Swiss-History.com presents historic and contemporary photographs and prints from Switzerland.

1444 - Beheadings at Greifensee

From Wikipedia:

The Old Zürich War (Alemannic German: DrThe Old Zürich War (Alemannic German: Dr Alti Zürichrieg), 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.

In May 1444, the confederacy laid siege to Greifensee, and captured the town after four weeks, on May 27, beheading all but two of the 64 defenders on the next day, including their leader, Wildhans von Breitenlandenberg. Even in times of war, the mass execution was widely considered a cruel and unjust deed.