List of Swiss people

This is a list of people associated with the modern Switzerland and the Old Swiss Confederacy . Regardless of ethnicity or emigration, the list includes notable natives of Switzerland and its predecessor states as well as people who were born elsewhere but spent most of their active life in Switzerland. For more information see the articles Swiss people and Demographics of Switzerland.

Archaeology

Eric Breuer, archaeologist Ferdinand Keller (1800–1881), archaeologist Heinrich Menu von Minutoli (1772–1846), archaeologist

Jean-Marc Moret (born 1942), archaeologist and art historian Fritz Puempin (1901–1972), archeologist and painter Karl Schefold (1905–1999), classical archaeologist

Architecture

Main article: List of Swiss architects

Actors

Pasquale Aleardi (born 1971), actor and musician Lukas Ammann (1928–2017), actor Ursula Andress (born 1936), actress Peter Arens (1912–2015), actor and stage director Joel Basman (born 1990), actor Giuseppe Bausilio (born 1997), actor, dancer and singer Jean-Luc Bideau (born 1940), comedian Anne-Marie Blanc (1919–2009), actress Ursula Cantieni (1947–2023), actress Ettore Cella (1913–2004), actor and director Dimitri (1935–2016), clown Annemarie Düringer (1925–2014), film, television and stage actress Bruno Ganz (1941–2019), actor Kat Graham (born 1989), actress, singer, model Viktor Giacobbo (born 1952), actor and comedian Mathias Gnädinger (1941–2015), actor Curt Goetz (1888–1960), actor and film director Heinrich Gretler (1897–1977), actor Grock (1880–1959), clown Gardi Hutter (born 1953), clown, entertainer and actress Rebecca Indermaur (born 1976), actress Irène Jacob (born 1966), actress

Maximilian Schell Roger Jendly (born 1938), actor Carla Juri (born 1985), actress Marthe Keller (born 1945), actress and opera director Christian Kohlund (born 1950), actor Mathis Künzler (born 1978), film, television and stage actor Stefan Kurt (born 1959), actor Ursina Lardi (born 1970), actress Max Loong (born 1980), actor and producer Walo Lüönd (1927–2012), actor Andreas Matti (born 1959), actor Ursela Monn (born 1950), actress and singer Vincent Perez (born 1964), actor and director Liselotte Pulver (born 1929), actress Maximilian Schell (1930–2014), actor and producer Hannes Schmidhauser (1926–2000), actor, screenwriter and film director Michel Simon (1895–1975), actor and comedian Emil Steinberger (born 1933), comedian Sigfrit Steiner (1906–1988), actor Sabine Timoteo (born 1975), actress Roeland Wiesnekker (born 1967), actor

Art

See also: List of Swiss painters

Albert Anker Arthur Aesbacher (1923–2020), poster artist Jacques-Laurent Agasse (1767–1849), painter Cuno Peter Amiet (1868–1961) Thomas Ammann (1950–1993), art dealer and collector Albert Anker (1831–1910) Jean Arcelin (born 1962), painter Jean Arp (1886–1966), sculptor, painter and poet René Auberjonois (1872–1957), painter John Bernhard (born 1957), photographer François Bocion (1828–1890), painter Arnold Böcklin (1827–1901), painter Karl Bodmer (1809–1893), painter of the American West Ferdinand Brader (1833–1901), folk art sketch artist of rural farm life in USA Mark Staff Brandl (born 1955), painter, installation artist, and critic Sonam Dolma Brauen (born 1953), Swiss-Tibetan sculptor and painter Frank Buchser (1828–1890), painter Alexandre Calame (1810–1864), painter Jean Crotti (1878–1958), painter Adèle d'Affry (1836–1879), artist and sculptor Jean Dunand (1877–1942), decorative artist, sculptor Hans Erni (1909–2015) Fischli & Weiss (born 1946 & 1952), artist duo Adrian Frutiger (1928–2015), typeface designer Henry Fuseli (Johann Heinrich Füssli) (1741–1825), painter Johann Caspar Füssli (1706–1782), portrait painter Johann Kaspar Füssli (1743–1786), entomologist Karl Gerstner (1930–2017), graphic designer and painter Salomon Gessner (1730–1788) Alberto Giacometti (1901–1966), sculptor, painter H. R. Giger (1940–2014), illustrator Anton Graff (1736–1813), painter Eugène Grasset (1845–1917), decorative artist Willi Gutmann (1927–2013), sculptor Stefan Haenni (born 1958), painter Peter Hartmann (1921–2007), sculptor Andreas Heusser (1976), conceptual artist and curator Ferdinand Hodler (1853–1918), painter

