Max Weber (Swiss politician, 1897–1974)

Overview

Key biographical points can be noted in a short timeline. He was born August 2, 1897 (1897), elected to the Federal Council on December 13, 1951 (1951), left the Council on January 31, 1954 (1954), and died December 2, 1974 (1974). These milestones mark his public record as a federal officeholder and lifelong participant in Swiss political life.

Role and responsibilities

As head of the Department of Finance, Weber oversaw the federal government's financial administration. Responsibilities of that department typically include preparing and supervising the federal budget, administering federal taxation and customs, managing public debt and assets, and coordinating fiscal policy with other federal bodies and cantonal authorities. In Switzerland's collegial executive system, each Federal Councillor leads one department while participating in collective decisions across government.

Political career and context

Weber represented the Social Democratic Party (SP), which traditionally advocated for social welfare, public services, and labor protections within Switzerland's multi-party consensus system. His election to the Federal Council came during the post-World War II era when many Western economies were focused on reconstruction, fiscal consolidation, and adapting social policy to changing needs. Although his time on the Council lasted a little over two years, it placed him in the core executive body during a period of economic and administrative adjustment.

Notable facts and distinctions

• The Swiss Federal Council is a seven-member collegial executive that shares collective responsibility for federal governance; councillors normally head a federal department.
• A tenure of just over two years is shorter than many Federal Councillors, who often serve longer terms; nevertheless, any councillor who leads the Department of Finance plays a key role in shaping federal budgets and fiscal policy.
• Weber's affiliation with the Social Democratic Party placed him among the principal proponents of social and economic policies that were influential in mid-20th-century Swiss politics.

For concise reference material or primary archival sources on Weber's life and service, consult historical dictionaries, parliamentary records, and contemporary press reports of the period. Relevant entries and archival collections are commonly indexed by Swiss federal archives and party historical services (party resources). Further online and library resources can be explored via national biographical databases and official Federal Council records.