BUBENBERG, ADRIAN VON

born 1431?, Spiez, Switz. died August 1479, Bern Swiss soldier and politician, leader of the Bernese forces at the Battle of Morat (June 22, 1476), which marked the end of the Swiss Confederation's war with Burgundy (147476). Magistrate for Bern (146869, 147374, 147779) and a partisan of the feudal aristocracy in its struggle with the emerging Bernese bourgeoisie, Bubenberg opposed the alliance of the Swiss Confederation with France against Burgundy and attempted to secure peaceful relations with the ambitious ruler of Burgundy, Charles the Bold. With the outbreak of the Burgundian War (October 1474), he went temporarily into exile but soon returned to lead the Bernese contingent in the defense of Morat, an encounter that won for the Swiss army a reputation as the finest force in Europe. For his role at Morat, Bubenberg has remained a popular figure in Swiss history.