What the Council left behind

Read the PDF edition (2 pages)

When the Council left Basel in 1448, the city returned to its provincial dimension. The visitors departed, the revenues from lodgings and consumption declined, and the Italian bankers moved on. Yet the Council left a durable legacy.

The first legacy was intellectual. The Council had brought to Basel scholars, theologians and humanists from all over Europe. It had also created contacts that the citizens of Basel could use. The Dominican convent of Basel had hosted part of the Council's library and received manuscripts, among them Greek manuscripts brought by John of Ragusa, the Council's envoy to Constantinople, which later passed to the university library.¹ These manuscripts would be used by Erasmus and other humanists for their editions of the Greek New Testament and of the Church Fathers.

The second legacy was economic. The paper industry, established during the Council, survived and grew. The merchants of Basel had established relationships with the Italian banking houses and with the merchants of the regions represented at the Council. The city's finances had benefited from the revenues of the Council period, although they had also been burdened by the costs of hosting it.

The third legacy was institutional. The Council had shown that Basel could host an international assembly, guarantee the safety of its participants, regulate the market for its needs and maintain its neutrality between the parties. These capacities would be used again, most notably when the city became the seat of the Bank for International Settlements in 1930.

The fourth legacy was the university. The connection between the Council and the foundation of the university through the person of Pius II is the most tangible expression of the Council's influence. The next chapter examines the foundation of the university, the imperial fair privilege and the accession of Basel to the Confederation.

Notes

On the Greek manuscripts brought to Basel by John Stojković of Ragusa and their later transfer to the university library of Basel, see HLS, article "Johannes von Ragusa"; publications of the Universitätsbibliothek Basel. To be verified. ↩

For general information only. This article does not constitute legal or tax advice, does not replace advice on an individual case and creates no lawyer-client relationship. It reflects the legal position as of September 2025.

English

Contact

Dr Alexander Ressos, TEP

Rechtsanwalt/Attorney-at-Law

I am a Swiss attorney-at-law and also admitted as a solicitor in Hong Kong and in England & Wales, with almost 25 years of experience.

Together with my multilingual team, including Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Russian, Ukrainian and French native speakers, I advise companies and their owners from around the world on the full range of banking, corporate, commercial and tax law matters in Switzerland, including international tax planning, fiduciary services, and legal family office services including immigration & relocation or real estate investments. My practice has a particular focus on clients from growth and frontier markets in Greater China, Central Asia and the Caucasus, the rest of Asia, the Middle East, Africa and Latin America, and I equally advise clients from Europe and North America. Through an affiliated Swiss trust company, we also take care of the incorporation and ongoing administration of their companies and other structures, including accounting, tax returns and corporate secretarial services, and I serve as a professional director where required. With the support of a network of first-class cooperation partners, I also implement solutions worldwide.

My approach is to act as a trusted advisor who works directly with decision-makers, on an equal footing: I start from what you want to achieve and shape every structure, contract and tax decision around your commercial goals and how it improves your after-tax return. As “lawyers who make it happen”, my team and I stay involved until your company is set up, your structure is in place and your transaction has closed, and we remain available for any follow-on work that may be required. You benefit from bespoke solutions and personal attention, and sound, friendly and practical advice. We are not the lowest-cost provider in the market, nor do we intend to be; our aim is to deliver well-founded, proper solutions and excellent value for money.

Get in touch →

What the Council left behind

Notes

Setting up or expanding in Switzerland?