The Google Doodle honors the Swiss National Day. The three forest cantons of Uri, Schwyz and Unterwalden supposedly signed the Federal Charter on this day in 1291 and united in their resistance to Habsburg control.
The most recent Google Doodle is an image of a waving Swiss flag, a white cross on a red field, to commemorate August 1, which is a national holiday in Switzerland. Locals flock to the streets during the annual Swiss National Day celebration, waving flags representing various towns and cantons. The Doodles Archive, which also features earlier artwork from the national day, states that the Swiss celebrate the day with family gatherings, barbecues and parades. The President of the Swiss Confederation addresses the people at an official celebration held at Rütli Field, site of the signing of the Federal Charter, before fireworks and bonfires.
The initial choice for the date of Swiss National Day, according to Myswissclub, was made in 1891. But in 1994, it was designated as a federal holiday.
What is the Federal Charter of 1291?
One of the first Swiss constitutional documents is the Federal Charter, also known as the Alliance Charter. Only since the end of the 19th century has the Federal Charter been formally recognized as the founding text of the Swiss Confederation, states the Swiss Federal Council. The Charter, an alliance agreement signed in 1291 by the cantons of Uri, Schwyz and Unterwalden, is one of several associations that led to the formation of the Old Swiss Confederation.
The Charter, which was written in Latin, mentions a previous agreement. The Charter was apparently created to establish legal certainty after the death of Rudolf I of Habsburg on July 15, 1291, according to the Center for the Rule of Law. The three communities commit to work together to defend the three valleys in the first two paragraphs. The remaining sections of the Charter deal with legal issues. It stipulates the death penalty for murderers and exile for arsonists, calls for arbitration in disputed cases, excludes foreign judges, and mandates deference to judges and judicial decisions.
The Federal Charter is definitely not a constitution that established a new state, states BYU Scholars Archive. Define the nature of the relationship in a direct and clear way.