The Superfluous Canton

Red Baron had heard about the Vorarlbergers' desire to join Switzerland after World War I, but had not yet read or heard anything specific about it.

Then I came across a lecture by Professor Alois Niederstätter on the topic "Why the Vorarlbergers wanted to become Swiss in 1919 – and why the canton of 'Übrig' never came to be."

Click to enlarge (©Tschubby/Wikipedia)

Where is Vorarlberg? According to the dictionary, this western province of Austria lies vor dem (in front of the) Arlberg, a barrier between Vorarlberg and the rest of Austria.

Vorarlberg has a 321 km long border, 110 km of which is shared with the German state of Bavaria, 142 km with the Swiss cantons of St. Gallen, Graubünden, and the Principality of Liechtenstein, but only 69 km with the Austrian state of Tyrol.

At the beginning of the 20th century, Vorarlberg was accessible from the rest of Austria in the east via three passes that were only partially passable all year round, namely the Arlberg, the Hochtannberg, and the Bielerhöhe in the Silvretta.

In contrast, Austria's western province is open to the west and north, i.e., easily accessible from Switzerland, Liechtenstein, and Germany. A trip from Bregenz to Vienna by train took eight hours at that time.

So it was only natural that after the Danube Monarchy was reduced to a German remnant of Austria after World War I, there were efforts in Vorarlberg to join the Swiss Confederation.

It also made sense linguistically, because unlike the rest of Austria, the people of Vorarlberg do not speak Bavarian dialects, but Alemannic dialects, which are related to those spoken in German-speaking Switzerland, southern Baden, and Alsace.

The Austro-Hungarian Emperor Karl in uniform
and Empress Zitta, née Bourbon-Parma, visited Vorarlberg in 1917.

As early as 1918, already before the end of World War I, a movement had formed among the population that advocated Vorarlberg's orientation away from Austria and toward Switzerland. The uncertain future of German Austria after the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, economic hardship, and a feeling of neglect by the government in Vienna were arguments in favor of joining the Swiss Confederation. This met with calls for the self-determination of the peoples of Europe, which President Wilson had proclaimed.

An "Advertising Committee" met with great interest among the Vorarlberg parties and endeavored to push ahead with the political implementation of the Anschluss (annexation). 

"Advertising" even in the French-speaking part of Switzerland (©Wikipedia)

The Committee chairman, Ferdinand Riedmann, was firmly committed to the idea of economic and political union with Switzerland to overcome Vorarlberg's economic isolation. He wrote the following poem:

Hör uns Helvetia Söhne, die dir so nah Hilf uns befreien! Wir sind von gleichem Blut, Schützen der Freiheit Gut, Streben mit Mannesmut, Schweizer zu sein. Schirm uns Helvetia, So oft Gefahr da Sei unser Hort! Wenn unsres Blutes Drang Sprenget der Knechtschaft Zwang. Sprich dann beim Glockenklang, Frei uns das Wort. Führ' unser Heimatland Mutter mit sicherer Hand Aus aller Not! Mutter dir schwören wir, Bleiben als Söhne dir Dankbar und für und für Treu bis zum Tod. Lodert ihr Feuer heut ' Die ihr den Schwur erneut, Schweizer zu sein. Bringet der Welt die Kund ', Dass unser Schweizer-Bund Reichet in dieser Stund ' Über den Rhein.

Hear us, Helvetia Sons who are so close to you Help us to be free! We are of the same blood, Protectors of freedom Striving with courage To be Swiss. Protect us, Helvetia, Whenever danger arises Be our refuge! When the urge of our blood Breaks the bonds of servitude. Then speak to us, at the sound of bells, The free word. Lead our homeland Mother, with a steady hand Out of all distress! Mother, we swear to you, We will remain your sons Grateful and forever Loyal until death. Let your fires blaze today You who renew your oath To be Swiss. Bring the world the news That our Swiss Confederation Reaches at this hour Across the Rhine.

Initially, on November 3, 1918, all parties organized in Vorarlberg declared the independence of the region from Tyrol in a joint statement: "The Republic of Vorarlberg is a separate, independent country within the framework of the German-Austrian state." Vorarlberg remains the only Austrian state that describes itself as an independent state in its constitution.

After the end of the war, things moved quickly. On February 28, 1919, Vorarlberg introduced universal suffrage for men and women, and by March, the first state constitution had been drafted and the first state elections were held on April 27, 1919. The conservative-federalist Christian Social Party, which at that time was also secessionist in Vorarlberg, won over 63% of the votes and 22 of the 30 seats in the state parliament.

With foresight, the people of Vorarlberg had modeled their constitution on the Swiss cantonal constitutions with their direct democracy. This was a signal, "We are open to Switzerland. The Swiss are our Alemannic relatives. In contrast, Vienna is ruled by a Jewish state, from which we want to separate under all circumstances."

This set alarm bells ringing in Vienna. There was already talk of Switzerland's 23rd canton.

Der Landeshauptmann Vorderösterreichs Dr. Otto Ender

One driving force behind the Anschluss was Otto Ender, who, as governor, led a delegation to Bern but was not received there. Switzerland initially demanded a referendum.

The text of the referendum read: Do the people of Vorarlberg wish that the Provincial Council inform the Swiss Federal Council of the intention of the people of Vorarlberg to join the Swiss Confederation and enter into negotiations with the Federal Council?

On May 19, 1919, 81%* of the Vorarlberg population voted in favor of accession negotiations with Switzerland.
*There were also separatist movements in Tyrol. There, 90% of the population voted in favor of joining the German Reich.

Meanwhile, the Swiss Federal Council discussed the significance of Vorarlberg's annexation. They did not want to upset the carefully balanced relationship between languages and religions in Switzerland by adding another canton with German-speaking Catholics. Hadn't Vorarlberg been bled dry by the war? Vorarlberg may be better off as an independent state. As a result, the desire for annexation among the people of Vorarlberg did not gain majority support in Switzerland. Soon, the word "Kanton Übrig" (Superfluous Canton) began to circulate.

The Schwabenkapitel, an influential group in Vorarlberg, advocating den Anschluss an Schwaben (annexation to Swabia), i.e., Germany, had used the term "Kanton Übrig" for the first time in a polemical pamphlet.

Ultimately, however, all those involved had failed to take the Allies into account. On June 1, 1919, they decided in the Treaty of Saint-Germain that Vorarlberg would remain part of Austria.

The Treaty of Saint-Germain imposed significant losses of German-speaking territories: The area in black was claimed by Austria. Red is the final state border fixed in the Treaty. N.B. South Tyrol and the region around Trieste were lost to Italy, and the Sudetenland to the Czech Republic.

After World War II in 1945, the same scenario arose like a specter: Switzerland as a role model for the people of Vorarlberg.

This time, Vienna hastily arranged for Vorarlberg's Anschluss to the eastern part of Austria through railway and road tunnels. Motorists no longer have to struggle along narrow mountain passes, and the journey by train between Bregenz and Vienna now takes only 6 1/2 hours.

*