The last Swiss Guillotine

When the French occupied the Swiss Confederation at the very end of the 18th century, they brought their rules with them. We partly adapted their law. The Pillory, flogging and branding got forbidden. Executions had to be effected with the Guillotine.

We very much disliked the Guillotine and as soon as the French left, we reinstalled the sword as execution tool. Despite of that the Guillotine prevailed and became a standard in Switzerland. Executions did no longer take place in the public but in the atrium of the prisons.

At the beginning we did not own a Guillotine and had to lend one. Then we bought  it and borrowed it all over Switzerland. That's way at least the last five executions in Switerland were all made with that same Guillotine showed hereunder.
Our Guillotine ist the last preserved Guillotine in Switzerland and you can see it in the Historical Museum of Lucerne.