers. Moreover, seasoned military men like Jacques of Savoy, Count of Romont, and Charles’ illegitimate brother Antoine of Burgundy, would assist Burgundian efforts against the Old Swiss Confederacy.
Charles the Bold, portrait c. 1460, a work by Rogier van der Weyden.
Charles the Bold, portrait around 1460. Gemäldegalerie Berlin, © bpk-Bildagentur
In the spring of 1476, Duke Charles the Bold marches into Savoy with his Burgundian army in splendid armour.
In the spring of 1476, Duke Charles the Bold marches into Savoy with his Burgundian army in splendid armour. Lake Geneva in the background. Illustration from the Official Bern Chronicle by Diebold Schilling. Burgerbibliothek Bern
To compensate for his materiel losses at Grandson, Charles ordered that artillery found in the cities of Dijon and Nancy, as well as all existing artillery in the Duchy of Luxembourg, be sent to Lausanne. Milan, Venice, Aragón, Savoy, and the Papacy provided additional capital, weaponry, and fighting men to their Burgundian allies. After dividing his army into four active corps and one reserve, Charles' belief in an ultimate victory over the Confederates became unassailable. On May 27, 1476, Charles commenced a new expedition against the Confederates. As the Confederates had successfully blocked Charles’s access to Bern via Grandson and Neuchâtel,Charles had no choice but to proceed along the roads that ran parallel to the south bank of Lake Neuchâtel via Murten or Fribourg. He ultimately decided to advance his army in closer proximity to Lake Neuchâtel. This plan of calculated action would lead his forces directly to the strategic lakeside town of Murten. If Charles could succeed in capturing Murten, he would secure his position, vis-à-vis Bern, and prevent any counterattack of his rear flank.
Section showing Lake Murten and Lake Neuchâtel from the (south-facing) "Schöpfkarte" of 1578.
Section showing Lake Murten and Lake Neuchâtel from the (south-facing) "Schöpfkarte" of 1578. Bern University Library
In the aftermath of their victory over the Burgundians at Grandson, the Confederates proceeded cautiously against what was still a formidable foe. The Swiss had correctly assumed that the Burgundians would invade the Confederation again. They had even anticipated that Charles would lay siege to either Fribourg or Murten before attempting to proceed onwards toward Bern. To counteract impending Burgundian aggression, the Bernese garrisoned both towns. In Murten, the Bernese appointed the politically-savvy Adrian von Bubenberg as the chief commander in April 1476; he brought an additional 1500 men to the town. Von Bubenberg was a military man by background and through his diplomatic service and travels to Burgundy, he witnessed the brutality of the Burgundian military firsthand. He therefore ordered the strengthening of Murten’s castle, high town walls, and ramparts without delay. However, when it became apparent that the garrison required more stones in order to protect the town, a vote was held. Von Bubenberg acquiesced to the demolition of Murten’s French Church and the subsequent repurposing of its stones for military defenses. It is thanks to Von Bubenberg that Murten held immense supplies of gunpowder, as well as numerous cannons and other weapons, before the siege began. He even ensured that Murten would be able to keep its supply chains open while under attack. That way, the town could defend itself and inflict staggering losses on the Burgundians before Confederate forces could lift the siege. Von Bubenberg’s garrison constructed bastions as well as entrenchments near the two gates of the town as a consequence.

If you attack that invincible people [the Swiss], you cannot win over them… You will never escape… It will be turned into a tale of how a mighty prince was overcome by rustics.

Extract of a letter by King Matthias Corvinus of Hungary to his ally Charles the Bold in May 1476

