Johann Konrad Kern (11 June 1808 – 14 April 1888) was a Swiss
statesman. He was the first
president
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Automobiles
* Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...
of the
Federal Supreme Court (1848–1850) and president of the
National Council in 1850–1851. ''Kernstrasse'' in
Zürich
Zürich () is the list of cities in Switzerland, largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zürich. It is located in north-central Switzerland, at the northwestern tip of Lake Zürich. As of January 2020, the municipality has 43 ...
is named for him.
Early life
Kern was born into a wealthy family in 1808 in
Berlingen in the Swiss canton of
Thurgau
Thurgau (; french: Thurgovie; it, Turgovia), anglicized as Thurgovia, more formally the Canton of Thurgau, is one of the 26 cantons forming the Swiss Confederation. It is composed of five districts and its capital is Frauenfeld.
Thurgau is part ...
.
He attended school at
Diessenhofen
Diessenhofen is a village and a municipality in Frauenfeld District in the canton of Thurgau in Switzerland. The village is situated on the south shore of the High Rhine just opposite the German town of Gailingen am Hochrhein.
History
Diessenhofe ...
and
Zürich
Zürich () is the list of cities in Switzerland, largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zürich. It is located in north-central Switzerland, at the northwestern tip of Lake Zürich. As of January 2020, the municipality has 43 ...
before enrolling at the
University of Basel
The University of Basel (Latin: ''Universitas Basiliensis'', German: ''Universität Basel'') is a university in Basel, Switzerland. Founded on 4 April 1460, it is Switzerland's oldest university and among the world's oldest surviving universit ...
in 1828, where he studied
theology
Theology is the systematic study of the nature of the divine and, more broadly, of religious belief. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of analyzing the ...
briefly before transferring to
Heidelberg University
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Heidelberg University, officially the Ruprecht Karl University of Heidelberg, (german: Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg; la, Universitas Ruperto Carola Heidelbergensis) is a public university, public research university in Heidelberg, B ...
to study law.
He graduated with honours in 1830 and began practicing law in Berlingen in 1831.
[
]
Political career
Kern married Aline Freyenmuth in 1834, with whom he then relocated to Frauenfeld
Frauenfeld ( Alemannic: ''Frauefäld'') is the capital of the canton of Thurgau in Switzerland.
The official language of Frauenfeld is (the Swiss variety of Standard) German, but the main spoken language is the local variant of the Alemannic ...
, Thurgau's capital.[ Freyenmuth was the daughter of a cantonal government councillor, which led Kern to become involved in Thurgau's political sphere.][ Kern would serve as a member of the Thurgau Cantonal Council from 1832 until 1853, including nine terms as president,][
Kern represented Thurgau at the ]Tagsatzung
The Federal Diet of Switzerland (german: Tagsatzung, ; french: Diète fédérale; it, Dieta federale) was the legislative and executive council of the Old Swiss Confederacy and existed in various forms from the beginnings of Swiss independen ...
, the federal council of delegates from each canton, in 1833–38, 1840–42, and 1845–48. In 1848 he was elected to the National Council and held the presidency in 1850–1851, leaving the assembly in 1854; during this time he also served as a federal judge in the Federal Supreme Court, where he was president in 1848–1850.[ He was a major contributor to the writing of the new ]Swiss Constitution
The Federal Constitution of the Swiss Confederation (SR 10; german: Bundesverfassung der Schweizerischen Eidgenossenschaft (BV); french: Constitution fédérale de la Confédération suisse (Cst.); it, Costituzione federale della Confederaz ...
in 1848, the country's first federal constitution,[ and in 1854 he helped to establish the federal technical university ''Eidgenössische Polytechnische Schule'' (now ETH Zurich).][ From 1853 to 1857, he was also the director of the ]Swiss Northeastern Railway
The Swiss Northeastern Railway (''Schweizerische Nordostbahn''; NOB) was an early railway company in Switzerland. It also operated shipping on Lake Constance (''Bodensee'') and Lake Zürich. Until the merger of the Western Swiss Railways into the ...
company.[
Kern declined an 1849 appointment to a Swiss ambassadorship in ]Vienna
en, Viennese
, iso_code = AT-9
, registration_plate = W
, postal_code_type = Postal code
, postal_code =
, timezone = CET
, utc_offset = +1
, timezone_DST ...
, but later represented Switzerland internationally.[ In 1856 he was sent to ]Paris
Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...
to partake in the mediation of the Neuchâtel Crisis The Neuchâtel Crisis (1856–1857) was the result of a diplomatic question between the Swiss Confederation and the King of Prussia regarding the rights of the Royal House of Prussia to the Principality of Neuchâtel. The Principality of Neuchà ...
with Napoleon III
Napoleon III (Charles Louis Napoléon Bonaparte; 20 April 18089 January 1873) was the first President of France (as Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte) from 1848 to 1852 and the last monarch of France as Emperor of the French from 1852 to 1870. A nephew ...
,[ and the next year he took up a formal post as Minister of Switzerland in Paris.][ During this time, he failed to mediate in the 1870–71 Franco-Prussian War, but provided assistance to Swiss nationals living in war-torn France. He resigned in 1882.][
]
Later years
After his retirement, Kern moved to Paris between 1883 and 1886 to write a memoir of his 50-year political career titled (''Political Reminiscences 1833 to 1883'').[ He then returned to Zürich, where he died in 1888 after having a stroke.][
]
References
Further reading
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External links
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Kern, Johann Konrad
1808 births
1888 deaths
People from Frauenfeld District
Swiss Calvinist and Reformed Christians
Federal Supreme Court of Switzerland judges
Presidents of the National Council (Switzerland)
Members of the Council of States (Switzerland)
Swiss diplomats
19th-century Swiss judges
Thurgau politicians
Heidelberg University alumni
University of Basel alumni
19th-century Swiss politicians