William Tell

The tale of William Tell harkens back to medieval Switzerland, in the Alpine village of Altdorf. Legend has it that the Austrian warlord Governor Landburgher Gessler ruled Switzerland with an iron hand, demanding the citizenry to pay their respects daily. A revolutionary at heart, William Tell ignored the dictum, and was seized by soldiers. Gessler, who had heard of Tell's skill as an archer, told Tell that he could avoid execution by shooting an apple off his son's head, from twenty paces. Tell succeeded in the feat, and later slew Gessler, signaling the start of the movement that secured Switzerland's independence from Austria. Fact or folklore, the myth remains in Altdorf, where William Tell is regarded as a national hero. (Verleiher-Text)