Cycling in Switzerland
Murder on the Route of St. James
Burgdorf
Murder on the Route of St. James
The road through Burgdorf, Huttwil and Willisau was the most important link between Bern and Luzern until the mid-18th century. To the north of Burgdorf runs the Leuenhohle, one of Switzerland’s most beautiful sunken lanes.
The old Bern to Luzern road is a typical example of a medieval high route with some extremely steep ascents. This is particularly apparent on the Leuenhohle near Burgdorf. Steep gradients forced its builders to hew part of the way through the sandstone.
The resulting hollow way or sunken path was impressive but also a perfect location for criminal activity. Two crosses carved into the rock are a memorial to a murder that is said to have been committed here. An unverified historical source reported the murder on «Sunday afternoon, 23 July 1713, of Vinzenz Scheluzzi, merchant from Lucca in Italy on his way from Luzern to Bern, by Andreas Schäffer of Cologne on the Rhine, his servant engaged at Willisau, who bludgeoned his master to death at Leuwenberg and stole his horse, money and clothes down to his silk stockings. A memorial cross was later carved into the stone». The citation in its original German is taken from a history of Burgdorf and its region by J.R. Aeschlimann, published in 1847.
The resulting hollow way or sunken path was impressive but also a perfect location for criminal activity. Two crosses carved into the rock are a memorial to a murder that is said to have been committed here. An unverified historical source reported the murder on «Sunday afternoon, 23 July 1713, of Vinzenz Scheluzzi, merchant from Lucca in Italy on his way from Luzern to Bern, by Andreas Schäffer of Cologne on the Rhine, his servant engaged at Willisau, who bludgeoned his master to death at Leuwenberg and stole his horse, money and clothes down to his silk stockings. A memorial cross was later carved into the stone». The citation in its original German is taken from a history of Burgdorf and its region by J.R. Aeschlimann, published in 1847.
The road through Burgdorf, Huttwil and Willisau was the most important link between Bern and Luzern until the mid-18th century. To the north of Burgdorf runs the Leuenhohle, one of Switzerland’s most beautiful sunken lanes.
The old Bern to Luzern road is a typical example of a medieval high route with some extremely steep ascents. This is particularly apparent on the Leuenhohle near Burgdorf. Steep gradients forced its builders to hew part of the way through the sandstone.
The resulting hollow way or sunken path was impressive but also a perfect location for criminal activity. Two crosses carved into the rock are a memorial to a murder that is said to have been committed here. An unverified historical source reported the murder on «Sunday afternoon, 23 July 1713, of Vinzenz Scheluzzi, merchant from Lucca in Italy on his way from Luzern to Bern, by Andreas Schäffer of Cologne on the Rhine, his servant engaged at Willisau, who bludgeoned his master to death at Leuwenberg and stole his horse, money and clothes down to his silk stockings. A memorial cross was later carved into the stone». The citation in its original German is taken from a history of Burgdorf and its region by J.R. Aeschlimann, published in 1847.
The resulting hollow way or sunken path was impressive but also a perfect location for criminal activity. Two crosses carved into the rock are a memorial to a murder that is said to have been committed here. An unverified historical source reported the murder on «Sunday afternoon, 23 July 1713, of Vinzenz Scheluzzi, merchant from Lucca in Italy on his way from Luzern to Bern, by Andreas Schäffer of Cologne on the Rhine, his servant engaged at Willisau, who bludgeoned his master to death at Leuwenberg and stole his horse, money and clothes down to his silk stockings. A memorial cross was later carved into the stone». The citation in its original German is taken from a history of Burgdorf and its region by J.R. Aeschlimann, published in 1847.
