Adrien Lachenal (19 May 1849 in

Geneva Geneva ( , ; ) ; ; . is the List of cities in Switzerland, second-most populous city in Switzerland and the most populous in French-speaking Romandy. Situated in the southwest of the country, where the Rhône exits Lake Geneva, it is the ca ...

– 29 June 1918) was a Swiss politician and Jurist. He was

president of the Swiss Confederation The president of the Swiss Confederation, also known as the president of the confederation, federal president or colloquially as the president of Switzerland, is as ''primus inter pares'' among the other members of the Federal Council (Switze ...

in 1896. Married to Anne Louise Eggly in 1878, he had four sons. He was affiliated to the Free Democratic Party. He was a

Freemason Freemasonry (sometimes spelled Free-Masonry) consists of fraternal groups that trace their origins to the medieval guilds of stonemasons. Freemasonry is the oldest secular fraternity in the world and among the oldest still-existing organizati ...

, and belonged to the Masonic lodge "Fidélité et Prudence" in Geneva. Lachenal is buried at the Cimetière des Rois, Geneva.

Career and politics

Adrien Lachenal was an outstanding speaker and lawyer, and he became known through defensive mandates in awe-inspiring trials. From 1885 to 1892 he was a substitute judge at the canton of Geneva. His military career led him to the rank of lieutenant-colonel. His nephew and later President of the Grand Council Paul Lachenal joined him in his lawfirm. He was also the chairman of the Military Court of Cassation. In 1880 Lachenal was elected to the Grand Council (Grand Conseil), to which he belonged until 1892. Soon he was one of the most influential politicians of the radical faction. Over time, he turned to a policy of reconciliation. His commitment to social policy finally led to the formation of an alliance with the socialists. In 1881, the Grand Council elected Lachenal into the Council of States. there he spoke in particular on topics such as military, customs and finance. After the parliamentary elections in 1884, he moved to the National Council where he was the

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in 1885 and 1891. He was elected to the

Federal Council of Switzerland The Federal Council is the federal Cabinet (government), cabinet of the Switzerland, Swiss Confederation. Its seven members also serve as the collective head of state and Head of government, government of Switzerland. Since World War II, the F ...

on 15 December 1892 and handed over office on 31 December 1899. In 1896 he was elected

President of the Swiss Confederation The president of the Swiss Confederation, also known as the president of the confederation, federal president or colloquially as the president of Switzerland, is as ''primus inter pares'' among the other members of the Federal Council (Switze ...

. During his time in office he held the following departments: * Department of Foreign Affairs (1893–1895) * Political Department as President of the Confederation (1896) * Department of Trade, Industry and Agriculture (1897) * Department of Home Affairs (1898–1899) ''Rue Adrien-Lachenal'' in

and ''Avenue Adrien-Lachenal'' in

Versoix Versoix () is a Municipalities of Switzerland, municipality in the Canton of Geneva, in Switzerland. It is located in the northern suburbs of Geneva. Geography Versoix has an area, , of . Of this area, or 29.1% is used for agricultural purpose ...

are named after him.

External links

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References

1849 births 1918 deaths Foreign ministers of Switzerland Free Democratic Party of Switzerland politicians Members of the Council of States (Switzerland) Members of the Federal Council (Switzerland) Presidents of the Swiss Confederation Interior ministers of Switzerland Members of the National Council (Switzerland) Politicians from Geneva Presidents of the Council of States (Switzerland) Presidents of the National Council (Switzerland) Swiss Freemasons Swiss military officers University of Geneva alumni Agriculture ministers of Switzerland {{Switzerland-politician-stub