Basel 1356

After at least one foreshock during the afternoon of 18 October 1356, a quake with a magnitude of roughly 6.6 shook the city of Basel at about 22:00. This was the largest historically documented earthquake in Switzerland.

Numerous houses collapsed, causing several fires that took a long time to extinguish (due to the shingle and straw roofs, open fireplaces and heated ovens). Considering the strength of the quake and the destruction it caused, relatively few people fell victim to it, since many had already left their homes after the foreshock.