Angelica Kauffman Max Huber (1919–1992), graphic designer Anna Indermaur (1894–1980), painter and sculptor Robert Indermaur (born 1947), painter and sculptor Angelica Kauffman (1741–1807), painter Jorg Khun (1940–1964), wildlife artist and illustrator Paul Klee (1879–1940), painter Rudolf Koller (1828–1905), painter Josef Benedikt Kuriger (1754-1819), sculptor [1] Rosa Lachenmeier (born 1959), contemporary artist Catherine Leutenegger (born 1983), visual artist Albert "Lindi" Lindegger (1904–1991), illustrator and painter Rochus Lussi (born 1965), artist Niklaus Manuel (1484–1530), painter Auguste de Niederhausern-Rodo (1863–1913), sculptor Sibylle Pasche (born 1976), sculptor Roger Pfund (born 1943), painter, graphic designer James Pradier (1790–1852), sculptor Marc Raymond (born 1968), sculptor Joseph Reinhart (1749–1824), painter Oskar Reinhart (1885–1965), collector Iris von Roten-Meyer (1917–1990), lawyer and artist Félix Vallotton Jacques Sablet (1749–1803), painter Niki de Saint Phalle (1930–2002), sculptor, became Swiss in 1971 Albin Schweri (1885–1946), painter, glass painter Peter Schweri (1939–2016), painter, illustrator Nadja Sieger (born 1968), comedian, actress, jazz-vocalist, known as Nadeschkin Gerold Späth (born 1939), Swiss poet and writer Théophile Steinlen (1859–1923), painter and printmaker Harald Szeemann (1933–2005), curator Sophie Taeuber-Arp (1889–1943), painter, sculptor Myriam Thyes (born 1963), new media artist Jean Tinguely (1925–1991), kinetic artist Rodolphe Toepffer (1799–1846) Félix Vallotton (1865–1925), painter Isabelle Waldberg (1911–1990), sculptor Ricco Wassmer (1915–1972), painter Marianne von Werefkin (1860–1938), painter

Aviation

Oskar Bider Oskar Bider (1891–1919), aviation pioneer Alfred Comte (1895–1965), pilot, co-director Ad Astra Aero, engineer Raphaël Domjan (born 1972), explorer, founder and pilot of SolarStratos Armand Dufaux (1883–1941) Henri Dufaux (1879–1980) Ernest Failloubaz (1892–1919), pilot, instructor, Swiss pilot's brevet number 1 René Grandjean (1884–1963), pilot, engineer Else Haugk (1889–1973), first Swiss woman to earn a pilot's licence in May 1914 Walter Mittelholzer (1894–1937), pilot, director of Ad Astra Aero, Swissair

Bertrand Piccard Claude Nicollier (born 1944), pilot, astronaut [2] Bertrand Piccard (born 1958), psychiatrist, balloonist, founder and pilot of Solar Impulse Yves Rossy (born 1959), pilot, "jet-man" Eduard Spelterini (1852–1931), balloonist Emile Taddéoli (1879–1920), pilot, Swiss pilot's brevet number 2, chief pilot on seaplanes Ad Astra Aero

Business

Alfred Escher Daniel Aegerter (born 1969), investor and entrepreneur Carl Franz Bally (1821–1899), founder of the Bally Shoe company Ernesto Bertarelli (born 1965), entrepreneur, founder of Team Alinghi Daniel Borel (born 1950), founder of Logitech Abraham-Louis Breguet (1747–1823), watchmaker François-Louis Cailler (1796–1852), chocolatier Arthur Chevrolet (1884–1946), automobile engineer, race car driver, entrepreneur Louis Chevrolet (1878–1941), automobile engineer, race car driver, founder of Chevrolet Raphael H. Cohen (born 1953), serial entrepreneur and business angel Yomi Denzel (born 1996), entrepreneur and youtuber Rolf Dobelli (born 1966), entrepreneur, author and founder of the World Minds foundation Gottlieb Duttweiler (1888–1962), entrepreneur, founder of Migros [2] Alfred Escher (1819–1882), statesman, businessman and railway constructor [2] Hans Conrad Escher von der Linth (1767–1823), architect of the Lint melioration Marc Faber (born 1946), investment analyst and entrepreneur Louis Favre (1826–1879), engineer of the Gotthard tunnel

