Louis Perrier

Louis Perrier ( May 22nd 1849 in Neuchâtel, † May 16 1913 in Bern ) was a Swiss politician ( FDP) and architect. According to political activity at the municipal and cantonal level he belonged from 1902 to the National Council. In 1912 he was elected to the Federal Council, but he died after only 13 months in office.

Studies and career

The eldest child of the architect Louis -Daniel Perrier and Cécile Dardel received his education in Neuchâtel. 1868 Perrier began in Stuttgart, Germany to study architecture, graduating three years later at the ETH Zurich with a degree. My first professional experience was gained with his father, including 1878/79 with the configuration of the headquarters of the International Bureau of Weights and Measures in Sèvres, near Paris.

Thereupon Perrier became self-employed and received numerous commissions for public buildings. These include the main post office in La Chaux -de-Fonds, the hospital of Saignelégier, the University of Neuchatel, the barracks of Colombier and several schools. In addition, the railway station of Le Locle and all stations on the line between Lyss and Palézieux. He was also supervisor of the tram line Neuchâtel Boudry, and the water line between the Areuse Gorge and Neuchâtel.

Perrier, who remained a bachelor all his life, pursued a military career. 1896 promoted to colonel, he commanded the Engineer Corps of the 1st Army Corps. From 1902 to 1906 he was commander of the fortress of Saint- Maurice.

Policy

1888 Perrier's political career began when he was elected to the General Council, the legislative branch of the city of Neuchâtel. This he belonged until 1891 and again from 1894 to 1903. In 1902, he left himself elected National Council as the candidate of the FDP. In 1903 he was additionally elected to the Council of State of Neuchâtel, where he headed the Department of Structural Engineering.

In the National Council, Perrier acquired the reputation of being particularly competent. After Bundesrat Robert Comtesse had announced his resignation, Perrier was determined by a group of West Swiss parliamentarian candidate for its successor. The Federal Assembly elected Perrier on March 12, 1912 in the state government, where he sat down by the first ballot with 160 valid votes of 192.

His office as Federal Perrier stepped on on 15 April 1912 and took over the management of the postal and railway departments. His goal was to transform the last private railways of Switzerland in federal ownership, which only partly succeeded. At the beginning of 1913 he moved to the Department of Home Affairs and began drafting a law on the utilization of water power. But a little more than five months later, he died unexpectedly after a brief illness. To date, Perrier is that Federal with the shortest tenure.

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