Some famous personalities in Swiss Freemasonry…
Evidently, it is difficult to establish an exhaustive list of
the most famous names in Swiss Freemasonry without betraying the
understood discretion of belonging to the Order. However, as
this discretion applies only to those who are still living, we
may name some personalities who have left their mark, during
their times, on the political and cultural lives of our country.
André Chedel
Born in 1915 and initiated into Freemasonry in 1954, this
native of Le Locle, humanist and renowned philosopher well
beyond our frontiers, received the honorary title of Doctor
"honoris causa" from the University of Neuchâtel just a few
years before his death in 1984.
Jonas Furrer (1805-1861)
Member of the Akazia Lodge at Winterthur, he was elected
Grand Orator of the Grand Lodge Alpina of Switzerland in 1844,
before he became, four years later, the first President of the
Swiss Confederation.
Augusta Giacometti (1877-1947)
Swiss painter from the Grisons, initiated in 1919 at Zürich,
he is known for his decorations in holy arts, his floral
subjects and, from 1910, for his abstract works of the "tachist"
type.
Pierre-Maurice Glayre (1743-1819)
Man of politics, diplomat, he was also private secretary to
the King of Poland and the first president of the temporary
Assembly in the country of Vaud.
Adrien Lachenal (1849-1918)
This solicitor and political man from Geneva, Federal
Counsellor from 1892 to 1899, was elected President of the Swiss
Confederation in 1896 and presided over the States Counsel from
1904 to 1918.
Antoine Louis John Ruchonnet,
Born on 28th April 1834, coming from Saint-Saphorin (VD), he
was Master of the Liberty Lodge at Lausanne. Elected as Federal
Counsellor representing the canton of Vaud on 3rd March 1881, he
died on the 14th September 1893 still in office, after having
been nominated twice for the presidency to the Swiss
Confederation, in 1883 and in 1890.
|