Embassy of Switzerland
in New Zealand
LocationWellington
AddressLevel 12, Maritime Tower
10 Customhouse Quay
Wellington 6011
New Zealand
Coordinates41°16′56″S 174°46′43″E / 41.28222°S 174.77861°E / -41.28222; 174.77861
AmbassadorViktor Vavricka
WebsiteOfficial Website

The Embassy of Switzerland in New Zealand (German: Schweizerische Botschaft in Neuseeland, French: Ambassade de Suisse en Nouvelle-Zélande, Italian: Ambasciata di Svizzera in Nuova Zelanda) is the official representation of Switzerland in New Zealand and in a number of Pacific island countries.

The Chancery is located in the Maritime Tower, a modern seventeen storey office building overlooking the Wellington Harbour. The building was completed in 2006.[1] Until 2009 the location had been on Panama Street. The Residence is a historical building in Woburn, Lower Hutt, 15 kilometers from the Wellington city center.

Tasks of the embassy

The Embassy is responsible for diplomatic relations between Switzerland, New Zealand, Fiji, Samoa, Tonga, Tuvalu and the Cook Islands. It represents Swiss political, consular, economic, financial, legal, scientific and cultural interests.[2] The Embassy is also consular representation for Niue and American Samoa, the Ambassador serving as Consul General in this United States territory.[3]

Around 7,000 Swiss citizens live in New Zealand and the Embassy offers the whole range of consular services to this population.[4] It is supported in its consular and diplomatic work by subordinate posts led by Honorary Consuls, the Consulate of Switzerland in Auckland,[5] the Consulate General in Suva, Fiji,[6] the Consulate General in Apia, Samoa,[7] and the Consulate General in Nuku'alofa, Tonga.[8]

The following table shows the numbers of Swiss citizens living in these countries.

CountryRegistered Swiss CitizensDate
New Zealand85132023
Fiji392023
Samoa232023
Tonga122023
Tuvalu02023
Cook Islands222023

(Source: website of the Swiss Confederation[9])

History

The first representation of Switzerland in New Zealand was a Consulate established in 1912, initially located in Auckland but relocated to Wellington in 1937. Walter Schmid was from 1937 the first career consular officer heading the post. In 1955, the representation was upgraded to a Consulate General and diplomat Pierre Aubaret became the first Consul General. After having established diplomatic relations with New Zealand in 1962, the representation became an Embassy. Jean-Pierre Weber was its first Chargé d'affaires from 1963. In 1966, the Consulate in Auckland was reopened with an honorary consul in charge. Max Corti was the first Swiss resident Ambassador to New Zealand from 1969.[10]

In 2007 (Samoa), 2012 (Fiji) and 2017 (Tonga) Switzerland extended its representative network in the region by opening Consulates General with an honorary consul general heading the post.[10]

After the establishment of diplomatic relations with New Zealand,[11] Switzerland took this step in 1985 with the Kingdom of Tonga,[12] in 1987 with Western Samoa, today Samoa,[13] in 1989 with the Republic of Fiji,[14] in 2005 with Tuvalu[15] and in 2010 with the Cook Islands, a self governing territory in free association with New Zealand.[16]

Swiss representatives

The current Ambassador of Switzerland in Wellington is Michael Winzap. He also serves as Consul General of Switzerland to American Samoa, a United States Territory.[17]

The following Swiss representatives have served in New Zealand, Fiji, Samoa and Tonga.

