Short biographies

The biographical profiles contain information on senior officials at the Swiss National Bank (SNB) - their education, professional careers, memberships in associations, non-parliamentary commissions, additional offices held etc., and on their political posts and board memberships.

Presidents of the Swiss National Bank Council from 1906 onwards

Note on the English translation: For official titles and designations see the German and French versions. The English translations provided here are for guidance only.

17.07.1906-14.04.1923

Johann Daniel Hirter
Johann Daniel Hirter

14.04.1923-01.02.1927

Paul Usteri
Paul Usteri

05.03.1927-09.03.1935

Alfred Sarasin
Alfred Sarasin

09.03.1935-11.03.1939

Gustav Schaller
Gustav Schaller

11.03.1939-08.03.1947

Gottlieb Bachmann
Gottlieb Bachmann

08.03.1947-21.03.1959

Alfred Müller
Alfred Müller

21.03.1959-20.08.1978

Brenno Galli
Brenno Galli

08.11.1978-25.04.1986

Edmund Wyss
Edmund Wyss

25.04.1986-28.04.1989

François Schaller
François Schaller

28.04.1989-16.04.1993

Peter Gerber
Peter Gerber

16.04.1993-23.04.1999

Jakob Schönenberger
Jakob Schönenberger

23.04.1999-26.04.2002

Eduard Belser
Eduard Belser

26.04.2002-27.04.2012

Hans Ulrich Raggenbass
Hans Ulrich Raggenbass

27.04.2012-30.04.2019

Jean Studer
Jean Studer

01.05.2019-

Barbara Janom Steiner
Barbara Janom Steiner

© Photos

Swiss National Bank: Johann Daniel Hirter, Alfred Sarasin, Gustav Schaller, Brenno Galli, Edmund Wyss, François Schaller, Barbara Janom Steiner

Images collection, Swiss National Library/NB: Paul Usteri, Gottlieb Bachmann, Peter Gerber, Jakob Schönenberger

KEYSTONE/archives: Eduard Belser

RDB/RDB: Alfred Müller

Press service, République et Canton de Neuchâtel: Jean Studer

Hans Ulrich Raggenbass: Hans Ulrich Raggenbass

Members of the Governing Board from 1907 onwards

Note on the English translation: For official titles and designations see the German and French versions. The English translations provided here are for guidance only.

Department I: Heinrich Kundert
Heinrich Kundert
Department II: Rodolphe de Haller
Rodolphe de Haller
Department III: August Burckhardt
August Burckhardt
Department I: August Burckhardt
August Burckhardt
Department II: Rodolphe de Haller
Rodolphe de Haller
Department III: Adolf Jöhr
Adolf Jöhr
Department I: August Burckhardt
August Burckhardt
Department II: Rodolphe de Haller
Rodolphe de Haller
Department III: Gottlieb Bachmann
Gottlieb Bachmann
Department I: August Burckhardt
August Burckhardt
Department II: Charles Schnyder von Wartensee
Charles Schnyder von Wartensee
Department III: Gottlieb Bachmann
Gottlieb Bachmann
Department I: August Burckhardt
August Burckhardt
Department II: vacant
Department III: Gottlieb Bachmann
Gottlieb Bachmann
Department I: August Burckhardt
August Burckhardt
Department II: Charles Schnyder von Wartensee
Charles Schnyder von Wartensee
Department III: Gottlieb Bachmann
Gottlieb Bachmann
Department I: vacant
Department II: Charles Schnyder von Wartensee
Charles Schnyder von Wartensee
Department III: Gottlieb Bachmann
Gottlieb Bachmann
Department I: Gottlieb Bachmann
Gottlieb Bachmann
Department II: Charles Schnyder von Wartensee
Charles Schnyder von Wartensee
Department III: Ernst Weber
Ernst Weber
Department I: Gottlieb Bachmann
Gottlieb Bachmann
Department II: Paul Rossy
Paul Rossy
Department III: Ernst Weber
Ernst Weber
Department I: vacant
Department II: Paul Rossy
Paul Rossy
Department III: Ernst Weber
Ernst Weber
Department I: Ernst Weber
Ernst Weber
Department II: Paul Rossy
Paul Rossy
Department III: Fritz Schnorf
Fritz Schnorf
Department I: Ernst Weber
Ernst Weber
Department II: Paul Rossy
Paul Rossy
Department III: Alfred Hirs
Alfred Hirs
Department I: Paul Keller
Paul Keller
Department II: Paul Rossy
Paul Rossy
Department III: Alfred Hirs
Alfred Hirs
Department I: Paul Keller
Paul Keller
Department II: Paul Rossy
Paul Rossy
Department III: Walter Schwegler
Walter Schwegler
Department I: Paul Keller
Paul Keller
Department II: Riccardo Motta
Riccardo Motta
Department III: Walter Schwegler
Walter Schwegler
Department I: Walter Schwegler
Walter Schwegler
Department II: Riccardo Motta
Riccardo Motta
Department III: Max Iklé
Max Iklé
Department I: Walter Schwegler
Walter Schwegler
Department II: Alexandre Hay
Alexandre Hay
Department III: Max Iklé
Max Iklé
Department I: Edwin Stopper
Edwin Stopper
Department II: Alexandre Hay
Alexandre Hay
Department III: Max Iklé
Max Iklé
Department I: Edwin Stopper
Edwin Stopper
Department II: Alexandre Hay
Alexandre Hay
Department III: Fritz Leutwiler
Fritz Leutwiler
Department I: Fritz Leutwiler
Fritz Leutwiler
Department II: Alexandre Hay
Alexandre Hay
Department III: vacant
Department I: Fritz Leutwiler
Fritz Leutwiler
Department II: Alexandre Hay
Alexandre Hay
Department III: Leo Schürmann
Leo Schürmann
Department I: Fritz Leutwiler
Fritz Leutwiler
Department II: Leo Schürmann
Leo Schürmann
Department III: Pierre Languetin
Pierre Languetin
Department I: Fritz Leutwiler
Fritz Leutwiler
Department II: Pierre Languetin
Pierre Languetin
Department III: Markus Lusser
Markus Lusser
Department I: Pierre Languetin
Pierre Languetin
Department II: Markus Lusser
Markus Lusser
Department III: Hans Meyer
Hans Meyer
Department I: Markus Lusser
Markus Lusser
Department II: Hans Meyer
Hans Meyer
Department III: Jean Zwahlen
Jean Zwahlen
Department I: Hans Meyer
Hans Meyer
Department II: Jean-Pierre Roth
Jean-Pierre Roth
Department III: Bruno Gehrig
Bruno Gehrig
Department I: Jean-Pierre Roth
Jean-Pierre Roth
Department II: Niklaus Blattner
Niklaus Blattner
Department III: Bruno Gehrig
Bruno Gehrig
Department I: Jean-Pierre Roth
Jean-Pierre Roth
Department II: Niklaus Blattner
Niklaus Blattner
Department III: Philipp M. Hildebrand
Philipp M. Hildebrand
Department I: Jean-Pierre Roth
Jean-Pierre Roth
Department II: Philipp M. Hildebrand
Philipp M. Hildebrand
Department III: Thomas J. Jordan
Thomas J. Jordan
Department I: Philipp M. Hildebrand
Philipp M. Hildebrand
Department II: Thomas J. Jordan
Thomas J. Jordan
Department III: Jean-Pierre Danthine
Jean-Pierre Danthine
Department I: vacant
Department II: Thomas J. Jordan
Thomas J. Jordan
Department III: Jean-Pierre Danthine
Jean-Pierre Danthine
Department I: Thomas J. Jordan
Thomas J. Jordan
Department II: Jean-Pierre Danthine
Jean-Pierre Danthine
Department III: vacant
Department I: Thomas J. Jordan
Thomas J. Jordan
Department II: Jean-Pierre Danthine
Jean-Pierre Danthine
Department III: Fritz Zurbrügg
Fritz Zurbrügg
Department I: Thomas J. Jordan
Thomas J. Jordan
Department II: Fritz Zurbrügg
Fritz Zurbrügg
Department III: Andréa M. Maechler
Andréa M. Maechler
Department I: Thomas J. Jordan
Thomas J. Jordan
Department II: Martin Schlegel
Martin Schlegel
Department III: Andréa M. Maechler
Andréa M. Maechler
Department I: Thomas J. Jordan
Thomas J. Jordan
Department II: Martin Schlegel
Martin Schlegel
Department III: vacant
Department I: Thomas J. Jordan
Thomas J. Jordan
Department II: Martin Schlegel
Martin Schlegel
Department III: Antoine Martin
Antoine Martin
Department I: Martin Schlegel
Martin Schlegel
Department II: Antoine Martin
Antoine Martin
Department III: Petra Tschudin
Petra Tschudin

