The Landsgemeinde: Switzerland's Open-Air Democracy

Before ballot boxes and postal votes, Swiss citizens gathered in village squares to vote with raised hands. This episode traces the history of the Landsgemeinde — the open-air assembly that governed rural cantons for centuries. From its origins in the medieval Alpine valleys of Uri, Schwyz, and Unterwalden, through its clash with French revolutionary ideals, to its slow decline in the 19th and 20th centuries. We explore how this direct-democratic tradition shaped Swiss identity, why it survived in Appenzell Innerrhoden until 1999, and what its legacy means for modern Switzerland. Along the way, we meet the 'Landammann' who presided, the 'Weibel' with his ceremonial staff, and the citizens who voted on war, taxes, and laws under open sky. A story of consensus, exclusion, and the power of a raised hand. #Landsgemeinde #Appenzell #DirectDemocracy #SwissCantons #Uri #Schwyz #Unterwalden #Glarus #AppenzellInnerrhoden #Landammann #Weibel #AlpineDemocracy #MedievalSwitzerland #OldSwissConfederacy #CantonalSovereignty #EarlyModernSwitzerland #History #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo