Josef Anton Schobinger

Josef Anton Schobinger ( born January 30, 1849 in Lucerne, † November 27, 1911 in Bern ) was a Swiss politician and architect. From 1874 he was a member of the government of the canton of Lucerne, from 1888 to the National Council. For seven years he presided over the Catholic- conservative faction ( today's CVP). In 1908 he was elected to the Federal Council, where he served until his death.

Studies and policy

The son of a hospital administrator visited Lucerne in high school and later learned the French language in Chambery. Then studied Schobinger architecture at the ETH Zurich. After a brief period as an independent architect, he was luzernischer Canton builder. He was married to the Scottish Mary Elizabeth Cowan, the couple had a daughter. In the army Schobinger rose to become chief of the artillery.

1874, the Great Council of the Canton of Lucerne Schobinger elected in the State Council. The choice caused a stir when he was only 24 years old and politically hardly entered at this time in appearance. The Government, he belonged to for 34 years, most of the time he headed the Department of Structural Engineering. Schobinger focused particularly on the expansion of the rail network; he promoted the construction of the Bern -Luzern -Bahn (opened 1875) and the Seetalbahn ( opened in 1883 ).

Schobinger in 1888 also elected to the House of Representatives, where he represented the constituency Sursee - high village and Catholic- conservative faction belonged. From 1895 to 1902 he was Group President, 1904 National President. Due to his vast experience in the rail sector, he sat on the Board of the Swiss Federal Railways founded in 1902.

Bundesrat

After Josef Zemp had announced his resignation, Schobinger was nominated as a candidate to replace him in the Bundesrat. In the by-election on 17 June 1908 he received the first ballot 141 of 178 valid votes. Since Schobinger was the official youngest, he had as was customary every year to change the department. In 1908, he headed the Department of Justice and Police, 1909, the Commerce, Industry and Agriculture Department. In 1910 he became the Finance and Customs Department before, in 1911 the Department of Home Affairs.

Due to the constant change Schobinger could put no great accents and remained relatively inconspicuous. Even more so, than he, was denied the railroad and postal department, for which he would have been seen by his abilities ago the most suitable. In mid-November 1911 he fell ill acutely pleurisy and died two weeks later at the age of 62 years.