These Swiss personalities passed away in 2024
Published: Saturday, Dec 21st 2024, 10:50
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A jazz legend, a GLP veteran, a Federal Council spokesperson and a world record-breaking high-wire artist: in 2024, Switzerland lost world-famous jazz musician Irène Schweizer, former member of the Council of States Verena Diener, Vice-Chancellor André Simonazzi, artist Freddy Nock and many other celebrities. An overview of Swiss personalities who died in 2024:
NIKLAUS WIRTH: The Winterthur computer pioneer died on January 1 at the age of 89. From 1968 until his retirement in 1999, Wirth was Professor of Computer Science, which was later renamed Computer Science, at ETH Zurich. Wirth designed the Pascal programming language in 1970. It became one of the most popular teaching languages and influenced the development of other programming languages. In 1984, Wirth was the first and so far only person from a German-speaking country to receive the Turing Award.
HANS EICHENBERGER: The important Swiss designer died on January 6 at the age of 97. Eichenberger was the creator of numerous furnishings for banks, restaurants, stores and SBB carriages. Born in Grosshöchstetten BE in 1926, the carpenter and draughtsman with his own studio left his mark on Swiss interior design, particularly in the 1950s to 1960s. His designs were used to create furnishings and furniture in a straightforward, modern style. His oeuvre includes more than 35 chairs and armchairs, including the Expo armchair (1964) and the Saffa chair (1955).
SEPP HAAS: The Swiss cross-country skier from Lucerne's Entlebuch region passed away on January 18 at the age of 86. He was the first Swiss cross-country skier to win an Olympic medal. At the 1968 Olympic Games in Grenoble, France, Haas won bronze in the 50-kilometer race. This was despite the fact that he was not among the medal candidates. In 1969, Haas retired from top-class sport as a three-time Swiss champion and trained as a forester. He remained involved in cross-country skiing - including as national coach from 1978 to 1980.
ANDREAS BLUM: The former director of Radio DRS (now Radio SRF) died on January 26 at the age of 85. He managed the radio station from 1979 to 1999 and was responsible for founding the then youth station DRS 3 in 1983. Blum was also a member of the Bernese Social Democratic Party (SP) council and National Council. Blum was also a top athlete for many years. In the 1960s and 1970s, he was one of the top Swiss athletes in modern pentathlon.
MARTIN HORAT: The Muotathal "weatherman" died on January 27 in Rothenthurm SZ at the age of 79. Horat wrote his half-yearly forecasts for the "Innerschwyzer Meteorologen" association based on his observations of ants. This made him famous throughout Switzerland.
FREDDY NOCK: The Swiss high-wire artist was found dead in his apartment in Uerkheim AG on February 7. Nock was 59 years old. Born in 1964 in the canton of Aargau, he was a multiple record holder. He came from the traditional Nock circus family. The high-wire artist sought extremes in life and tested the limits. Since the end of the 1990s, he has achieved more than 20 world records with his performances on the high wire. Nock secured his first entry in the Guinness Book of Records in 1998 with a walk on the suspension cable of the St. Moritz Signal cable car over a distance of 734 meters. A trial against Nock caused quite a stir. In November 2020, the Aargau High Court acquitted him of the charge of attempting to deliberately kill his wife.
HEINRICH URSPRUNG: The former President of ETH Zurich passed away on February 17 at the age of 91. The biologist headed the university from 1973 to 1987. Ursprung played a leading role in the introduction of new fields of study at the time, such as computer science, biotechnology and materials science. He also recruited researchers from top American universities. Even after his time as ETH President, his influence on the university landscape remained strong. From 1987 to 1990 he was President of the Swiss School Board and from 1990 to 1997 Director of the Group for Science and Research, from 1992 as State Secretary. This was the predecessor organization of today's State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI).
CORNELIO SOMMARUGA: The long-standing President of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) died in Geneva on February 18 at the age of 91. The Rome-born Swiss lawyer and diplomat led the ICRC from 1987 to the end of 1999. Among other things, Sommaruga lifted the requirement that ICRC delegates must also be Swiss citizens. During his twelve years in office, the Ticino native experienced major historical upheavals such as the fall of the Berlin Wall and the associated collapse of the Soviet Union, which in turn led to the dissolution of the Eastern Bloc. A few years later, genocide took place in Rwanda. The number of ICRC missions increased significantly, and several ICRC delegates were also killed on missions.
