Battle of Sörenberg

The Battle of Sörenberg was fought in 1380, between the Entlebuch and Obwalden . It was the culmination of a conflict over the right to alpine pastures . The immediate cause was a cattle raid at an alp now known as Schlachtalp, at the slope of the Brienzer Rothorn, above the village Sörenberg.

As recorded by Renward Cysat in c. 1600, the cattle raid took place in 1374, and the tensions between Entlebuch and Obwalden continued for several years. Finally, the two sides agreed to send a herald each to meet at the border, who would either declare war or make peace. The two heralds met and were later found to have killed each other. As the heralds did not return, both sides assumed the other had taken their herald, and mobilised for war. The two forces met at Schlachtalp. The Entlebuch side was victorious and took the Obwalden banner, which was kept until modern times in the tower at Schüpfheim. Cysat reports that the banner was lost because the banner bearer of Obwalden believing the battle was already won climbed on top of a rock, challenging any man of Entlebuch to come and take the banner.
A man called Ring Rüegk of Entlebuch climbed the rock, killed the banner bearer and took the banner, turning the battle in favour of Entlebuch.

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