Elsa Gasser (1896–1967), economist, business executive Nessim Gaon (1922–2022), financier, founder of the Noga company Adolf Guyer-Zeller (1839–1899), railway entrepreneur Nicolas Hayek (1928–2010), entrepreneur, chairman, Swatch Group [2] Henri Nestlé Pierre Hemmer (1950–2013), one of the Internet pioneers in Switzerland Baron Jean-Conrad Hottinguer (1764–1841), banker Henri Nestlé (1814–1890), founder of Nestlé S.A. Daniel Peter (1836–1919), inventor of milk chocolate Georges Edouard Piaget (1855–1931), watchmaker Beat Fischer von Reichenbach (1641–1698), held postal monopoly in Bern Werner Reinhart (1884–1951), industrialist, philanthropist, music and literature patron Tibor Rosenbaum (1923–1980), businessman Guy Spier (born 1966), investor, author Philippe Suchard (1797–1884), chocolatier Ernst Thomke (born 1939) in Biel/Bienne, turnaround manager, e.g. Swatch Daniel Vasella (born 1953), chairman of Swiss pharmaceutical company Novartis AG Reto Wittwer, hotelier, former hotel president and CEO

Dancers

Giuseppe Bausilio (born 1997), performs on Broadway in the titular role in the Tony-award-winning musical Billy Elliot Flore Revalles (1889–1966), principal dancer with Ballets Russes c. 1915–1918 [3]

Filmmakers

Arthur Cohn (born 1927), film producer, received six Oscars Marc Forster (born 1969), film director, Monster's Ball , Finding Neverland , and the James Bond movie Quantum of Solace Jean-Luc Godard (1930–2022), director, screenwriter and critic Claude Goretta (1929–2019), director Moritz de Hadeln (born 1940), director, film festival director

Markus Imhoof (born 1941), director Xavier Koller (born 1944), director Daniel Schmid (1941–2006), director Alain Tanner (1929–2022), director Ruth Waldburger (born 1951), producer

Mathematics

Johann Bernoulli Paul Bernays (1888–1977), made significant contributions to mathematical logic, axiomatic set theory, and the philosophy of mathematics Daniel Bernoulli (1700–1782), mathematician and physicist Jakob Bernoulli (1654–1705), Swiss mathematician Johann Bernoulli (1667–1748), Swiss mathematician Daniel Bleichenbacher (born 1964), mathematician and cryptographer Armand Borel (1923–2003), mathematician

Leonhard Euler Leonhard Euler (1707–1783), mathematician and geometer [2] Hugo Hadwiger (1908–1981), mathematician Edward Kofler (1911–2007), mathematician Konrad Osterwalder (born 1942), mathematician and physicist Michel Plancherel (1885–1967), mathematician Georges de Rham (1903–1990), mathematician Ludwig Schläfli (1814–1895), mathematician Jakob Steiner (1796–1863), mathematician and physicist Ernst Specker (1920–2011), mathematician Eduard Stiefel (1909–1978), mathematician

Military

Guillaume-Henri Dufour Pierre Victor Besenval de Bronstatt (1721–1791) Guillaume-Henri Dufour (1787–1875), General, geographer Henri Guisan (1874–1960), General during World War II Hans Herzog (1819–1894), General 1870–1871 Antoine-Henri Jomini (1779–1869), General, military writer

Christophe Keckeis (born 1945), Chief of the Armed Forces (2004–2007) Elmar Mäder, commander of the Swiss Guard (2002–) Pius Segmüller (born 1952), commander of the Swiss Guard (1998–2002) Theophil Sprecher von Bernegg (1850–1927) Ulrich Wille (1848–1925), General during World War I

