Max Petitpierre

{{Short description|Swiss politician}}

Max Petitpierre (26 February 1899{{cite web |title=Petitpierre, Max |url=https://hls-dhs-dss.ch/de/articles/004647/2014-04-22/ |website=hls-dhs-dss.ch |access-date=18 December 2024 |language=de}} – 25 March 1994) was a Swiss politician, jurist and member of the Swiss Federal Council, heading the Political Department (Ministry of Foreign Affairs) (1945-1961).{{cite news |title=Max Petitpierre, 95, Swiss Aide Who Modified Neutrality, Dies (Published 1994) |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1994/04/11/obituaries/max-petitpierre-95-swiss-aide-who-modified-neutrality-dies.html |access-date=18 December 2024 |work=New York Times |date=11 April 1994 |language=en}}

Image:Max Petitpierre.gif

He studied law at the universities of Neuchâtel, Zurich, and Munich.{{cite web |title=Max Petitpierre |url=https://www.munzinger.de/search/go/document.jsp?id=00000001974 |website=www.munzinger.de |access-date=18 December 2024}} He was elected to the Swiss Federal Council on 14 December 1944 and handed over office on 30 June 1961.{{cite web |title=Max Petitpierre |url=https://www.admin.ch/gov/en/start/federal-council/members-of-the-federal-council/max-petitpierre.html |website=www.admin.ch |access-date=18 December 2024 |language=en}} He was affiliated to the Free Democratic Party.

He served as President of the Diplomatic Conference at Geneva of 1949 which adopted the landmark 1949 Geneva Conventions.

During his time in office he held the Political Department (Ministry of Foreign Affairs) and was President of the Confederation three times in 1950, 1955 and 1960.{{cite web |title=MAX PETITPIERRE |url=https://international-review.icrc.org/sites/default/files/S0020860400078360a.pdf |website=international-review.icrc.org |access-date=18 December 2024}}

He died at the age of 95.{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=p7scAAAAIBAJ |title=Sarasota Herald-Tribune |date=April 13, 1994 |publisher=Sarasota Herald-Tribune |pages=6B |language=en}}