Federal Department of Economic Affairs

The Federal Department of Economic Affairs (in French Département fédéral de l'économie, German Eidgenössisches Volkswirtschaftsdepartement) is one of the seven departments of the federal government of Switzerland, headed by a member of the Swiss Federal Council.

Names of the department

• 1848-1872: Department of Trade and Customs
• 1873-1878: Department of Railway and Trade
• 1879-1887: Department of Trade and Agriculture
• 1888-1895: Department of Industry and Agriculture
• 1896-1914: Department of Trade, Industry and Agriculture
• 1915-1978: Department of Economic Affairs
• Since 1979: Federal Department of Economic Affairs

List of heads of the department

• 1848-1853: Friedrich Frey-Herosé
• 1854 only: Wilhelm Matthias Näff
• 1855 only: Josef Munzinger
• 1855-1856: Constant Fornerod
• 1857 only: Melchior Josef Martin Knüsel
• 1858 only: Constant Fornerod
• 1859-1860: Melchior Josef Martin Knüsel
• 1861-1866: Friedrich Frey-Herosé
• 1867-1873: Wilhelm Matthias Näff
• 1873-1874: Johann Jakob Scherer
• 1875-1877: Karl Schenk
• 1878 only: Joachim Heer
• 1879-1880: Numa Droz
• 1881 only: Antoine Louis John Ruchonnet
• 1882-1886: Numa Droz
• 1887-1896: Adolf Deucher
• 1897 only: Adrien Lachenal
• 1898-1902: Adolf Deucher
• 1903 only: Ludwig Forrer
• 1904-1908: Adolf Deucher
• 1909 only: Josef Anton Schobinger
• 1910-1912: Adolf Deucher
• 1912-1934: Edmund Schulthess
• 1934-1940: Hermann Obrecht
• 1940-1947: Walter Stampfli
• 1948-1954: Rodolphe Rubattel
• 1955-1959: Thomas Holenstein
• 1960-1961: Friedrich Traugott Wahlen
• 1961-1969: Hans Schaffner
• 1970-1978: Ernst Brugger
• 1978-1982: Fritz Honegger
• 1983-1986: Kurt Furgler
• 1987-1998: Jean-Pascal Delamuraz
• 1998-2002: Pascal Couchepin
• Since 2003: Joseph Deiss

External links

• Federal Department of Economic Affairs official site