Key Facts
- Duration
- 1714–1735 (21 years)
- Type of conflict
- Internal political/constitutional crisis
- Triggering dispute
- Customs conflict with Abbey of Saint Gall and St. Gallen
- Factions
- Harte (new government) vs. Linde (old government)
- Victorious faction
- Harte, led by the Wetter of Herisau
Strategic Narrative Overview
The crisis divided Ausserrhoden into two entrenched factions. The Harte, representing the new government that had ratified the Peace of Rorschach, was led by the Wetter family of Herisau. The Linde, led by the Zellweger family of Trogen, represented the old government and objected to the treaty's terms and the process by which it was adopted. The conflict raised core questions about Landsgemeinde democracy, the right to dissent, and governmental legitimacy.
01 / The Origins
The Landhandel originated in customs disputes between Appenzell Ausserrhoden and the Abbey of Saint Gall and the city of St. Gallen. These tensions came to a head following the 1714 Peace of Rorschach, which one faction accepted and ratified. Disagreement over the treaty's terms and whether proper procedure had been followed transformed a trade dispute into a fundamental constitutional crisis about democratic governance and the limits of authority.
03 / The Outcome
After more than two decades of internal political struggle, the Harte faction prevailed over the Linde by 1735. The crisis concluded without recorded military violence, but its resolution affirmed the authority of the new government that had ratified the Peace of Rorschach. The conflict left a lasting imprint on Ausserrhoden's political culture, having tested the resilience of its direct-democratic institutions and the boundaries of lawful opposition.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Wetter of Herisau (family leader).
Side B
1 belligerent
Zellweger of Trogen (family leader).