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Last modified: 2026-02-28 by martin karner
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![[Flag of Gersau]](../images/c/ch-sz002.gif)
image by Pascal Gross
Per pale Gules and Azure.
Christopher Southworth
The oldest depiction¹ of the arms of Gersau is from 1605, in
the so-called Landbuch, a collection of legal texts.
In a source from 1711 the colours are depicted inversed; from 1742 on the colours have been
depicted always in the present order. There is no source nor story about the origins of the colours red and
blue.
Gersau joined the Swiss Confederation in 1359 as an independent entity and protectorate, and in 1433 it got
even imperial immediacy, becoming as a village the smallest republic of the world. After the Napoleonic era
in which Gersau lost its sovereignty, it achieved independence again for about 3 years, but then the Diet
of the Swiss Confederation decided to attach Gersau against its will to the Schwyz canton. The Republic of
Gersau was dissolved on 1 January 1818. Its area is identical with the Gersau district.
The fountain in front of the town hall has the inscription: GERSAU BLEIBT GERSAU, EIN FREIES VOLK |
EIN FREIES LAND (Gersau remains Gersau, a free people, a free land). (source,
source)
Martin Karner
¹ Mitteilungen des historischen Vereins des Kantons Schwyz, 110/2018
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