Current Concerns

3 October 2017 No 24 ISSN 1664-7963 Current Concerns PO Box CH-8044 Zurich Current Concerns Switzerland The international journal for independent thought, ethical standards, moral responsibility, Phone: +41 44 350 65 50 Fax: +41 44 350 65 51 and for the promotion and respect of public international law, human rights and humanitarian law E-Mail: [email protected] Website: www.currentconcerns.ch English Edition of Zeit-Fragen Niklaus von Flüe: patron saint of non-intervention by Paul Widmer* Brother Klaus as sprung from the ideas of Brother Klaus. form the essential features for a whole con- the apical ancestor And in the early 1980s, Secretary of State text of meaning. Just because something is of Swiss Neutrality? Albert Weitnauer wrote in his memoirs: not yet conceptually comprehensible, this School historians do “Neutrality is the living expression of does not mean that there are not already not admit it. They are what the Swiss National Saint Niklaus von facts that anticipate the concept. Conse- doubly mistaken: the Flüe already expressed in the time of the quently, we must ask ourselves: did Broth- National Saint has, in Burgundian wars, with his well-known er Klaus really have no idea of what we call the course of history, warning, ‘Don’t get involved in other peo- neutrality today, simply because he neither coined the foreign pol- ple’s affairs!’” used the word nor knew the term? Let us Paul Widmer icy of the Confedera- But beware! This is supposedly past his- look more closely at these objections. (picture ma) tion by his words and tory now. Whoever says anything like this The appeal not to interfere with for- through their interpretations. today will earn only a tired smile from his- eign quarrels can well be understood as torians. It has long ago been proved, they a call for neutral behaviour. No one dis- Nobody has exerted as much influence on say, that Brother Klaus did not care two putes that. But the critics deny that Broth- the Swiss foreign policy as Niklaus von figs for neutrality. Their reasoning is some- er Klaus expressed himself in this way. Flüe. The hermit in the Ranft wanted thing like this: First, the phrase “Don’t get They say that the dictum was not coined to escape the world, but he did not suc- involved in other people’s affairs!” does by him; but that it was foisted on him fifty ceed. Even the envoys of the Great Pow- not originate from him, but from the Lu- years after his death. This opinion, how- ers sought him out in his cell in the wild cerne chronicler Hans Salat. They say that ever, is to be objected due to a few things, Melch Valley. Archduke Sigismund of it was he who put those words in the mouth especially testimonies of contemporaries Austria, the Doge of Venice and the Duke of the hermit, in 1537. And secondly, Salat who attest an attitude of mind based on the of Milan, they all wanted to know what did not mean to bring them across as an principle of non-interference to the Swiss Brother Klaus thought of war and peace. appeal to neutrality, but used them to de- patron saint. Why so? Because he was an opinion lead- nounce the Bernese for the conquest of the er, a moral authority. The Milanese envoy Vaud. Thirdly, they say, linking neutrality “Greed and lust for power” Bernardino Imperiali told his prince: to the work of Brother Klaus is a concoc- Brother Klaus’ first biographer is Heinrich “The Confederation trusts him greatly.” tion of the nationalist historiography of the von Gundelfingen. He was a canon at Be- What made Brother Klaus so interesting 19th and 20th centuries. In short: to elevate romünster and a professor at the Univer- for the Great Powers of the time? Above Brother Klaus to the rank of forefather of sity of Freiburg im Breisgau. In his writ- all, two things: on the one hand, he advised Swiss neutrality is, they say, a falsification ings, which already appeared in 1488, a the Swiss to maintain a foreign policy of re- of history. year after the death of the hermit, he said straint, to renounce warlike conquests; on Is this really so? I am not convinced of that the advice of the holy man would be the other, he exhorted them to settle a dis- it, and I shall try to explain why hereaf- a great salvation to the confederates if pute amicably, and to bring it to the judge ter. Certainly, Brother Klaus did not pro- they followed them. And what did Gun- only in an emergency. He therefore recom- nounce the word neutrality – of course he delfingen understand these recommenda- mended a behaviour that was oriented to- could not. The concept of neutrality only tions to be? Not to be corrupted by foreign wards