Music

See also: List of Swiss composers

Claudia D'Addio Mia Aegerter (born 1976), pop musician Martin Eric Ain (born 1967), Celtic Frost bassist Ernest Ansermet (1883–1969), conductor Lys Assia (1924–2018), singer Chiara Banchini (born 1946), violinist, conductor Rene Baumann (born 1968), musician, dancer, known as DJ Bobo Bertrand Bitz (born 1978), singer and songwriter Daniel Boemle (1960–2007), DJ and radio personality Urs Bühler (born 1971), tenor, member of Il Divo Dominik Burkhalter (born 1975), bandleader, composer, drummer Caroline Charrière (1960–2018), composer, flautist, choir director, educator Michel Corboz (1934–2021), conductor Claudia D'Addio, pop musician, Eurovision Song Contest 2006 and MusicStars contestant Rachel Kolly d'Alba (born 1981), solo violinist Emile Jaques-Dalcroze (1865–1950), musician, educator, developer of Eurhythmics Philippe Decourroux (born 1962), Christian singer and drummer Henri Dès (born 1940), singer and songwriter Andy Egert (born 1961), blues guitarist, singer and songwriter Electroboy (born 1974), electronic music producer Edwin Fischer (1886–1960), pianist and conductor Thomas Gabriel Fischer (born 1963), Celtic Frost guitarist, singer Peter Giger (born 1939), percussionist and bandleader Peter-Lukas Graf (born 1929), conductor Ernst Haefliger (1919–2007), tenor Heinz Holliger (born 1939), oboist Arthur Honegger Arthur Honegger (1892–1955), composer Philippe Huttenlocher (born 1942), bass Rahel Indermaur, (born 1980) opera singer Christian Jacob (born 1958), jazz pianist Michael Jarrell (born 1958), composer Daniel Kandlbauer (born 1983), pop musician and MusicStars contestant Kuno Lauener (born 1961), lead singer of Bernese rock band Züri West Carlos Leal (born 1969), rapper and actor; best known as a member of the hip-hop group Sens Unik Pepe Lienhard (born 1939), band leader and saxophone player Frank Martin (1890–1974), composer

Andreas Vollenweider Mani Matter (1936–1972), singer Jojo Mayer (born 1963), drummer Dieter Meier (born 1945), singer of electronica band Yello, which had hits "Oh Yeah" and "The Race" Mandy Meyer (born 1960), guitarist, played in bands Asia, Gotthard and Krokus Patrick Moraz (born 1948), keyboardist with Yes and Moody Blues Paolo Pandolfo, violist (viola da gamba) Zlatko Perica (born 1969), better known as "Slädu", played guitar in bands as Tangerine Dream or Gölä Carlos Perón (born 1952), producer and former singer of electronica band Yello Werner Reinhart (1884–1951), industrialist, philanthropist, music and literature patron Othmar Schoeck (1886–1957), composer Ludwig Senfl (1486–1542/3), Renaissance composer Marc Storace (born 1951), Maltese-Swiss rock vocalist and songwriter; best known as singer of hard rock band Krokus Éric Tappy (1931–2024), tenor Martin Tillman (born 1964), film music composer Tina Turner (1939–2023), became Swiss in 2013 Silvio Varviso (1924–2006), conductor, especially of opera Andreas Vollenweider (born 1953), Grammy award-winning harpist Chris von Rohr (born 1951), musician and producer; best known as bassist of hard rock band Krokus August Wenzinger (1905–1996), cellist, violist (viola da gamba), pioneer of early music performance Luzia von Wyl (born 1985), composer and pianist Roland Zoss (born 1951), rock poetry musician Alberich Zwyssig (1808–1854), priest, composer of the Swiss Psalm YRU, rock band formed in 2006

• Nemo (born 1999), singer-rapper, violinist, pianist, drummer ; Eurovision 2024 winner

Philosophy

Benjamin Constant Henri Frédéric Amiel (1821–1881), philosopher and poet Richard Avenarius (1843–1896), formulated the radical positivist doctrine of "empirical criticism" Peter Bieri (born 1944), philosopher, author Benjamin Constant (1767–1830) Jeanne Hersch (1910–2000), philosopher Henri Lauener (1933–2002), philosopher

Dominik Perler (born 1965), philosopher Hans A. Pestalozzi (1929–2004), social critic Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712–1778), philosopher (Geneva) Alexandru Şafran (1910–2006), rabbi and philosopher

Psychology and pedology

Carl Jung Peter Baumann (1935–2011), psychiatrist Ludwig Binswanger (1881–1966), psychologist Eugen Bleuler (1857–1940), psychiatrist Carl Gustav Jung (1875–1961), founder of analytical psychology Emma Jung (1882–1955), psychoanalyst and author

Elisabeth Kübler-Ross (1926–2004), psychiatrist, pioneer in near-death studies Max Lüscher (1923–2017), inventor of the Lüscher color test Richard Meili (1900–1991), psychologist Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi (1746–1827), pedagogue [2] Oskar Pfister (1873–1956), psychologist and pastor Jean Piaget (1896–1980), psychologist Hermann Rorschach (1884–1922), psychiatrist and psychoanalyst

