Page "Aargau" Paragraph 11

In the two Battles of Villmergen in 1656 and 1712 the Freie Ämter became the staging ground for the warring Reformed and Catholic armies.

While the peace after the 1656 war did not change the status quo, the fourth Peace of Aarau in 1712 brought about a reorganization of power relations.

The victory gave Zurich the opportunity to force the Catholic cantons out of the government in the county of Baden and the adjacent area of the Freie Ämter.

The Freie Ämter were then divided in two by a line drawn from the gallows in Fahrwangen to the Oberlunkhofen church steeple.

The northern part, the so-called Unteren Freie Ämter ( lower Freie Ämter ), which included the districts of Boswil ( in part ) and Hermetschwil and the Niederamt, were ruled by Zurich, Bern and Glarus.

The southern part, the Oberen Freie Ämter ( upper Freie Ämter ), were ruled by the previous seven cantons but Bern was added to make an eighth.