The "White Book of Sarnen" was assembled by the Obwalden
Chancellery Clerk Hans Schriber (1436-1478). It is called the
“White Book” because it was originally bound in a white pigskin
cover. It contains copies of privileges, alliances, and important
decisions by the courts of arbitration and the Landesgemeinden
beginning in 1316, and was written for the most part in the years
1470/1471. It is the most important cartulary from the Obwalden
Chancellery during the late Middle Ages and, as such, is still part
of the city archives today. However, this book is famous above all
because it contains the oldest version of the story of the founding
of the Swiss Confederation on a mere 25 pages (pp. 441–465). The
volume also includes the story of William Tell and the famous
shooting of the apple: (“Weisses Buch”, p. 447: Nu was der Tall
gar ein güt Schütz er hat oüch hübsche kind die beschigt der
herre zü imm / vnd twang den Tallen mit sinen knechten / das der
Tall eim sim kind ein öpfel ab dem höupt müst schiessen …).