Politics

See also:

• List of 2005 office-holders in Switzerland
• List of Federal Chancellors of Switzerland (since 1803)
• List of the first female holders of political offices: Switzerland
• List of mayors of Aarau, Altstätten, Arbon, Baden, Basel, Bellinzona, Bern, Biel/Bienne, Brig, Brig-Glis, Bulle, Burgdorf, Carouge, Chur, Davos, Delémont, Frauenfeld, Fribourg, Geneva, Grenchen, Herisau, Köniz, Kreuzlingen, La Chaux-de-Fonds, La Tour-de-Peilz, Lausanne, Le Châtelard, Les Planches, Liestal, Locarno, Lucerne, Lugano, Martigny, Montreux, Morges, Murten, Naters, Neuchâtel, Nyon, Olten, Rapperswil-Jona, Rheinfelden, Schaffhausen, Sierre, Sion, Solothurn, St. Gallen, Thun, Trimbach, Uster, Vevey, Wädenswil, Wil, Winterthur, Yverdon, Zofingen, Zug, Zürich
• List of members of the Swiss Council of States (current)
• List of members of the Swiss Federal Council (since 1848)
• List of members of the Swiss National Council (current)
• List of officials of the Helvetic Republic (1798–1803)
• List of presidents of the Swiss Confederation (since 1848)
• List of presidents of the Swiss Council of States (since 1848)
• List of presidents of the Swiss Diet (before 1848)
• List of presidents of the Swiss National Council (since 1848)

Religion

See also: List of Swiss cardinals

Jakob Abbadie (1654–1727), Protestant preacher Gilberto Agustoni (1922–2017), cardinal Jacob Amman (1644–?) Karl Barth (1886–1968), theologian Heinrich Bullinger (1504–1575), reformer in Zürich Greti Caprez-Roffler (1906-1994),Swiss pastor. Georges Cottier (1922–2016), cardinal, theologian Niklaus Manuel Deutsch (1484–1530), painter, dramatician, politician and reformer in Bern Johann Augustanus Faber (c.1470–c.1530), theologian and historian William Farel (1489–1565), reformer in Lausanne Theodosius Florentini (1808–1865) Gaston Frommel (1862–1906) Berchtold Haller (1492–1536), reformer in Bern Karl Rudolf Hagenbach (1801–1874) Johann Jakob Herzog (1805–1882) Hans Küng (1928–2021), theologian

Huldrych Zwingli Johann Kaspar Lavater (1741–1801), pastor and physiognomist Oswald Myconius (1488–1552) Johannes Oecolampadius (1482–1531), reformer in Basel Frère Roger (1915–2005), founder of Taizé Philip Schaff (1819–1893) Henri Schwery (1932–2021), cardinal, former Bishop of Sion Erika Sutter, medical missionary to South Africa Clemens Thoma (1932–2011) Alexandre Rodolphe Vinet (1797–1847), theologian and critic Pierre Viret (1511–1571), reformer in Vaud Canton Lukas Vischer (1926–2008), theologian and writer Johann Jakob Wettstein (1693–1754), theologian John Joachim Zubly (Hans Joachim Züblin) (1724–1781), pastor, delegate to the Continental Congress Huldrych Zwingli (1484–1531), reformer in Zürich

Science

A–F

Felix Bloch Alexander Emanuel Agassiz (1835–1910), American man of science Louis Agassiz (1807–1873), did work on ice ages, glaciers Jacob Amsler (1823–1912), mathematician and inventor of measuring instruments Werner Arber (born 1929), 1978 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine Johann Georg Baiter (1801–1877), philologist Adolph Francis Alphonse Bandelier (1840–1914), archaeologist Jean-François Bergier (1931–2009), historian Eugen Bleuler (1857–1940), psychiatrist Felix Bloch (1905–1983), 1952 Nobel Prize in Physics Hans Bluntschli (1877–1962), anatomist Charles Bonnet (1720–1793), botanist Daniel Bovet (born 1907–1992), 1957 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine

Albert Einstein Joost Bürgi (1552–1632), mathematician and watchmaker Johann Büttikofer (1850–1929), zoologist Jean-André Deluc (1727–1817), geologist Paul Dirac (1902–1984), physicist Albert Einstein (1879–1955), 1921 Nobel Prize in Physics [2] Richard R. Ernst (1933–2021), 1991 Nobel Prize in Chemistry Edmond H. Fischer (1920–2021), 1992 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine Fritz Fischer (1898–1947), physicist Auguste Forel (1848–1931), myrmecologist, psychiatrist, neurologist François-Alphonse Forel (1841–1912), pioneer in the study of lakes Johann Kaspar Füssli (1743–1786), entomologist

