Anna Maria Rüttimann-Meyer von Schauensee

Anna Maria Rüttimann -Meyer of Schauensee (* October 6, 1772 in Lucerne, † August 19, 1856 ibid ) comes from the same Lucerne patrician family and was an Enlightenment -minded Republican and influential Salonnière. She was the wife of Vincent Rüttimann and pen pal of Paul Usteri.

Family

Anna Maria Meyer was the daughter of Franz Rudolf Klein Council Theodoric Meyer of Schauensee and Mary Waldburga of Fleckenstein. Her brother Franz Bernhard Meyer of Schauensee became one of the most influential Swiss politicians of his time and was during the Helvetic Republic Police and Minister of Justice. 1794 she married Vincent Rüttimann, with whom she had eight children. The Rüttimann family was the last race that was accepted into the circle of the ruling patricians before the fundamental law of 1773. While her husband made ​​political career, Anna Maria Rüttimann took care of the domestic sphere and brought up her children according to the educational principles of the famous Enlightenment philosopher Jean -Jacques Rousseau.

Policy

Anna Maria Rüttimann regularly invited guests to come to your home or participated in literary and cultural events in part outside to debate about current educational pamphlets and political changes. 1799 she met the journalist and publisher Paul Usteri know, with whom she had a year-long letter friendship. Paul Usteri asked Anna Maria Rüttimann always for advice on political and moral issues. He sent her information about the latest political developments in the Helvetic Republic, and was interested in your opinion. But not only with Paul Usteri, but also with her husband Vincent Rüttimann, friend Melchior Mohr and brother Franz Bernhard Meyer of Schauensee she was in demand as a counselor and mediator. However Rüttimann chose for his glittering state receptions, for which he was famous, not his wife as radiant hostess but Sophie Schumacher- Dürler, later to become the mother of General Felix Schumacher.

Your political opinion can be read out from a letter to Paul Usteri: " [ ... ] je vous demande corn qu'est le peuple Et qu'est sa déclaration Le peuple par lui même ne peut rien et ne doit vouloir, la nature ne! pas la même mis en pour savoir ce qui lui est bon et sa n'est jamais déclaration autre chose que la voix d'un factieux [ ... ]. Ce n'est donc que la voix des hommes les plus impartieaux et des plus Éclaires qui doivent former la volonté du peuple! [ ... ] Restant donc du principe que le gouvernement est composé des hommes en superieurs expériences et en vertus et il doit véritablement sentir sa superiorité et agir en Consequence [ ... ]. " In their eyes were not (yet) mature all citizens to participate in political decision-making.

With their elitist views from Lucerne which was with her ​​boyfriend Paul Usteri in good company. This was a passionate fighter Constitution. He sought to ensure that the people only had the right to designate the eligible candidates. The elections themselves should be a qualified elite. So she was one of a small circle of aristocratic young scouts who tried during the Helvetic implement their ideals of a representative republic. Her husband, Vincent Rüttimann, led the 1814 coup, restored the old Patriziatsverfassung again with the Lucerne.