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Défaitistes vaudois?
The period between 1798 and 1814 is not very often spoken about in Switzerland: it represents the only period since its foundation in 1291 that Switzerland was not independent - after having been overrun by the French in 1798 (in their pursuit of the Austrian Empire), it was basically a French protectorate with a couple of different cantons until the Restauration.
The period is in fact discussed so little that I didn't learn about it at all in school - as if it was too much of a shame to admit that "the oldest democracy" once was opressed by foreign powers (which, coincidentally, did a lot of good by shaking up the old aristocrat network).
As it is not common to see references to this unfortunate period, I was very astonished when I came across *two* in the same place, the Cathedral of Lausanne.
The first reference is on a coloured window, where a banner above the seals of the "Canton du Léman" and the "Republik Hélvetique" (both entities which only existed during the Napoleonic period) celebrates the "Acte de médiation 19 février 1803", with which Napoleon imposed a constitution on Switzerland.
Shouldn't that read "REPUBLIQUE HELVETIQUE"?
The second reference is a plaque (sorry for the bad quality, but the flash ruined everything) which reads: "Le 20 mars 1798 dans cette cathédrale l'assemblée représentative provisoire du pays de Vaud ayant assuré l'indépendence et les droits du peuple Vaudois a déposé les pouvoirs qu'elle tenait des villes et communes. Le corps électoral a proclamé les premiers magistrats constitutionnels du Canton Léman et ses premiers représentants dans les conseils et le tribunal de la République Helvétique unie et indivisible." The plaque has been put there for the 100th anniversary of the event.
True, with the turmoil of 1798 Lausanne became independent from Berne; but to celebrate the independence of one power by hailing to a second (more powerful) opressor seems a bit rich, doesn't it?
Thanks to Michel le vaudois for pointing out heaps of inadequacies in the french transcript.
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