Jonas Furrer (3 March 1805 – 25 July 1861) was a Swiss lawyer and politician who served as a member of the Federal Council, from 1848 to 1861, and as the first

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 ...

from 1848 to 1849, and again in 1852, 1855 and 1858. He was one of the leading figures in the foundation of

Switzerland as a federal state The rise of Switzerland as a federal state began on 12 September 1848, with the creation of a federal constitution in response to a 27-day civil war, the ''Sonderbundskrieg''. The constitution, which was heavily influenced by the United State ...

. He was a member of the Radical Party.

Biography

Furrer was born in

Winterthur Winterthur (; ) is a city in the canton of Zurich in northern Switzerland. With over 120,000 residents, it is the country's List of cities in Switzerland, sixth-largest city by population, as well as its ninth-largest agglomeration with about 14 ...

, in the

canton of Zürich The canton of Zurich is an administrative unit (Swiss canton, canton) of Switzerland, situated in the northeastern part of the country. With a population of (as of ), it is the most populous canton of Switzerland. Zurich is the ''de facto'' Capi ...

, on 3 March 1805, the son of Anna Magdalena Hanhart and Jonas Furrer, a

locksmith Locksmithing is the work of creating and bypassing locks. Locksmithing is a traditional trade and in many countries requires completion of an apprenticeship. The level of formal education legally required varies by country, ranging from no formal ...

. He received his early education in his hometown, and in 1824 went to study law at the

University of Zürich The University of Zurich (UZH, ) is a public university, public research university in Zurich, Switzerland. It is the largest university in Switzerland, with its 28,000 enrolled students. It was founded in 1833 from the existing colleges of the ...

. He soon continued his studies in

Heidelberg Heidelberg (; ; ) is the List of cities in Baden-Württemberg by population, fifth-largest city in the States of Germany, German state of Baden-Württemberg, and with a population of about 163,000, of which roughly a quarter consists of studen ...

, and between 1825 and 1826 studied at the

University of Göttingen The University of Göttingen, officially the Georg August University of Göttingen (, commonly referred to as Georgia Augusta), is a Public university, public research university in the city of Göttingen, Lower Saxony, Germany. Founded in 1734 ...

. After finishing his education, Furrer returned to Winterthur and established himself as a

jurist A jurist is a person with expert knowledge of law; someone who analyzes and comments on law. This person is usually a specialist legal scholar, mostly (but not always) with a formal education in law (a law degree) and often a Lawyer, legal prac ...

. Furrer was admitted to the bar in 1832, and that year he married Friederike Sulzer, daughter of

Johann Heinrich Sulzer Johann Heinrich Sulzer (18 September 1735, Winterthur – 14 August 1813, Winterthur) was a Switzerland, Swiss physician and entomologist. He studied medicine at the University of Tübingen and later started a medical practice in Winterthur. As a ...

. In 1834, aged 29, he was elected to the

Cantonal Council of Zürich The Cantonal Council of Zürich () is the legislature of the Cantons of Switzerland, canton of Canton of Zürich, Zürich, in Switzerland. Zürich has a unicameral legislature. The Cantonal Council has 180 seats, with members elected every four ...

. He served until 1839, and was again elected in 1842. At the Cantonal Council, he was the leader of the Liberal opposition to the Conservative government of Johann Kaspar Bluntschli. In 1845 he became president of the

Council of State A council of state is a governmental body in a country, or a subdivision of a country, with a function that varies by jurisdiction. It may be the formal name for the cabinet or it may refer to a non-executive advisory body associated with a head ...

of Zürich. In 1847, Furrer was appointed member of the commission tasked with reaching a peaceful settlement for the Sonderbund War. After the Federal victory and the end of the civil war, in 1848 he was elected by the canton of Zurich to the Council of States. For his significant contribution to the drafting of the 1848 constitution, which established

, Furrer 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 ...

by the legislature, becoming the head of the newly created

executive power The executive branch is the part of government which executes or enforces the law. Function The scope of executive power varies greatly depending on the political context in which it emerges, and it can change over time in a given country. In ...

of Switzerland, the seven-member Federal Council. Bundesrat 1848

Furrer served as Federal Councilor from 1848 until his death in 1861. During his time in office, he headed a number of government departments, most notably the

Federal Department of Justice and Police The Federal Department of Justice and Police (, , , ) is one of the seven Ministry (government department), departments of the Switzerland, Swiss federal government, and is equivalent to a ministry of justice in other countries. As of 2024, it ...

due to the reforms he implemented, and also distinguished himself as head of the Political Department for his diplomatic skill. He resolved the question regarding stateless persons, enacted a law in 1850 protecting religiously mixed couples, and founded government agencies responsible for settling conflicts of jurisdiction between the Confederation and the cantons.

Ministries

During his time as a member of the Federal Council, he presided over the following departments: * Political Department (1848–1849) * Department of Justice and Police (1850–1851) * Political Department (1852) * Department of Justice and Police (1853–1854) * Political Department (1855) * Department of Justice and Police (1856–1857) * Political Department (1858) * Department of Justice and Police (1859–1861)

Personal life

Furrer was a member of the

masonic Lodge A Masonic lodge (also called Freemasons' lodge, or private lodge or constituent lodge) is the basic organisational unit of Freemasonry. It is also a commonly used term for a building where Freemasons meet and hold their meetings. Every new l ...

''Akazia'' at

, and was elected Grand Orator of the Grand Lodge Alpina of Switzerland in 1844. He died in office on 25 July 1861. He wrote ''Das Erbrecht der Stadt Winterthur'' (“Inheritance law in the city of Winterthur”, 1832).

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Furrer, Jonas 1805 births 1861 deaths People from Winterthur University of Zurich alumni Heidelberg University alumni University of Göttingen alumni Swiss Calvinist and Reformed Christians Swiss Freemasons Free Democratic Party of Switzerland politicians Mayors of Zurich Members of the Federal Council (Switzerland) Foreign ministers of Switzerland Justice ministers of Switzerland Presidents of the Swiss Confederation Members of the Council of States (Switzerland) Presidents of the Council of States (Switzerland) Members of the National Council (Switzerland) 1851–1854 Members of the National Council (Switzerland) 1854–1857 Members of the National Council (Switzerland) 1857–1860