Otto Hunziker

Otto Hunziker (born May 6, 1879 in Aarau ; † February 7, 1940 in Zofingen ; resident in Aarau and Kirchleerau ) was a Swiss politician ( FDP ) and judge . From 1911 to 1939 he represented the canton of Aargau in the National Council .

biography

Hunziker graduated from the canton school in Aarau . He then studied law at the Universities of Bern and Munich ; his professors included Carl Hilty and Lujo Brentano . In 1902 he was admitted to the bar, and from 1903 he worked as a court clerk. From 1905 to 1936 he was President of the Zofingen District Court.

In 1907 Hunziker was elected to the Grand Council , to which he belonged for 30 years. In the cantonal parliament he played a key role in the modernization of poor welfare. He promoted the school system and the exploitation of the salt deposits on the Rhine. After Hunziker was elected President of the Aargau FDP cantonal party in 1910, he succeeded in entering the National Council in the parliamentary elections in 1911 . At the national level he campaigned for the expansion of the welfare state, in particular for the introduction of the AHV . In 1923 he gave up the presidium of the cantonal party and remained in the National Council until 1939. From 1917 to 1940 he sat on the administrative board of the BLS .

In his spare time, Hunziker wrote lyrical poems and ballads that appeared in magazines and calendars. Another area of ​​interest was historical research. In addition to writing the biographies of important Swiss personalities, he dealt in particular with the formation of the Swiss Confederation . By studying old documents and legal sources, he tried to prove that William Tell actually existed.

literature

• Biographical Lexicon of the Canton of Aargau 1803–1957 . In: Historical Society of the Canton of Aargau (Ed.): Argovia . tape 68/69 . Verlag Sauerländer, Aarau 1958, p. 382-384 .

Web links

• Dominik Sauerländer: Hunziker, Otto. In: Historical Lexicon of Switzerland .