Alphons Koechlin

Alphons Koechlin ( born April 6, 1821 in Basel, † February 6, 1893 ) was a Swiss entrepreneur and politician.

Biography

Alphons Koechlin, son of a silk ribbon manufacturer formed a commercial apprenticeship in France. In 1847 he built with his father and brother on a silk ribbon factory. One year after its sale in 1862, he founded with Adolf Burckhard the Basel Commercial Bank. 1861-1893 he served on the Board of Directors of the Swiss Central Railway, from which emerged the Swiss Federal Railways.

Koechlin was also politically active. 1853-1881 he was sitting in basel- city Grand Council, which he chaired from 1876 to 1877. 1859-1875 he also belonged to the Small Council, the State Government, to. 1866-75 represented his Koechlin Canton also in the Senate, which he 1874/75 presided. With the revision of the constitution of 1875 and the subsequent election that brought the Liberals a majority, Koechlin lost his previous outstanding political importance within the canton of Basel-Stadt.