G–O

Conrad Gessner Victor Gautier (1824–1890), physician Conrad Gessner (1516–1565) Christoph Glauser (born 1964), social scientist and entrepreneur Jules Gonin (1870–1935), ophthalmologist Gustav Guanella (1909–1982), electronics engineer, inventor André Guignard (born 1942), engineer Charles-Edouard Guillaume (1861–1938), 1920 Nobel Prize in Physics Patric Hagmann, physician in diagnostic neuroradiology at Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois (CHUV), coined the term (Connectome) Albrecht von Haller (1708–1777) Walter Hess (1881–1973), 1949 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine Carl Hilty (1833–1909), jurist Albert Hofmann (1906–2008), chemist, discoverer of d-lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) Eugen Huber (1849–1923), jurist François Huber (1750–1831), naturalist Otto Frederick Hunziker (1873–1959), dairy professor and technical innovator

Friedrich Miescher Stefan Janos (born 1943), low temperature physicist Paul Karrer (1889–1971), 1937 Nobel Prize in Chemistry Emil Theodor Kocher (1841–1917), 1909 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine Jean Charles Galissard de Marignac (1817–1894), chemist Michel Mayor (born 1942), astronomer Friedrich Miescher (1844–1895), physician and biologist, discovered DNA Johannes von Müller (1752–1809), historian K. Alex Müller (1927–2023), 1987 Nobel Prize in Physics Paul Müller (1899–1965), 1948 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine Jean-Daniel Nicoud (born 1938), computer scientist and researcher Johann Caspar von Orelli (1787–1849)

P–Z

Paracelsus Paracelsus (1493–1541) (Theophrastus Bombastus von Hohenheim), alchemist [2] Wolfgang Pauli (1900–1958), 1945 Nobel Prize in Physics Jean Piaget (1896–1980), psychologist Auguste Piccard (1884–1962), physicist and balloonist Bertrand Piccard (born 1958), psychiatrist and balloonist Jacques Piccard (1922–2008), engineer and underwater explorer Jean Piccard (1884–1963), balloonist François-Jules Pictet de la Rive (1809–1872), zoologist and paleontologist Raoul Pictet (1846–1929), physicist Adolf Portmann (1897–1982), zoologist Vladimir Prelog (1906–1998), 1975 Nobel Prize in Chemistry Didier Queloz (born 1966), astronomer Tadeus Reichstein (1897–1996), chemist, 1950 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine Eugene Renevier (1831–1906), geologist Heinrich Rohrer (1933–2013), 1986 Nobel Prize in Physics Heinz Rutishauser (1918–1970), mathematician, computer software pioneer

Leopold Ružička (1887–1976), 1939 Nobel Prize in Chemistry Johann Jakob Scheuchzer (1672–1733), Swiss savant Louis Secretan (1758–1839), mycologist Jack Steinberger (1921–2020), 1988 Nobel Prize in Physics Ernst Stueckelberg (1905–1984), theoretical physicist Markus Wenk (born 1969), biochemist and academic Alfred Werner (1866–1919), 1913 Nobel Prize in Chemistry Niklaus Wirth (1934–2024), computer scientist, Turing Award winner, inventor of the Pascal programming language Kurt Wüthrich (born 1938), 2002 Nobel Prize in Chemistry Daniel Albert Wyttenbach (1746–1820) Alexandre Yersin (1894–1943), physician, isolated the Yersinia pestis Rolf M. Zinkernagel (born 1944), 1996 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine Fritz Zwicky (1898–1974), astronomer Theodor Zwinger (1533–1588), scholar

