Copy in calligraphy of the Sworn Letter of Lucerne (“Geschworener Brief”)
Description
The Sworn Letter (“Geschworener Brief”), drawn up for the first
time in 1252, consists mainly of provisions of criminal law for the
sake of maintaining internal peace. It soon attained the status of
a social contract that was periodically revised, and the town
assembly was sworn into office each year with an oath on this
document. COD 1075 presents the last version in a special form: The
text was elaborately arranged in calligraphy by chancery clerk
Josef Corneli Mahler; the articles are introduced by artistic
initials and are accompanied by figures (which bear no reference to
the themes of the text). For the binding, the wooden boards are
covered in blue and white velvet and have protective book corners,
clasps and bosses made of silver.
