Rudolf Trachsel (veterinarian)

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Rudolf Trachsel (born December 22, 1804 in Niederbütschel , Canton Bern , † July 7, 1894 ibid) was a Swiss veterinarian , politician and philanthropist .

Life

Trachsel grew up with six siblings on a farm in the Bungerte (Baumgarten), a hamlet northwest of Niederbütschel. He attended the one-part primary school in Niederbütschel for nine years and also helped on the farm. Like his 16 years older brother Kaspar, who became known beyond the national borders for his botanical studies, he turned to medicine. At the age of 22 he began his veterinary studies in Bern . Periodically occurring cattle epidemics and the increasing importance of livestock breeding led to the fact that cattle medicine broke away from quacking and quackery and was professionalized. Used to have the cattle doctors their professionlearned from a practitioner, this changed with the establishment of the veterinary schools in Bern (1805) and Zurich (1820).

After two years of study, he acquired the patent and opened his cattle doctor practice in 1828 right next to his brother's medical practice in Bungerte. Later he bought a home in Niederbütschel and lived there in the Stöckli.

His political career led from the sub-governor (1831-1846), mayor (1832-1844), honorary magistrate (1847-1884), president of the church council and the school board, participation in the Constitutional Council of the Canton of Bern (1831, 1846, 1885) to the Bernese Great Council (1836–1886), whose sessions he opened in 1882 and 1886 as senior president.

His son Rudolf, born in 1842, also became a veterinarian and helped the father, who was very active outside of work, in his practice. In 1890 Trachsel withdrew from all public duties and handed the veterinary practice over to his son.

Act

In addition to his extensive professional activity, Rudolf Trachsel worked as a veterinarian and mentor at the veterinary school in many public offices in the municipality, office and canton.

He was instrumental in drafting the new Poor Law of 1857/58. He knew the poor system from his own experience in the community and private households, where money is often spent carelessly. In the 19th century, the Schwarzenburgerland and the Rüeggisberg region were considered the poor house of the Canton of Bern . Agricultural modernization found its way here only hesitantly and bad weather, fault harvests and epidemics led to years of hunger. The cattle doctor was confronted with this human need every day.

By founding a savings bank, he wanted to encourage the poor and the hopeless to save and thus to help themselves. People should be able to invest their saved money safely and at an interest-bearing rate. Thanks to his initiative, the Rüeggisberg savings bank was founded in 1835, the first bank in the region. He was Chairman of the Board of Directors for almost 50 years. When in 1885 the cashier Friedrich Binggeli fled to America with almost all of his cash balance, old Trachsel was called in, and he actually managed to save the bank and with it his life's work.

Outdoor play

  • World premiere of an open-air play about the life and work of Viehdoktor and philanthropist Rudolf Trachsel in summer 2010 in Rüeggisberg. Author and director Urs Hirschi, Belp.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Open-air theater in Rüeggisberg . vehdokter.ch
personal data
SURNAME Trachsel, Rudolf
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Swiss veterinarian, politician and philanthropist
DATE OF BIRTH December 22, 1804
PLACE OF BIRTH Niederbütschel , Canton of Bern
DATE OF DEATH July 7, 1894
Place of death Niederbütschel , Canton of Bern