Sports

Roger Federer Paul Accola (born 1967), skiing champion David Aebischer (born 1978), former National Hockey League goaltender Jeff Agoos (born 1968), Swiss-born American soccer defender Daniel Albrecht (born 1983), alpine skier Simon Ammann (born 1981), gold medallist in ski jumping at the 2002 Winter Olympics, ski jumping at the 2010 Winter Olympics Manuel Bachmann (born 1975), footballer Timea Bacsinszky (born 1989), tennis player Sven Bärtschi (born 1992), National Hockey League player for the Vancouver Canucks Madeleine Berthod (born 1931), 1956 gold medallist in downhill skiing Denise Biellmann (born 1962), world champion figure skater Sepp Blatter (born 1935), FIFA president Sébastien Buemi (born 1988), Formula One driver Clint Capela (born 1994), NBA player for the Houston Rockets Ursula Bruhin (born 1970), snowboarder Fabian Cancellara (born 1981), cyclist Claudio Castagnoli (born 1980), pro wrestler Stéphane Chapuisat (born 1969), footballer Dario Cologna (born 1986), cross-country skiing champion Didier Cuche (born 1974), alpine skier Didier Défago, (born 1977), alpine skier Johan Djourou (born 1987), footballer Oscar Egg (1890–1961), cyclist Roger Federer (born 1981), tennis champion: 20-time Grand Slam singles champion [2] Michela Figini (born 1966), alpine skiing champion Marcel Fischer (born 1978), fencing champion, gold medallist in Athens Olympics Alexander Frei (born 1979), footballer Tanja Frieden (born 1976), snowboarder Martin Gerber (born 1974), NHL goaltender for the Ottawa Senators Nico Hischier Arnold Gerschwiler (1914–2003), skater Hans Gerschwiler (1920), world champion figure skater Jack Gerschwiler (1898–2000), coach Stefan Grogg (born 1974), ice hockey player Franz Heinzer (born 1962), alpine skier Stéphane Henchoz (born 1974), footballer Erika Hess (born 1962), alpine skiing champion Martina Hingis (born 1980), tennis champion; five-time Grand Slam singles champion Nico Hischier (born 1999), NHL forward for the New Jersey Devils; first Swiss player to be drafted #1 overall in the NHL Entry Draft Jakob Hlasek (born 1964), tennis player Ambrosi Hoffmann (born 1977), alpine skiing medalist Andy Hug (1964–2000), karate and kickboxing champion Benjamin Huggel (born 1977), professional footballer Patrick Hürlimann (born 1963), Olympic curling champion Roman Josi (born 1990), NHL defenseman for the Nashville Predators Natan Jurkovitz (born 1995), French-Swiss basketball player

Stéphane Lambiel Bruno Kernen (born 1961), alpine skier, winner of the 1983 Kitzbühel downhill race Bruno Kernen (born 1972), alpine skier, bronze medalist and former world champion in downhill Hugo Koblet (1925–1964), cycling champion Franz Krienbühl (1929–2002), speed skater Ferdy Kübler (1919–2016), cycling champion Andreas Küttel (born 1979), ski jumper Stéphane Lambiel (born 1985), figure skater, Olympic silver medalist Peter Lüscher (born 1956), alpine skiing champion Daniela Meuli (born 1981), snowboarder Lise-Marie Morerod (born 1956), alpine skiing champion Nicolas Müller (born 1982), snowboarder Peter Müller (born 1957), alpine skiing champion Xeno Müller (born 1972), rower, Olympic gold medalist Marie-Theres Nadig (born 1954), alpine skiing champion Sonja Nef (born 1972), alpine skiing champion Maya Pedersen (born 1972), skeleton athlete Manuela Pesko (born 1978), snowboarder Alina Popa (born 1978), IFBB professional bodybuilder Walter Prager (1910–1984), alpine skiing champion Clay Regazzoni (1939–2006), racing driver Corinne Rey-Bellet (1972–2006), alpine skier Tony Rominger (born 1961), cyclist who won major tours four times in his career Marc Rosset (born 1970), tennis player, gold medallist in Barcelona Olympics Bernhard Russi (born 1948), alpine skiing champion Martina Schild (born 1981), downhill skiing champion Hedy Schlunegger (1923–2003), downhill Olympic champion of 1948 Vreni Schneider (born 1964), alpine skiing champion Patty Schnyder (born 1978), professional tennis player Thabo Sefolosha (born 1984), NBA player for the Oklahoma City Thunder Philippe Senderos (born 1985), footballer Xherdan Shaqiri (born 1991), professional footballer Jo Siffert (1936–1971), racing driver Mark Streit (born 1977), NHL defenceman for the Philadelphia Flyers Marc Surer (born 1951), racing driver Alain Sutter (born 1968), footballer Kubilay Türkyilmaz (born 1967), footballer Maria Walliser (born 1963), alpine skiing champion Stanislas Wawrinka (born 1985), professional tennis player Jean Wicki (1933–2003), gold medallist in bobsleigh Granit Xhaka (born 1992), footballer Hakan Yakin (born 1977), footballer Murat Yakin (born 1974), footballer Heidi Zurbriggen (born 1967), skier Matthias Zurbriggen (1856–1917), mountain guide and alpinist Pirmin Zurbriggen (born 1963), alpine skiing champion Silvan Zurbriggen (born 1981), skier

