Xavier Stockmar

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Xavier Stockmar (born December 25, 1797 in Porrentruy , † June 21, 1864 in Bern ) was a Jurassic patriot and a liberal Swiss politician . He was a member of the Bern Government Council and later the National Council.

Professional beginnings

Bust of Xavier Stockmar in the Jardin botanique de Porrentruy

Xavier Stockmar was the son of the episcopal forest overseer Wenceslas Stockmar. His brother Antoine died in the battle of the Beresina in 1812 . After compulsory schooling and a commercial apprenticeship in the arms factory in Pont d'Able, he worked as a journeyman in the Seloncourt watch factory in Doubs , France, and in the forge in Lucelle, where Stockmar became sub-director in 1829. A short time later he began to trade in wine and ran a truck stop.

Liberal and Jura patriotic activist

Even before the July Revolution in Paris, he was gripped by the ideas of democracy and liberality. At the end of the 1820s he wrote the song "Rauracienne" . The song celebrates the Jura as home and advocates unity. This made it the anthem of the separatists.

His texts appeared in liberal newspapers and he also wrote two volumes of verse, including the text on "Rauracienne". Because of his contacts with Bernese radicals such as Karl Neuhaus and the Schnells, he was interested in their politics. When his newspaper "Helvétie", which he founded in 1831, was banned, he continued to write in the newspaper " Nouvelliste vaudois ". A short time later, the Bern government found that Stockmar was the leader of a rebel gang. In the revolutionary movements of 1830 he placed himself at the head of the Jurassic liberals. This triggered a military occupation of his hometown and a bounty was written out on him. After the end of the revolution, in 1831, he became a Member of Parliament, a member of the Constitutional Council and Prefect of the Ajoie . Five years later, in 1836, he was elected to the government council. Because of his commitment to the Jura, the Grand Council removed him from office in 1839 with 93:32 votes. On this occasion the Small Council decided to convict Stockmar of high treason. After the verdict was announced, he fled to Zurich.

stay abroad

In Zurich he started thinking about a Swiss colony in Brazil. A little later he moved to Valentigney near Montbéliard in France . There he ran a steel factory. In Valentigney he thought about a Swiss colony in eastern Algeria. His idea was to settle around 100,000 Swiss people there in 25 years. But his idea received little support and he dropped his plan. After this defeat, Stockmar moved to the estate "Les Rosières" in Blamont in the Doubs department.

Late political career

In 1846 the Bernese elected him again to the constitutional and government councils. There he headed the building department until 1850. In the Sonderbund War , he was elected commissioner. Two years later, in the parliamentary elections in 1848 , he was elected to the National Council. When he was the director of the metal works Bellefontaine , he was re-elected to the government council in 1862, he was given the railway office. He promoted the construction of the Bernese Jura Railway , which should better develop the region. His merit was the construction of the Biel – Bern and Gümligen – Langnau railway lines . He died while still in office, at the age of 66 on June 21, 1864 in Bern. He was buried in his town of Pruntrut.

literature

  • Victor Erard: Xavier Stockmar, patriote jurassia. Delémont: Bibliothèque jurassienne, vol. 1: 1968, vol. 2: 1971
  • Virgile Moine: Xavier Stockmar “L'Homme du Jura”: Causerie faite à Berne le 20 mars 1964 sous les auspices de la Société bernoise d'histoire et de la Société jurassienne d'Emulation. Berne, 1965

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personal data
SURNAME Stockmar, Xavier
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Swiss politician
DATE OF BIRTH December 25, 1797
PLACE OF BIRTH Porrentruy
DATE OF DEATH June 21, 1864
Place of death Bern