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Gersau commune (Schwyz canton, Switzerland)

See also:

Gersau district
Schwyz canton
Switzerland
Wappen der alten Republik Gersau und ihrer Bürgergeschlechter (by Carl Benziger, 1920, German)
Geschichte des Wappens von Gersau (by Günter Mattern, 1989, German)

Gersau

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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