Writers

See also: List of Swiss poets and List of Swiss women writers

Legendary and folk heroes

Helvetia, personification ("mother") of Switzerland Arnold von Melchtal, legendary founding father of Switzerland Ueli Rotach  [ de ], legendary hero of the 1405 battle at Stoss

William Tell, legendary 14th-century hero Arnold von Winkelried, legendary hero of the 1386 battle of Sempach

Others

Sarah, Crown Princess of Brunei (born 1987), wife of Crown Prince Al-Muhtadee Billah, half Swiss and half Bruneian Othmar Ammann (1879–1965), civil engineer, bridge engineer to the New York Port Authority Nick Auf der Maur (1942–1998), Canadian journalist, Swiss parents Louise Bachofen-Burckhardt (1845–1920), art collector Alfred Baur (1865–1951), businessman and art collector Maximilian Bircher-Benner (1867–1939), physician and Muesli inventor Johann Georg Bodmer (1786–1864), inventor Johann Jakob Bodmer (1698–1783) Hans Ormund Bringolf (1876–1951), adventurer and autobiographer Jacob Burckhardt (1818–1897), art historian Johann Ludwig Burckhardt (1784–1814), traveller and orientalist Michée Chauderon (died 1652), the last person to be executed for sorcery in Geneva Arthur Cohn (born 1927), film producer, received six Oscars Kadie Karen Diekmeyer (born 1965), Canadian vegan activist and Internet personality, known online as That Vegan Teacher. Lydia Welti-Escher (1858–1891), Swiss patron of the arts and founder of the Gottfried Keller Stiftung [4] Philipp Emanuel von Fellenberg (1771–1844) Marie Grossholtz (1761–1850), known as Madame Tussaud Paul Grueninger (1891–1972), commander of police and humanitarian Felix Hemmerlin (1388/9 – c. 1460), theologian Michelle Hunziker (born 1977), TV presenter previously married to the Italian singer Eros Ramazzotti

Ingvar Kamprad (1926–2018), founder of IKEA, Swiss resident 1976-2014 Carl Lutz (1895–1975), diplomat and humanitarian Robert Maillart (1872–1940), civil engineer, inventor of many concrete bridge techniques Peter Hildebrand Meienberg (1929–2021), missionary Christoph Meili (born 1968), whistle-blower Christian Menn (1927–2018), civil engineer Max Miedinger (1910–1980), typeface designer, inventor of Helvetica Claude Nobs (1936–2013), founder and general manager of the Montreux Jazz Festival Ernest Prodolliet (1905–1984), diplomat Rosa Rein (1897–2010), oldest living Swiss (as of 2010 [update] ) Werner Reinhart (1884–1951), philanthropist, music and literature patron Archibald Reiss (1875–1929), criminologist Beat Richner (1947–2018), pediatrician, founder of children's hospitals in Cambodia Niklaus Riggenbach (1817–1899), engineer Frithjof Schuon (1907–1998), Sufi writer, born in Basel Victor Snell (1874–1931), journalist John Sutter (1803–1880), California settler Stefi Talman (born 1958), shoe designer Alain Tanner (1929–2022), film director Lukas Vischer (1780–1840), collector, traveler, artist

See also

• Switzerland portal

• List of Germans
• List of mountains of Switzerland named after people
• Lists of people by nationality - for other lists of people by nationality, ethnicity, citizenship, language, or location
• Swiss longevity recordholders

References

1. "Josef Benedikt Kuriger (1754-1819)". www.kunstbreite.ch. Retrieved 30 December 2023.
2. Einstein tops list of leading Swiss swissinfo.ch
3. Davier, Anne (2005). "Flore Revalles". In Kotte, Andreas (ed.). Dictionary of the Theater in Switzerland. Vol. 3. Zürich: Chronos Verlag. p. 1484. Retrieved 17 October 2012.
4. "Ehrung der Kunstmäzenin Lydia Welti-Escher (press release)" (PDF) (in German). Gesellschaft zu Fraumünster. 27 March 2008. Retrieved 30 November 2014.