Ulrich Ochsenbein (24 November 1811, in

Unterlangenegg Unterlangenegg or Unter Langenegg is a municipality in the administrative district of Thun in the canton of Bern in Switzerland. History Unterlangenegg is first mentioned in 1308 as ''Langonegga''. During the Middle Ages the land and scattere ...

– 3 November 1890) was a

Swiss Swiss may refer to: * the adjectival form of Switzerland * Swiss people Places * Swiss, Missouri * Swiss, North Carolina *Swiss, West Virginia * Swiss, Wisconsin Other uses *Swiss-system tournament, in various games and sports *Swiss Internation ...

politician and member of the

Swiss Federal Council The Federal Council (german: Bundesrat; french: Conseil fédéral; it, Consiglio federale; rm, Cussegl federal) is the executive body of the federal government of the Swiss Confederation and serves as the collective head of state and governme ...

(1848–1854). Ochsenbein Ulrich 1847

Professional life

He studied law and from 1835 he had a law firm together with his brother-in-law Eduard Sury. He headed the Radicals of Bern (Berner Radikale) together with

Jakob Stämpfli Jakob Stämpfli (23 February 1820 – 15 May 1879) was a Swiss politician and member of the Swiss Federal Council (1854–1863). He was elected to the Federal Council of Switzerland on 6 December 1854, and handed over office on 31 December 1863. ...

. The Radicals later became the Free Democratic Party.

Political career

Ulrich Ochsenbein participated in the ''

Freischarenzüge The periods of Restoration and Regeneration in Swiss history lasted from 1814 to 1847. "Restoration" is the period of 1814 to 1830, the restoration of the ''Ancien Régime'' ( federalism), reverting the changes imposed by Napoleon Bonaparte on ...

'' against Catholic

Lucerne Lucerne ( , ; High Alemannic German, High Alemannic: ''Lozärn'') or Luzern ()Other languages: gsw, Lozärn, label=Lucerne German; it, Lucerna ; rm, Lucerna . is a city in central Switzerland, in the Languages of Switzerland, German-speaking po ...

in 1844 and 1845. He was a member of the Grand Council in the

canton of Bern The canton of Bern or Berne (german: Kanton Bern; rm, Chantun Berna; french: canton de Berne; it, Canton Berna) is one of the 26 cantons forming the Swiss Confederation. Its capital city, Bern, is also the ''de facto'' capital of Switzerland. ...

from 1845 to 1846, president of the Verfassungsrat in 1846 and a member of the Regierungsrat from 1846 to 1848. 1847 to 1848 he represented the

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 ...

(diet) which he presided in 1847. He played an important role that the Swiss constitution was accepted by the Swiss population in the constitutional referendum held on 6 June 1848. He was elected to the

Federal Council of Switzerland The Federal Council (german: Bundesrat; french: Conseil fédéral; it, Consiglio federale; rm, Cussegl federal) is the executive body of the federal government of the Swiss Confederation and serves as the collective head of state and governm ...

on 16 November 1848 and handed over office on 31 December 1854. In the so-called Complementary Elections to the National Council in 1854, he had lost to

, who then was preferred for the Federal Council by the National Council. He is one of only a few federal councilors to be voted out of office. During his time as a federal councilor a fight broke out between the conservatives and a group of the radical party. Not willing to take positions, he lost the trust of both sides. During his time in office he held the Military Department (department of defence).

References

External links

* * *All of the following links are in German. ** ** http://www.zuerich98.ch/woche42_l02.html ** https://web.archive.org/web/20031211042117/http://www.stub.unibe.ch/extern/hv/gkb/ii/zwei.html 1811 births 1890 deaths People from Thun District Swiss Calvinist and Reformed Christians Free Democratic Party of Switzerland politicians Members of the Federal Council (Switzerland) Presidents of the National Council (Switzerland) Members of the National Council (Switzerland) Swiss military officers {{Switzerland-politician-stub