© Photos

Swiss National Bank: August Burckhardt, Rodolphe de Haller, Heinrich Kundert, Adolf Jöhr, Gottlieb Bachmann, Paul Rossy, Fritz Schnorf, Walter Schwegler, Riccardo Motta, Alexandre Hay, Edwin Stopper, Fritz Leutwiler, Leo Schürmann, Pierre Languetin, Markus Lusser, Hans Meyer, Jean Zwahlen, Bruno Gehrig, Niklaus Blattner, Jean-Pierre Roth, Philipp M. Hildebrand, Thomas J. Jordan, Jean-Pierre Danthine, Fritz Zurbrügg, Andréa M. Maechler, Martin Schlegel, Petra Tschudin

Images collection, Swiss National Library/NB: Charles Schnyder von Wartensee, Paul Keller

KEYSTONE/Photopress archives: Ernst Weber, Alfred Hirs, Max Iklé

Historical sources for the biographical profiles

  • Information on offices held at the SNB is derived from the SNB archives.
  • Information on education, professional careers, memberships in associations, additional offices held etc. is largely based on obituaries in newspapers and entries in encyclopaedias.
  • Details on memberships in permanent commissions of the National Council and the Council of States have been derived from a publication entitled "Résumé des délibérations de l’assemblée fédérale" in French and "Übersicht über die Verhandlungen der Bundesversammlung" in German.
  • The sources for the non-parliamentary commissions were, for the period to 1984, the annual federal gazette ("l’annuaire federal"/"eidgenössische Staatskalender"), and for the years thereafter, a brochure entitled "Commissions extra-parlementaires, autorités et représentants de la Confédération" in French and "Ausserparlamentarische Kommissionen, Behörden und Vertretungen des Bundes" in German, which was published by the Federal Chancellery in 1985, 1987, 1990, 1993 and 1997. There are a number of gaps in the information provided by these publications, and some (but unfortunately not all) of them have been filled with the generous support of the Swiss federal archives. Neither the annual gazette nor the Federal Chancellery publication lists all of the non-parliamentary commissions. This is a gap that we were unable to fill in our biographical profiles.
  • For Board memberships, the annual reports of individual companies held by the Swiss economic archives ("Wirtschaftsarchiv") in Basel were consulted.
  • In addition, we received valuable information from many archives and historians, and would like to take this opportunity of extending our sincere thanks to them.

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