Winkelried Memorial

The Winkelried memorial was erected in memory of Arnold von Winkelried, who sacrificed his life in the Battle of Sempach on the 9 July 1386. According to the Swiss historiography, the Swiss wouldn't be able to break through the firmly positioned order of Habsburg pikemen. At a moment, Winkelried decided to throw himself into the pikes and therefore open a passage through the Austrian defensive front, which made way for an attack of the Swiss confederacy which then led to a Swiss victory in the Battle of Sempach.

The initiative for the monument came through Anton Albert Durrer, who on the 14 July 1853 made the corresponding application to the Stans town council and carried out a fundraising campaign for the realization of the memorial. Durrer was elected as the president of the Winkelried-committee which encouraged the building of a national monument for Winkelried.