Trudy Späth-Schweizer
Encyclopedia
Gertrud Späth-Schweizer (6 December 1908 – 19 October 1990) was the first woman to hold a political office in Switzerland
after she was elected to the Bürgerrat, the executive council of the Bürgergemeinde
, of Riehen
in 1958.
Gertrud Späth was born as a farmer's and innkeeper's daughter in Riehen. She attended the Frauenarbeitsschule ("Women's Work School") in Basel
and was then employed for five years as head of the box office of the City Theater of Basel. After marrying Ernst Schweizer, a master carpenter, in 1932, she remained a housekeeper and assisted her husband in his workshop.
In the summer of 1958, the Bürgergemeinde
of Riehen was the first in Switzerland to introduce women's suffrage
for local elections and referenda (at the national level, Swiss women would not gain the vote until 1971.) Späth-Schweizer, by then a mother of two and well regarded in the local community, did not initially intend to enter politics. But when it appeared certain that a female Social Democrat
candidate would be elected in the governmental elections in autumn 1958, the conservative Mittelstands- und Gewerbepartei ("Middle Class and Commerce Party") hastily asked Späth-Schweizer to contest the election on their behalf, which she did.
On 29 September 1958, the citizens' assembly of Riehen elected Späth-Schweizer to the Bürgerrat ("citizens' council") with 336 against 210 votes. The apparent irregularities of the vote – more votes were cast than there were people in the room – do not appear to have bothered anybody at the time, and the first election of a Swiss woman to political office was widely reported in the media, including even by the New York Herald Tribune
.
Späth-Schweizer served for 16 years on the Bürgerrat. That council was the executive branch of the Bürgergemeinde ("citizens' community"), the public body responsible for issues involving only citizens of Riehen, such as social services. It was independent of the Einwohnergemeinde ("residents' community"), the polity
responsible for matters concerning all residents. She was a very popular politician, concerned mainly with social issues, and was often asked for advice by her male colleagues. When asked to speak to Swiss feminists, however, she always refused, because she did not consider herself a feminist.
Trudy Späth-Schweizer died in 1990 in Riehen. In 2008, on her hundredth birthday and 50 years after her election, the municipality of Riehen named an alley after her.
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
after she was elected to the Bürgerrat, the executive council of the Bürgergemeinde
Bürgergemeinde
The Bürgergemeinde is a statutory corporation in public law in Switzerland...
, of Riehen
Riehen
Riehen is a municipality in the canton of Basel-Stadt in Switzerland. Together with the city of Basel and Bettingen, Riehen is one of three municipalities in the canton....
in 1958.
Gertrud Späth was born as a farmer's and innkeeper's daughter in Riehen. She attended the Frauenarbeitsschule ("Women's Work School") in Basel
Basel
Basel or Basle In the national languages of Switzerland the city is also known as Bâle , Basilea and Basilea is Switzerland's third most populous city with about 166,000 inhabitants. Located where the Swiss, French and German borders meet, Basel also has suburbs in France and Germany...
and was then employed for five years as head of the box office of the City Theater of Basel. After marrying Ernst Schweizer, a master carpenter, in 1932, she remained a housekeeper and assisted her husband in his workshop.
In the summer of 1958, the Bürgergemeinde
Bürgergemeinde
The Bürgergemeinde is a statutory corporation in public law in Switzerland...
of Riehen was the first in Switzerland to introduce women's suffrage
Women's suffrage
Women's suffrage or woman suffrage is the right of women to vote and to run for office. The expression is also used for the economic and political reform movement aimed at extending these rights to women and without any restrictions or qualifications such as property ownership, payment of tax, or...
for local elections and referenda (at the national level, Swiss women would not gain the vote until 1971.) Späth-Schweizer, by then a mother of two and well regarded in the local community, did not initially intend to enter politics. But when it appeared certain that a female Social Democrat
Social Democratic Party of Switzerland
The Social Democratic Party of Switzerland is the largest centre-left political party in Switzerland....
candidate would be elected in the governmental elections in autumn 1958, the conservative Mittelstands- und Gewerbepartei ("Middle Class and Commerce Party") hastily asked Späth-Schweizer to contest the election on their behalf, which she did.
On 29 September 1958, the citizens' assembly of Riehen elected Späth-Schweizer to the Bürgerrat ("citizens' council") with 336 against 210 votes. The apparent irregularities of the vote – more votes were cast than there were people in the room – do not appear to have bothered anybody at the time, and the first election of a Swiss woman to political office was widely reported in the media, including even by the New York Herald Tribune
New York Herald Tribune
The New York Herald Tribune was a daily newspaper created in 1924 when the New York Tribune acquired the New York Herald.Other predecessors, which had earlier merged into the New York Tribune, included the original The New Yorker newsweekly , and the Whig Party's Log Cabin.The paper was home to...
.
Späth-Schweizer served for 16 years on the Bürgerrat. That council was the executive branch of the Bürgergemeinde ("citizens' community"), the public body responsible for issues involving only citizens of Riehen, such as social services. It was independent of the Einwohnergemeinde ("residents' community"), the polity
Polity
Polity is a form of government Aristotle developed in his search for a government that could be most easily incorporated and used by the largest amount of people groups, or states...
responsible for matters concerning all residents. She was a very popular politician, concerned mainly with social issues, and was often asked for advice by her male colleagues. When asked to speak to Swiss feminists, however, she always refused, because she did not consider herself a feminist.
Trudy Späth-Schweizer died in 1990 in Riehen. In 2008, on her hundredth birthday and 50 years after her election, the municipality of Riehen named an alley after her.