LIESTAL

liestal, the capital (since 1833) of the half canton of basel-stadt in switzerland. it is a well-built but uninteresting industrial town, situated on the left bank of the ergolz stream, and is the most populous town in the entire canton of basel, after basel itself. by rail it is 91⁄4 m. s.e. of basel, and 153⁄4 m. n.w. of olten. in the 15th-century town hall (_rathaus_) is preserved the golden drinking cup of charles the bold, duke of burgundy, which was taken at the battle of nancy in 1477. in 1900 the population was 5403, all german-speaking and mainly protestants. the town was sold in 1302 by its lord to the bishop of basel who, in 1400, sold it to the city of basel, at whose hands it suffered much in the peasants' war of 1653, and so consented gladly to the separation of 1833.