Die drei Männer des Rütli refers to the legendary founders of the Old Swiss Confederacy, a historical alliance among the rural communes of Uri, Schwyz, and Unterwalden in the early 14th century. According to Swiss tradition, the three representatives of these communes met in a meadow called Rütli in 1307 to swear an oath of mutual support and cooperation, marking the beginning of the Swiss Confederation,
The Old Swiss Confederacy was established in response to the increasing influence and control of the Habsburg dynasty in the region, which threatened the autonomy and rights of the local communes. The Rütli Oath, as described in Swiss legend, was sworn by three men, each representing one of the founding cantons of the Confederacy: Werner Stauffacher from Schwyz, Walter Fürst from Uri, and Arnold von Melchtal from Unterwalden.
These men allegedly met in secret on the meadow of Rütli, located on the shores of Lake Lucerne, where they pledged to support each other in their struggle for freedom and autonomy. The earliest written accounts of the Rütli Oath date back to the 15th and 16th centuries, long after the events they describe. The story's legendary status makes it difficult to determine the exact details of the Confederacy's founding, but it is generally accepted that an alliance among the three cantons was formed around the turn of the 14th century.
The Rütli Oath is celebrated August 1 as the Swiss National Day.