neutrality and arbitration. He im- just broke fresh ground about then. The rulers, to hold honour higher than mate- pressed not only his contemporaries. With medieval world order with Pope and Em- rial advantages, not to engage in foreign his advice, he has influenced Swiss foreign peror at the top was breaking up. As long conflicts, nor to bring war to one’s neigh- policy up to the present day. as it had been quite intact, there could be bours. This is advice which is not contrary no neutrality. For the Christians it was, at to neutrality; it is, in fact, rather a prereq- Spiritual father of neutrality least in theory, a sacred duty to support uisite for the successful implementation of So people thought for a long time, all over the cause of the supreme ruler of Christi- neutrality. our country, in the Federal Council and anity. His wars were just, fighting against The highly educated humanist Jo- in historical scholarship. After the Second him was sin. That only changed with the hannes Trithemius expresses himself World War, Federal Councillor Max Pe- advent of sovereign nation-states. Now the even more clearly, as the former state ar- titpierre did not doubt that neutrality had rulers were equal. In a case of war, a third chivist of Obwalden, Angelo Garovi, re- party could side with one or the other of cently pointed out. The abbot of the mon- * Paul Widmer is a lecturer for international rela- the war parties – or stay out. astery of Sponheim had visited Niklaus tions at the University of St. Gallen; he was in the The concept of a foreign policy of neu- von Flüe in 1486. In his report at the be- diplomatic service from 1977 to 2014. He is the trality arose in this world of sovereign ginning of the sixteenth century, about author of several books. Most recently, his book states – but not overnight. As the great his- thirty years before Salat, he put the fol- “Bundesrat Arthur Hoffmann. Aufstieg und Fall” (“Federal Councillor Arthur Hoffmann. Rise torian Reinhart Koselleck taught us, con- lowing advice in the mouth of Brother and fall”) appeared in the NZZ book publishing cepts are formed in a long process, like a house. distillate. Various facts flow together and continued on page 3 No 24 3 October 2017 Current Concerns Page 2 Remarks on the life of Niklaus von Flüe by Erika Vögeli Niklaus von Flüe, born in 1417, is the as an envoy to Brother Klaus: “During interfere in foreign conflicts]“ are son of Hemma, born Ruobert, and the absence of Louis I was with Gabri- coined by the memory of the chroni- Heinrich von Flüe in Sachseln (Obwal- el at the hermit, who is considered to cler Hans Salat. But to what end this den). The mother comes from peasant be holy because he eats nothing. The sophistry, by which it is attempted backgrounds from the community of Confederation has great confidence in quite transparently to play down the Wolfenschiessen (Nidwalden). His fa- him. I spent an evening and a morning importance of this character convey- ther Heinrich appears in the various with him and talked much about these ing concord. The statement being documents as distinguished commu- matters. I found him well informed understood indeed as peacekeep- nity citizen and member of the Coun- about everything ...“ ing message over the centuries, one ty Council. Niklaus grew up with his This interest in the human condi- would have to ask himself: Cui bono? brother Peter and possibly another tions and his constant commitment Niklaus von Flüe’s concern is undis- brother as the son of free farmers. for justice, for dispute resolution and puted, and people very well under- Little is known about Niklaus von peace let him become a widely es- stood the reminder to give the spiri- Flüe’s younger years. Around 1446 he teemed and valued counsellor. tual orientation of peace and balance married Dorothea Wyss from Schwen- In 1482, Brother Klaus writes to the greater importance as power politics di, born around 1430. Five sons and power-conscious Council of the patri- ambitions throughout many, very bel- five daughters are born. cian Berne meaningfully: “Obedience ligerent and difficult centuries. Niklaus von Flüe is mentioned early [in the former meaning of listening to Sources: as respected, efficient farmer and each other] is the biggest honour that www.bruderklaus.com; “Rottmeister” (Captain). He takes part there is in Heaven and on Earth, that is Historisches Lexikon der Schweiz; in military actions, but was averse to why you need to seek to be obedient warfare. Around 1455, he is a judge to each other, and wisdom is the dear- Vokinger, Konstantin.

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