Hans Schaffner

Hans Schaffner, born on December sixteenth, nineteen oh eight, was a prominent Swiss politician who served as a member of the Swiss Federal Council from nineteen sixty-one to nineteen seventy. He was raised in a family deeply rooted in public service, with his father, Robert Schaffner, serving as the head judge in Interlaken, and his mother, Margaretha Abplanalp, working as a teacher.

After completing his legal studies at the University of Bern, Schaffner began his career in the legal field as a court scribe at the supreme court of the Canton of Bern in nineteen thirty-four. Three years later, he married Ruth Rudolf, a fellow lawyer, marking the beginning of a partnership that would support his political endeavors.

Schaffner was elected to the Swiss Federal Council on June fifteenth, nineteen sixty-one, and he held this esteemed position until January thirty-first, nineteen seventy. As a member of the Free Democratic Party, he played a crucial role in shaping Switzerland's economic policies, particularly during his tenure as the head of the Department of Economic Affairs. Notably, he was instrumental in Switzerland's accession to the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) in nineteen sixty-six.

Throughout his career, Schaffner championed liberal and free-trade values, advocating for agricultural measures, new labor relations laws, and strategies to combat inflation. His contributions extended beyond politics, as he later served on several boards of directors, including Sandoz, Rieter, and Câbleries de Cossonay, continuing to influence the economic landscape of Switzerland.