ROGER PFUND: The Swiss graphic artist and painter died on March 16 at the age of 80. Born in Bern, Pfund is known for designing the Swiss passport, which came into circulation after 2003. He also designed banknotes for numerous countries, including the last French banknote series with the "Little Prince" by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry and the Argentinian banknotes with Evita Peron. He is also the author of the Swiss reserve series in the vaults of the National Bank. As an artist, he painted icons such as Callas, Rimbaud and Proust. He has received several international awards. His works are exhibited in Europe, America, Africa and Asia.
WALTY ANSELMO: The guitarist and singer known as the "Swiss Jimi Hendrix" died on March 22 at the age of 77. Anselmo founded the progressive rock band Krokodil together with music pioneers Hardy Hepp and Düde Dürst in 1969. They drew mainly on the influential electric guitar virtuoso Jimi Hendrix and became known beyond the country's borders. Anselmo made music in many styles. Among other things, he played bass on the popular song "Grüezi wohl, Frau Stirnimaa" by the Minstrels.
ULRIKE KOCH: The Swiss filmmaker, film critic and China expert died on March 30 at the age of 73. Koch was known for her successful 1997 documentary "The Salt Men of Tibet", among other things. With just over 53,000 admissions, the documentary ranks 92nd among the 500 most successful Swiss films between 1976 and 2023, according to the Federal Office of Culture. The film was shown at international festivals. In addition to her work as a filmmaker, Koch, who was born in Germany, has written film reviews for the Neue Zürcher Zeitung and Weltwoche, among others. She has also given lectures on China, Tibet and Buddhism.
VITUS HUONDER: The former Bishop of Chur died on April 3 at the age of 81. As bishop, Huonder led the diocese from 2007 to 2019. Huonder, who was loyal to Rome, polarized people with his arch-conservative stance throughout his time in office. Huonder caused particular outrage when he quoted passages from the Old Testament in a lecture in Fulda, Germany, according to which homosexuality is an atrocity punishable by death. The bishop initially spoke of a misunderstanding, later apologizing publicly. Even the Graubünden judiciary looked into the statements, but found no criminal conduct. Following his retirement in May 2019, Huonder retired to the Sancta Maria Institute in Wangs in the canton of St. Gallen, which is run by the Priestly Fraternity of St. Pius X. He no longer had anything to do with the diocese of Chur.
ADRIAN LEHMANN: The marathon runner died on April 20 at the age of 34 as a result of a heart attack. Lehmann had suffered the attack while preparing for the Zurich Marathon a few days earlier. The LV Langenthal athlete had set a personal best of 2:11:44 hours at the Zurich Marathon a year ago and climbed to sixth place in the all-time Swiss best list.
ANDRÉ SIMONAZZI: The long-serving Federal Council spokesman and Vice-Chancellor died on May 10 at the age of 55. Born in Valais, he collapsed unexpectedly during a hike. Simonazzi was known to the general public above all as Spokesman of the Federal Council. Under his leadership, the national government's communication was professionalized and digitalized. Simonazzi also made communication an integral part of government activities. Simonazzi was appointed Vice-Chancellor and Federal Council Spokesman in November 2008. From January 1, 2009, he also attended government meetings, took minutes and handled communications. In the Federal Chancellery, he headed several sections and the Presidential Service.
VERENA DIENER: The former Zurich GLP member of the Council of States died on June 28 at the age of 75. In 1982, Diener was one of the founding members of the Green Party in the district of Andelfingen ZH and was elected its president. She then also sat on the National Council for the Greens from 1987 to 1997. In 1995, she was elected to the Zurich cantonal government, where she served until 2007, always heading the health department. She chaired her former party, the Swiss Green Party, from 1992 to 1995. Due to internal disputes, she suspended her party membership for around a year in the summer of 1997. Under her leadership, the Zurich Green Party split. Diener founded the Zurich Green Liberal Party (GLP) together with a number of party friends, including Martin Bäumle. Diener was the first GLP politician to be elected to the Council of States in November 2007. She served in the small chamber for two terms. In 2015, she decided not to run for a third time.
YVAN PESTALOZZI: The inventor of the Lozzi worm, which used to be installed in many school playgrounds, and the creator of many wind chimes and giant marble runs died on July 3 at the age of 86. Pestalozzi's works were often playful. His motto was: "Think like a mature person - be happy like a child." Pestalozzi was born in Glarus in 1936. He completed an apprenticeship as a cabinetmaker and trained himself as an artist. In 1964, at the age of 27, he took the plunge into self-employment and worked as a freelance artist all over the world. His best-known works include the time machine for UBS and the ABB Weltmobile.
