Creative History

  November 15, 1572.   The weather in Kriesbuhl, a small picturesque farming village in the foothills of the Swiss Alps is cold, even for that time of year, but clear. On that day, a Saturday, Hans Buchmann, an impoverished peasant farmer, has a debt to pay.  He owes sixteen florins, roughly the equivalent of $600 in today’s money, to a creditor in the nearby market town of Sempach.  Hans has been borrowing heavily against his small plot of land to make ends meet and provide for his family. But no matter how much Hans borrows, the money seems to always disappear and his family remains impoverished. Lucky for him this fall’s crop has been quite lucrative and he’s saved up the money to pay off his creditor.  Now in the crisp early morning sunlight Hans is preparing to walk the four miles to Sempach to pay off his debts.  Unfortunately, for Hans, the road from Kriesbuhl to Sempach is mostly uphill and through wooded terrain, but in November of 1572,...