The Battle of St. Jakob an der Sihl was a battle of the Old Zürich War

Old Zürich War

The Old Zürich War , 1440–46, was a conflict between the canton of Zürich and the other seven cantons of the Old Swiss Confederacy over the succession to the Count of Toggenburg....

 that occurred on July 22, 1443, resulting in a defeat for Zürich

Zürich

Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is located in central Switzerland at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich...

.

The battle took place outside the gates of Zürich, beyond the Sihl

Sihl

The Sihl is a river of Switzerland. It rises at Drusberg in the Canton of Schwyz. It passes through the Sihlsee near Einsiedeln, and then enters the Canton of Zurich, flowing through the Sihl valley at the foot of the Albis, passing the Sihlwald, the largest remaining deciduous forest of the Swiss...

 (today's Aussersihl

Aussersihl

Aussersihl is a district in the Swiss city of Zurich. It is District number 4. The district is colloquially known as Chreis Cheib, cheib being the Zurich German word for an animal cadaver; the area historically contained pits for the deposition of dead animals.The district comprises the quarters...

 district). The troops of Zürich, with Habsburg reinforcements, met the attacking confederates on the Sihlfeld

Sihlfeld

Sihlfeld is a quarter in the district 3 of Zurich.It was formerly a part of Wiedikon municipality, which was incorporated into Zurich in 1893.The quarter has a population of 20,554 distributed on an area of 1.64 km².-References:...

north of St. Jakob, but were pushed back and had to escape across the Sihl into the city. The confederates did not have the means to lay siege to the city and withdrew. The defeat of Zürich was thus not decisive, and the war continued until 1446.

The commander of the Habsburg

Holy Roman Empire

The Holy Roman Empire was a realm that existed from 962 to 1806 in Central Europe.It was ruled by the Holy Roman Emperor. Its character changed during the Middle Ages and the Early Modern period, when the power of the emperor gradually weakened in favour of the princes...

 forces, Albrecht Freiherr von Bussnang, was killed behind the altar

Altar

An altar is any structure upon which offerings such as sacrifices are made for religious purposes. Altars are usually found at shrines, and they can be located in temples, churches and other places of worship...

 of the St. Jakob chapel.
According to Zürich chroniclers, Zürich's burgomaster Rudolf Stüssi

Rudolf Stüssi

Rudolf Stüssi served as burgomaster of Zürich during the mid-fifteenth century. His expansionist ambitions for Zurich caused the Old Zürich War .-Biography:...

 fell at this battle amongst the defenders of the bridge across the Sihl. Stüssi was covering his troops' retreat when he was killed by a confederate hiding below the bridge.
This account, which emphasizes the burgomaster's bravery, is considered Zürich propaganda

Propaganda

Propaganda is a form of communication that is aimed at influencing the attitude of a community toward some cause or position so as to benefit oneself or one's group....

 by historians.
Additional accounts from Zürich chronicles state that the city was saved by the gatekeeper's

Gatekeeper

Gatekeeper or gatekeeping may refer to:* Gatekeeper , a professional boxer who is considered a test for aspiring boxers* Gatekeeping , a person or organization who manages or constrains a flow of knowledge...

 wife, one Anna Ziegler, who managed to lower the portcullis

Portcullis

A portcullis is a latticed grille made of wood, metal, fibreglass or a combination of the three. Portcullises fortified the entrances to many medieval castles, acting as a last line of defence during time of attack or siege...

 of the Rennweg

Rennweg

Rennweg is the name of:* Rennweg * Rennweg am Katschberg* Rennweg * Neuhaus am Rennweg...

gate just as the pursuing confederates were about to enter the city.