Numa Droz, Date of Birth, Place of Birth, Date of Death

Numa Droz

member of the Swiss Federal Council

Date of Birth: 27-Jan-1844

Place of Birth: La Chaux-de-Fonds, Canton of Neuchâtel, Switzerland

Date of Death: 15-Dec-1899

Profession: writer, politician, journalist

Nationality: Switzerland

Zodiac Sign: Aquarius

Numa Droz (27 January 1844 – 15 December 1899) was a Swiss politician and member of the Swiss Federal Council (1875–1892). Born in La Chaux-de-Fonds, he was elected to cantonal government of Neuchâtel in 1871 and to the Swiss Council of States in 1872. On 18 December 1875, he was elected to the Swiss Federal Council and handed over office on 31 December 1892.
He was affiliated to the Free Democratic Party of Switzerland.
He was elected President of Switzerland in 1881 and 1887. During his office time he held the following departments: Department of Home Affairs (1876–1878) Department of Trade and Agriculture (1879–1880) Political Department as President of the Confederation (1881) Department of Trade and Agriculture (1882–1886) Political Department as President of the Confederation (1887) Department of Foreign Affairs (1888–1892)He died in Bern in 1899. Droz has been described as a "man of progress" and "one of Switzerland's major political figures".
He was a radical democrat who clashed with Bismarck over a police spying case, the Wohlgemut Affair, in 1889. In La Chaux-de-Fonds a street (rue Numa-Droz, the longest in the town) and in Neuchâtel a square (place Numa-Droz) are named after him.
A statue by Charles l'Eplattenier which was erected by the station is at present being renovated and will be placed on Rue Numa-Droz in the autumn of 2012.