Membership stays static, but the territory expands
Medal with arms of the Thirteen Old Places. The reverse shows the arms of the seven Allied Places. It was presented by the Confederation as a baptismal gift for the French princess Claudia in 1547© Stefan Rebsamen / Bern Historical Museum
Although membership of the Confederation remained static for more than a century, this does not mean that the area under Confederation control remained the same.
The Confederates conquered Aargau from the Austrians in 1415. They split it between them; some of the towns came under the sole control of Bern, Zurich or Lucerne while the rest became common lordships.
Similarly, seven of the Confederates - without Bern - took Thurgau from the Austrians in 1460 and thereafter also administered it through bailiffs.
Appenzell, Toggenburg (part of what is now Canton St Gallen), the Monastery and City of St Gallen, Schaffhausen, Fribourg, Biel and Solothurn all came under Confederate influence as associated states.