'Send Wallace letter back'

Dec 30 2008 by Iain Howie, Stirling Observer Wednesday

CALLS have been made for a letter sent by William Wallace to be returned to Scotland.

Local MSP Murdo Fraser has joined a parliamentary motion calling for the Lübeck Letter, the only surviving document from the national hero, to be returned to sender.

The letter was sent by William Wallace and Andrew Murray in 1297 to merchants of Lübeck and Hamburg, telling them that Scottish ports were once again open for trade.

It bears Wallace’s seal and was written just weeks after the Battle of Stirling Bridge.

The battle is referred to in the letter, with Murray and Wallace saying: “Scotland, blessed be God, has been rescued from the power of the English by force of arms.”

The letter now rests in the German national archives in Lübeck but was seen in Scotland as part of an exhibition at Holyrood in 2005.

Mr Fraser said: “The Lübeck Letter is one of the most significant historical documents in Scottish history and is the last known surviving document written by William Wallace. The letter is a link to a pivotal point in Scotland’s history and gives an insight into William Wallace as the statesman and politician.

“William Wallace is rightly remembered as a hero to Scots for his great victories on the battlefield but this letter reveals another side to him which is not always mentioned in the history books.

“The Lübeck Letter was sent in October 1297 to European trading partners, following the victory of Scottish forces at the Battle of Stirling Bridge over King Edward I. The letter was to inform Scotland’s European trading partners that merchants were to have safe access to all ports in the kingdom of Scotland.

“The city of Lübeck has been gracious enough in the past to lend Scotland this document for such expositions as the parliament’s ‘For Freedom Alone’.

“I hope that the Scottish Government will begin a dialogue with the city of Lübeck’s national archives about the possible permanent loan of the Lübeck Letter.

“I understand that Scotland has no claim for ownership of the item but I hope that goodwill and co-operation could result in the letter returning to Scotland.

“I would welcome the day when Scots are able to see the Lübeck Letter and the emblem of William Wallace in their country”