Why does Switzerland have two Basels?

As you look through a list of all the 26 cantons of Switzerland, many will notice a weird quirk: there are two Basels instead of one. Here’s the story of Basel Stadt and Landschaft, what the differences between them are and what caused the split in the first place.

Why is Basel split between Stadt and Landschaft?

Until the late 14th century, the land we now know as Basel Stadt, Basel Landschaft and Jura was controlled by the Prince-Bishopric of Basel. The Prince Bishops, the institution which gave Basel its modern flag and coat of arms, were both the religious heads of the Catholic Diocese and the secular rulers of the city and the surrounding countryside. 

However, by the 1500s, the city of Basel itself had gained de facto independence from the Prince Bishops, only giving them lip service as their “technical” rulers. This autonomy allowed the city, but not the Prince-Bishopric, to join the Swiss Confederation in 1501.

The end of the Prince Bishops and the French

Thanks to the Protestant Reformation, the power of the Prince Bishops declined. In 1528, Basel and its surrounding territories converted to Protestantism and expelled the Prince Bishops entirely, who fled to Jura. This meant that the entirety of Basel was placed under secular rule, as part of Switzerland.

This state of affairs would continue until 1792, when the French revolutionary government chose to invade Basel. They eventually split the territory, absorbing much of the land north of the Rhine River into France and giving the rest to a restored Canton Basel, which would form part of the short-lived Helvetic Republic and the re-restored Swiss Confederation.

Growing divide between Basel residents and rural communities

However, between the restoration of the confederation in 1803 and 1830, Canton Basel was racked by political and social turmoil. At the time, the region’s parliament or Kantonsparlament was dominated by people from Basel, despite the lands around the city having a larger population. 

Tensions finally boiled over in October 1830, when officials from rural regions wrote an open letter demanding that people in the countryside of Basel be given equal representation. This demand was rejected by the city, with opponents arguing that the region was so economically reliant on Basel that it made sense for urban dwellers to be given a stronger voice.

Violence and uprisings grip northeastern Switzerland

It was then that a provisional countryside government was formed in Liestal, the capital of Basel-Land today, and up to 3.000 people took up arms to defend the town. Though this army was quickly crushed by troops from Basel, the entire region continued to face destruction and violence from both sides between 1830 and 1833.

The conflict reached its climax at the Battle of Hülftenschanz on August 3 1833, when troops and cannons from Basel again marched on Liestal. This time the Liestal authorities won, the Basel force was defeated by the rebels and took heavy casualties as it returned back to the city.

Basel split into Stadt and Landschaft (Land)

This finally convinced the Swiss government to step in. On August 17, 1833, the precursor to the Federal Council, the Tagsatzung, voted to partition Basel into Basel Stadt, encompassing the city and a few surrounding villages, and Basel Landschaft or Land (countryside), which included practically all the rural areas around the city. 

The two “half-cantons” were split on August 26, 1833 and have been separated ever since - interestingly, despite this, Canton Basel was only officially removed from the Swiss Constitution in 1999.

Have any other Swiss cantons been split?

The partitioning of Basel is the third time that a Swiss canton has been split. Unterwalden, one of the founding cantons of Switzerland, was split in practice into Obwalden and Nidwalden in 1803 and officially, along with Basel, in 1999, while Appenzell was partitioned into Appenzell Innerrhoden and Ausserrhoden in 1597.

Will Canton Basel ever be reformed?

Today, both regions are entwined, with Stadt and Land collaborating on public services and jointly funding the University of Basel. This has raised the prospect of reunification: in 1969, a referendum was held on whether they should become one canton again. At the vote, a majority of citizens in the city voted "yes", but a majority in Basel Land voted "no".

Will other Swiss cantons be divided?

That doesn’t mean the idea of splitting Swiss cantons is confined to history. In July 2025, the Swiss People’s Party submitted a request, asking whether Canton Zurich could be split into Zurich Stadt and Land. 

In statements ominously similar to those made before Basel split, the SVP argued that the political views of the city of Zurich, which are generally left-leaning, are so overbearing and far removed from the rest of the canton that it made sense to divide them.