IRÈNE SCHWEIZER: The grande dame of Swiss jazz died on July 16 at the age of 83. Born in Schaffhausen in 1941, Schweizer was one of the formative personalities of modern jazz. From Dixieland in her parents' restaurant, the self-taught musician made her way to free jazz on stages around the world. She has performed in Berlin, Tokyo, New York, London and Amsterdam, among other places. Schweizer has released numerous solo and duo albums. She was also involved in the European women's music movement. She was a co-founder of the Taktlos Festival, the Werkstatt für Improvisierte Musik Zürich (WIM) and the jazz label Intakt. Schweizer has been honored with several cultural awards in her career. In 2018, she was awarded the Swiss Grand Prix Music.
ALAIN DELON: The acting star and Swiss by choice died on August 18 at the age of 88 in Douchy, France. Delon had also held Swiss citizenship since 2000. He had already settled in the municipality of Chêne-Bougeries GE in 1985. Delon was known for films such as "The Leopard" (1963) and "As Cold as Silence" (1975). The screen idol and heartthrob later came into conflict with the Swiss justice system over a forged license plate, among other things. Most recently, Delon and his family made headlines because of a family dispute. His three children aired their grievances in public via the media and the judiciary. Among other things, the dispute revolved around the question of whether the actor should spend the rest of his life in his residence in France or move to Switzerland, where his daughter Anouchka lives - and where inheritance tax is likely to be lower.
HANS DANUSER: The Graubünden photographer and photography pioneer died on August 26 at the age of 71. Born in Chur in 1953, Danuser was regarded as one of the pioneers of contemporary photography in Switzerland from the 1980s onwards. His works were shown in major exhibitions in Switzerland and abroad. The photography pioneer was known for his approach of linking art with science and contemporary issues. Danuser gained international recognition with his "In Vivo" cycle from 1989 - with images of the gold market, biotechnology and nuclear power.
ROBERT DILL-BUNDI: The former Valais track cyclist and Olympic champion passed away on September 16 at the age of 65. Dill-Bundi experienced his sporting finest hour at the 1980 Olympic Games in Moscow, when he won the gold medal in the individual pursuit over 4000 meters. The then 21-year-old caused controversy afterwards after he kissed the track and was said to have sympathies with the Soviet Union as a result. To this day, Dill-Bundi is the only Swiss track cyclist to have won Olympic gold. He also became world champion in the keirin on the track in Barcelona in 1984. Since retiring from top-level sport in 1988, Dill-Bundi has suffered numerous strokes of fate. In 1999, doctors diagnosed him with a brain tumor, from which he was considered cured in 2010. After a failed restart in Cuba, Dill-Bundi recently returned to his home in Valais.
MURIEL FURRER: The Swiss junior cyclist and mountain biker died on September 27 at the age of 18 following a serious accident at the World Cycling Championships in Zurich. The Zurich native crashed in the junior road race in a wooded area and suffered a severe traumatic brain injury.
MARIO FEURER: The Zurich musician and creator of "Grüezi wohl, Frau Stirnimaa!" died on October 15 at the age of 82. With this popular song, Feurer and the Minstrels created a dialect hit that became popular far beyond Switzerland's borders. A television appearance at the St. Gallen Olma in October 1969 made the Minstrels and "Frau Stirnimaa" famous in one fell swoop. The song sold 1.5 million copies in 27 countries. Countless cover versions were created. The Minstrels disbanded in 1974.
URS ALLEMANN: The former scandalous author and journalist died on November 24 at the age of 76. Just a few months ago, the writer, who gained a reputation as a scandalous author with his story "Babyficker" in the early 1990s, was awarded the Erich Fried Prize. Allemann had already won the Swiss Literature Prize in 2014.
GIORGIO BELLINI: The Swiss political activist and opponent of nuclear power plants died on November 30 at the age of 79. Bellini, who was born in Bellinzona, became known throughout the country in the 1980s due to suspicions of collaboration with the Venezuelan terrorist Carlos (Ilich Ramirez Sanchez) and the disruption of the SRF Tagesschau main edition in May 1981 by his supporters. According to his own statements, he and accomplices carried out over 40 attacks between 1974 and 1984 - including on the Leibstadt AG and Gösgen SO nuclear power plants.
BRUNO "NÖGGI" STÖCKLI: The Zurich singer and solo entertainer died on December 14 at the age of 78. The Zurich original made his breakthrough in the 1980s with his song "I bin en Italiano". The song, which was based on a scout song, reached 15th place in the charts. "Nöggi" sang his songs in Zurich German. His career includes numerous appearances, from stage programs at the Bernhard Theater in Zurich to local events such as weddings and club events. "Nöggi" has released several albums. His best-of album "Mini 20 meischtverlangte Lieder" also includes songs with titles such as "Cowboy-Traum", "Chilbi-Zyt" and "Hörndli und g'Hackets" or "Chrut und Rüebli".
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