They were successful in 1728. For the price of 221 744 Gulden – when the pledge was cancelled, they only got 20 000 Gulden back from Austria – they regained their former rights over the Reiat villages. Buesingen, however, although situatet right on Schaffhausen’s doorstep – was excluded from this so called Reiater jurisdictional purchase with the remark it should remain Austrian territory and that way be an eternal annoyance for Schaffhausen.
During the 18th century, Schaffhausen initiated negotiations over and over again in order to get Buesingen back, but Austria remained adamant. And when Austria sold it’s county rights over the villages Doerflingen and Ramsen to the confederate Zuerich, Buesingen became an confederate enclave. Repeated tries of the Swiss confederates to incorporate Buesingen by way of negotiation into the Canton of Schaffhausen failed.
That’s how Buesingen became an issue in the Pressburg peace negotiations in 1805 but it got allocated to the
A member of the British House of Commons suggested after WWII to join Buesingen to Switzerland. The Swiss Federal-Assembly countered with a declared no.Approach of the Buesingen people
Through the centuries, the inhabitants of Buesingen were true and compliant subjects to the city of Schaffhausen and, of course, couldn’t express their opinion on the goals of the ongoing negotiations in those days. Only after WWI they became active themselves and took the initiative.
They had a vote: 96 % of the people from Buesingen demanded an integration into Switzerland. Even negotiations took place, but the Confederates couldn’t offer Baden adequate land as exchange. Six years later, in 1924, the people of Buesingen tried it again and threatened to use violence, if necessary. The reaction of the Baden ministery of the interior was icy: “We are going to hold members of the municipal administration or official of the municipality who support such actions in any way responsible and we are going to take disciplinary actions against them without leniency.”. One year later, in 1925, the people of Buesingen tried it again, this time in a little more moderate way. The answer from the Baden ministery of the interior: “… that the political affiliation of Buesingen to the country of Baden can’t be changed and that therefore all attempts to disengage from the German Reich are futile.” In spite of that, in 1939, shortly before the Nationalsocialist Party coming into power, the people of Buesingen tried it again. But they didn’t even get an answer to their approach.
After WW2, Buesingen was occupied by the French. Their commandant appointed a mayor. His name: Gustav Hugo, a retired corvette captain from Hannover. Gustav Hugo didn’t loose time to try to change Buesingen’s status as enclave. On the town signs he had the words “Landkreis Konstanz” covered with paint, he denied German officials access to the community and was of the opinion, only Switzerland had a right to own his community. After two months, his activities ended – The French dismissed him.
Surprising demand from Konstanz
From 1949 on, Germany had an own competent government again. In 1955, Switzerland was working on a project, to “clean up” the general border situation of the Canton of Schaffhausen at 7 places – Buesingen, too, amongst others. The negotiations seemed to go well in 1956, when all of a sudden, the administrative district of Konstanz demanded, Buesingen should be joined with Germany via a land corridor to Gailingen. Schaffhausen, Doerflingen and Buesingen perceived this suggestion as very provocative since it would have cut the Schaffhauser community Doerflingen in two parts, and it started outcries of indignation. The result: the negotiations about Buesingen were once again excluded from negotiations and talks and – until today – put on ice.