A deadly siege commences

It took 14 days for Charles and his army of some 21,000 men to walk the 72 km between Lausanne and Murten along the Broye River. They killed hundreds of villagers, plundered churches and monasteries, and torched everything that lay in their path. True to their reputation, Charles’ troops were ferocious but lacking in discipline. Some historians contend that the extreme slowness, on the part of the Burgundian forces, was not the result of excessive plunder but rather due to countless brawls between men of different nationalities. In the course of one deadly riot, around 125 men from Italy and Germany died in a single day.
Charles the Bold delivers an exhortation from the pulpit to the Burgundian troops assembled at Lausanne before the march to Murten.
Charles the Bold delivers an exhortation from the pulpit to the Burgundian troops assembled at Lausanne before the march to Murten. Illustration from the Chronicle by Diebold Schilling from Lucerne, around 1513. Korporation Luzern
The Burgundians finally reached Murten on June 9th and began their siege. In the first exchange of fire, Von Bubenberg’s garrison killed nearly 50 soldiers. Knowing that their lives depended upon it, Von Bubenberg and his soldiers fought with ruthless precision. The Swiss kept their cannon fire constant, day and night, preventing the Burgundians from scaling Murten’s walls. The Swiss were so successful with their small cannons and firearms that Charles ordered the construction of entrenchments of his own so that his men could attempt to scale the town’s walls with a modicum of protection. The high morale of the Swiss began to ebb when the Burgundians' massive cannons arrived outside of Murten on June 17th. They inflicted heavy damage, destroying a tower and collapsing a wall. The next day, Charles ordered a massive attack on Murten to take advantage of what his artillery had achieved. With axes, bows, and ladders, the Burgundians tried to gain a strategic foothold within the town, but they failed yet again, due to Swiss marksmanship.
Siege of Murten. The duke's main camp at the back right, Charles' wooden tent house on the hill. Illustration from the Chronicle by Diebold Schilling from Lucerne, around 1513.
Siege of Murten. The duke's main camp at the back right, Charles' wooden tent house on the hill. Illustration from the Chronicle by Diebold Schilling from Lucerne, around 1513. Korporation Luzern
The situation at Murten was grave – unless reinforcements soon arrived from the other cantons, Murten could only withstand the onslaught for a few precious days. Von Bubenberg dispatched a secret note to Bern on June 19th, pleading for immediate assistance. Fortune was on his side, unbeknownst to him. The previous day, large numbers of Swiss soldiers from Schwyz, Unterwalden, Luzern, and Uri had gathered outside of Bern. Hans Waldmann, who had overseen the Confederate garrison in Fribourg, brought a small contingent of men from Freiburg and Zürich. Within hours, servicemen from Glarus, Biel, Solothurn, Basel, St. Gallen, and Zug also arrived. Duke René II of Lorraine and Count Jean de Montsalvens of Gruyères additionally pledged their support to help the Confederates expel the Burgundians from Switzerland. Armed cavalry battalions and other armed units thus came from as far as Alsace and Lorraine, in addition to the four forest towns on the High Rhine and the County of Hauenstein. Special mention should be made of the troops from Zürich, led by Heinrich Göldli, which traversed nearly 140 km in order to meet the main contingent of Swiss forces outside of Gümmenen on June 21st in inclement weather. The total number of Confederate men and allies was around 24’000. The largest contingent of men came from Bern and numbered about 8’000, while the royal cavalry from Alsace and Lorraine consisted of roughly 1900 men. In sum, the Confederates had strength in numbers, while the Burgundians held a distinct advantage in their superior artillery and cavalry.

You peasants! Surrender the city and castle. We will soon take the city and will capture you, kill you, and hang you by the neck.

Notes attached to Burgundian arrows shot into Murten during the siege.
To intimidate the besieged, the Burgundians shoot notes attached to arrows into the town. Illustration from the Silbereisen Chronicle, 1572.
To intimidate the besieged, the Burgundians shoot notes attached to arrows into the town. Illustration from the Silbereisen Chronicle, 1572. Aargauer Kantonsbibliothek

