Charles Weck

Charles Weck

Charles Weck (born March 15, 1837 in Friborg ; † February 15, 1931 there) was a Swiss politician and State Councilor of the canton of Friborg .

biography

He came from a Catholic family belonging to the privileged citizens of the city of Freiburg. His parents were Louis Weck, landowners in Freiburg and Onnens , and Françoise geb. d'Appenthel, whose family also belonged to the privileged citizenry. Baptized in the name of Charles-Henri-Rodolphe, Charles was a first cousin of Councilors of State Rodolphe Weck-Bussy and Louis de Weck-Reynold . He married Léontine Buman (born March 19, 1868), who came from the same social circles as him. The couple had seven children, including Eugène (1872–1912), painter and teacher of painting, and Marie, decorative painter. Charles de Weck worked as a wood carver with passion, talent and diligence, and he passed on his enthusiasm for art to his children.

Taught by spiritual private tutors in Onnens, Charles did not attend the radical canton school, but his parents sent him to the Jesuits in Besançon (1850–1856) and Feldkirch (1856–1857). He successfully attended the law school in Freiburg (1858–1860), which awarded him a law degree. At the same time he worked as a clerk at the Freiburg Court of Justice . He was then a substitute clerk at the cantonal court (1861–1864), substitute judge (1894–1868) and second assessor (1868–1873) at the Friborg District Court , substitute judge at the cantonal court (1868–1873) and finally cantonal judge (1874–1881). In Onnens he was a parish councilor and parish councilor from 1862 to 1880. From 1867 to 1881 he presided over the parish of Onnens. He was also a major and military judge (1876–1881).

On January 14, 1881 he was elected to the Council of State with 61 of 83 votes after Pierre Gottrau had rejected his election on December 15, 1880. He thus succeeded his respected and skilled cousin Weck-Reynold. For 25 years he headed the Directorate for Justice and Culture (from 1902 Justice, Culture and Parishes), whereby his brilliant legal knowledge was useful to him. More than 40 laws came into force under him, in particular the organization of the judiciary (1895), the supervision of lawyers (1898), the labor court (1899 and 1901) and the reintroduction of the death penalty (1894). He refused any federal mandate that might deter him from his cantonal activities. Charles Weck loyally supported Georges Python's plans . He enjoyed high esteem among his colleagues and in the Grand Council and presided over the government in 1897, 1901 and 1906. At the age of 69 he retired from public life in 1906 after spending a quarter of a century in the executive branch.

He died in 1931 at the age of 93 years and 11 months. Together with Max Aebischer , he was one of the state councilors who were allowed to reach an unusually old age.

literature

• Georges Andrey , John Clerc, Jean-Pierre Dorand et Nicolas Gex: The Freiburg Council of State: 1848–2011. History, organization, members . Editions La Sarine, Freiburg 2012, ISBN 978-2-88355-153-4 .

Web links

• Nicolas Willemin and ASCH: Weck, Charles de. In: Historical Lexicon of Switzerland .