| Embassy of the Swiss Confederation in France | |
|---|---|
 Entrance gate of the Hôtel de Besenval, the Embassy of the Swiss Confederation and the residence of the Swiss Ambassador to France | |
| General information | |
| Address | 142 Rue de Grenelle |
| Town or city | Paris |
| Country |  France |
The Ambassador of Switzerland to France is the representative of the government of Switzerland in France and thus responsible for maintaining relations between Switzerland and France.
First permanent diplomatic representation
The first permanent Swiss diplomatic representation abroad was opened in Paris in April 1798 at the time of the Helvetic Republic. Today, the Embassy of the Swiss Confederation as well as the residence of the Swiss Ambassador are housed in the Hôtel de Besenval in Paris.
First French embassy in Switzerland
In the aftermath of the Battle of Marignano, the Paix Perpétuelle (Perpetual Peace) of 1516 and the mercenary alliance of 1521, France had already opened an embassy in 1522 on Swiss territory, in the city of Solothurn. Hence still today, the city of Solothurn is still called the City of Ambassadors.[1][2][3]
Ambassadors
From 1798 to 1957 as the Swiss Envoy, called Minister
- 1798–1800: Peter Josef Zeltner (1765-1830)
- 1800–1800: Gottlieb Abraham von Jenner (1765–1834)
- 1800–1803: Philipp Albert Stapfer (1766–1840)
- 1803–1814: Antoine Constantin de Maillardoz, Marquis de Maillardoz (1765–1832)
- 1814–1847: Georg von Tschann (1777–1847)
- 1848–1857: Josef Hyazint Barmann (1800–1885)
- 1857–1883: Johann Konrad Kern (1808–1888)
- 1883–1917: Charles Édouard Lardy (1847–1923), Lardy was one of the first professional Swiss diplomats (career diplomat)
- 1917–1938: Alphonse Dunant (1869–1942)
- 1938–1944: Walter Stucki (1888–1963)
- 1945–1949: Carl J. Burckhardt (1891–1974)
- 1949–1956: Peter Anton von Salis (1898–1982)
- 1956–1961: Pierre Micheli (1905–1989), Minister and in 1957 Micheli became Ambassador, when the Swiss Legation was upgraded to an embassy
- 1961–1966: Agostino Soldati (1910–1966)
- 1967–1977: Pierre Dupont (1912–1993)
- 1977–1987: François de Ziegler (1922–2006)
- 1987–1993: Carlo Jagmetti (* 1932)
- 1993–1997: Edouard Brunner (1932–2007)
- 1997–2002: Benedict de Tscharner (1937–2019)
- 2002–2007: François Nordmann (* 1942)
- 2007–2011: Ulrich Lehner (* 1954)
- 2011–2014: Jean-Jacques de Dardel (* 1954)
- 2014–2018: Bernardino Regazzoni (* 1957)
- 2018–2020: Livia Leu (* 1961)
- 2020–today: Roberto Balzaretti (* 1965)
Seats of Swiss diplomatic representations in Paris since the mid-19th century
- 1857–1859: 14 Avenue des Champs-Elysées
- 1860–1864: 3 Rue d’Aumale
- 1865–1883: 3 Rue Blanche
- 1892–1894: 4 Rue Cambon
- 1895–1918: 15bis Rue de Marignan
- 1919–1938: 51 Avenue Hoche
- since 1938: 142 Rue de Grenelle, Hôtel de Besenval
Notes
Further reading
in alphabetical order
- Bénédict de Tscharner: Profession ambassadeur – diplomate suisse en France, Editions Cabédita, Yens-sur-Morges, 2002
- Paul Widmer: Diplomatie – Ein Handbuch, Verlag Neue Zürcher Zeitung, Zürich, 2014