The Battle of Murten

On the morning of June 22, 1476, the Confederates and their allies assembled for battle by dividing into three separate formations: the vanguard, led by Hans von Hallwyl of Bern, with 5000 men from Schwyz, Fribourg, and Bern fighting with pikes, crossbows, and arquebuses and joined by 1500 knights; the center with upwards of 11’000 men brandishing halberds and pikes; and the rear, led by Kaspar von Hertenstein of Luzern, with approximately 6500 men also carrying halberds and pikes. As June 22 was a religious feast day – The Feast of the Ten Thousand Martyrs – Charles and his generals had not expected the Swiss to fight. Furthermore, Charles had failed to keep up with his scouts’ reconnaissance as to the movements of the Confederate forces, and so the majority of Burgundian positions around Murten were inadequately guarded. The rapidity of the Confederate’s vanguard attack from the vicinity of Birchenwald caught Burgundian soldiers off-guard, and they were unable to put on their own armor or gather their weapons in time to repel the attack. Burgundian firepower, although accurate and deadly, became unwieldy due to the constant necessity of reloading at short notice.
The battlefield at Murten seen from the lake. Copperplate engraving by Martin Martini, around 1600.
The battlefield at Murten seen from the lake. Copperplate engraving by Martin Martini, around 1600. Zentralbibliothek Zürich
When the Confederates attacked, Charles lost valuable time by preparing for combat by donning his special armor rather than ordering his troops into position. The Confederate vanguard and center easily stormed the Burgundian defensive barrier – the so-called “Grünhag” (“green hedge”) – where they kept their cannons. From there, Confederates proceed then to strike down the might of the Burgundian calvary with ease and great savagery. When the remnants of the Burgundian calvary failed in a coordinated counterattack, the men of Murten’s garrison flowed out from the town’s battered walls to join their brothers in arms. Charles fled as fast as he could by horse from his camp in the Bodemünzi, which overlooked Murten. The Savoyard division, commanded by Jacques of Savoy, found some luck amid the carnage – positioned on the northern side of the siege, they escaped relatively unharmed, retreating around Lake Murten to Romont.
The Confederates break through the "Grünhag". Detail from the Murten diorama by Curt F. Kollbrunner, consisting of around 6000 figures, in the National Museum Zurich.
The Confederates break through the "Grünhag". Detail from the Murten diorama by Curt F. Kollbrunner, consisting of around 6000 figures, in the National Museum Zurich. Swiss National Museum
The Executive Council of the Old Swiss Confederation had changed the rules of martial protocol, which the Sempach Ordinance (Sempacherbrief) of 1393 had earlier prescribed, just months prior to the Battle of Murten in March 1476. Much of what was altered dealt with the handling of enemy combatants during war: potential prisoners could not be taken while any battle raged, and the extirpation of as many enemy soldiers as possible was deemed desirable. With legal justification for violence enshrined as the law of the land, the Confederates pursued the Burgundians without any mercy at the Battle of Murten. The Confederates killed hundreds of Burgundian soldiers who had lain down on the battlefield, devoid of arms and armor, in the hopes that they would be taken prisoner. Hundreds of others – mostly mercenary soldiers from Lombardy – drowned as a result of their heavy armor as they attempted a hasty retreat across Lake Murten. Swiss boatmen expertly cut down those who had removed their armor before entering the water too. For centuries, their bones would wash up upon the lakeshore.
Hundreds of Burgundian soldiers drown in Lake Murten because of their armour. Detail from an illustration in the Chronicle by Diebold Schilling from Lucerne, around 1513.
Hundreds of Burgundian soldiers drown in Lake Murten because of their armour. Detail from an illustration in the Chronicle by Diebold Schilling from Lucerne, around 1513. Korporation Luzern
The Confederates massacred Burgundians wherever they were found hiding – in ovens, in abandoned barns, and even in the region’s chestnut trees. An estimated 10’000 Burgundian soldiers died at the Battle Murten; Confederates losses amounted to less than 600 men. The Confederates had avenged the executed garrison of Grandson. They also won an impressive booty of weapons, some armor, and three royal capes belonging to Charles. Charles, meanwhile, would never again command an army as large as which he had at Murten. Cut off from his supply chains and his allies, and no longer in control of Vaud, Charles’ days were numbered. Surrounded by enemies, he would die in a final battle – the Battle of Nancy in January 1477 – where the Confederates would once again play a critical role in his defeat.

At Grandson his goods, at Murten his courage, at Nancy his blood.

Old Swiss proverb about the fate of Duke Charles of Burgundy
The Confederates plunder the camp of Charles the Bold. Illustration from the Silbereisen Chronicle, 1572.
The Confederates plunder the camp of Charles the Bold. Illustration from the Silbereisen Chronicle, 1572. Kantonsbibliothek Aargau
After winning the battle, the Confederates distribute the captured guns. Illustration from the Chronicle by Diebold Schilling from Lucerne, around 1513.
After winning the battle, the Confederates distribute the captured guns. Illustration from the Chronicle by Diebold Schilling from Lucerne, around 1513. Korporation Luzern

Murten signals a new era

The Battle of Murten looms large in the Swiss imagination and historical consciousness. Indeed, one can still see the damage caused by Burgundian cannonballs in Murten’s town walls. Countless legends attest to the military prowess of von Bubenberg, the courageousness of Murten’s population, and the ferocity of the Swiss fighters at the battle. The Confederate victory at Murten thus became a cornerstone of national pride in traditional Swiss historiography – the Swiss had defeated the forces of an intimidating foe and preserved their liberties thanks to their discipline, steadfastness, and patriotism. The major European powers also took note of their willingness to support one another in times of need, despite internal political differences. More importantly, the Battle of Murten signifies a fundamental change in European military history: the growing importance of a powerful infantry instead of an armored cavalry on the field of battle. The stage was thus set for the decline of Burgundy as a European power, and the brief rise of the Old Swiss Confederation as a player in Western European affairs.
The Flight of Charles the Bold. Painting by Eugène Burnand at the height of historicism and the formation of the identity of the federal state, 1894.
The Flight of Charles the Bold. Painting by Eugène Burnand at the height of historicism and the formation of the identity of the federal state, 1894. Wikimedia

If we ever do battle in these places, be assured that we will not take the lake as our route of retreat!

Napoleon during his visit to Murten in 1797

Published on: 21.06.2024

Modified on: 18.07.2024

URL: https://blog.nationalmuseum.ch/en/2024/06/the-battle-of-murten/

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