Representatives in Wellington

NameTermRank
Walter Schmid1937–1946Consul
Ernst Theiler1946–1949Consul
Henri Blanchard1949–1955Consul
Pierre Aubaret1955–1959Consul General
Oscar Rossetti1959–1963Consul General
Jean-Pierre Weber1963–1967Chargé d'affaires
Paul Erb1967–1969Chargé d'affaires
Max Corti1969–1974Ambassador
Fritz Adams1975–1979Chargé d'affaires
Walter Sollberger1979–1982Chargé d'affaires
Ivan Etienne1982–1987Chargé d'affaires
Fridolin Wyss1987–1989Chargé d'affaires
Michael von Schenk1989–1993Ambassador
Ernst Thurnheer1993–1996Ambassador
Walter Simmen1996–2000Chargé d'affaires
Sylvie Matteucci2000–2005Ambassador
Beat Nobs2005–2010Ambassador
Marion Weichelt2010–2014Ambassador
David Vogelsanger2014–2019Ambassador
Michael Winzap2019–2022Ambassador
Viktor Vavricka2022-Ambassador

(Source: website of the Swiss Confederation[10])

Representatives in Auckland

NameTermRank
Georg Streiff1912–1917Honorary Consul
Walter John Pugh1917–1918Honorary Consul
John Andrew Charles Allum1926–1933Consular Agent
Albert Blau1933–1936Consular Agent
Ernest Merz1966–1970Consular Agent
Arthur Müller1970–1994Honorary Consul
Peter Deutschle1994–2018Honorary Consul
Adrian Blaser2019–Honorary Consul

(Source: website of the Swiss Confederation[10])

Of particular historical interest is Sir John Allum CBE who served as Mayor of Auckland from 1941 to 1952 and is remembered as father of the famous Auckland Harbour Bridge.

Representatives in Suva, Fiji

NameTermRank
Rolf Gfeller2012–Honorary Consul General

(Source: website of the Swiss Confederation[10])

Representatives in Apia, Samoa

NameTermRank
Marco Kappenberger2007–2012Honorary Consul General
Sylvie Salanoa2013–Honorary Consul General

(Source: website of the Swiss Confederation[10])

Representatives in Nuku'alofa, Kingdom of Tonga

NameTermRank
Carl Henry Sanft2017–Honorary Consul General

(Source: website of the Swiss Confederation[10])

Swiss citizens

John Webber (1751–1793), Thomas Brunner (1821–1874) and Jakob Lauper (1815–1891) are notable New Zealand pioneers of Swiss descent. John Webber was the first Swiss who ever set his foot on New Zealand soil. He accompanied Captain James Cook on his third and final Pacific (1776–79) voyage as the expedition's Artist.[18] London-born Swiss explorer Thomas Brunner arrived in New Zealand in 1841. He is known for his extensive expeditions on the west coast of the South Island.[19] The town of Brunner, Lake Brunner, Mount Brunner and Brunner Mine were all named after him. Lauper Stream, Lauper Peak and Lauper Bivouac, all situated on the upper Rakaia River on the South Island, remember Jakob Lauper (1815–1891),[18] gold prospector and explorer, who, together with John Henry Withcombe, had been in 1863 the first European to cross the Southern Alps. The first Swiss farmer who settled in Taranaki in 1870 was Felix Hunger (1837–1918).

There are five Swiss clubs in New Zealand, in Auckland,[20] in Hamilton,[21] in Taranaki,[22] in Wellington[23] and in Christchurch. The first four clubs are situated on the North Island and form the Swiss Society of New Zealand which publishes its own magazine "Helvetia" since 1935.[24]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Maritime Office Tower. Warren and Mahoney. Accessed 28 October 2016.
  2. ↑ Embassy of Switzerland in New Zealand – The Tasks of the Embassy. Website of the Swiss Confederation. Accessed 28 October 2016.
  3. ↑ Embassy of Switzerland in New Zealand. Website of the Swiss Confederation. Accessed 28 October 2016.
  4. ↑ Switzerland – Our relationship with Switzerland. New Zealand Foreign Affairs and Trade. Accessed 31 October 2016.
  5. ↑ Embassy of Switzerland, Wellington, New Zealand – Staff Details. New Zealand Foreign Affairs and Trade. Accessed 31 October 2016.
  6. ↑ Honorary Consuls in Fiji – Switzerland. Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Fiji. Accessed 31 October 2016.
  7. ↑ Overseas Honorary Consuls in Samoa – Switzerland. Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Samoa. Accessed 31 October 2016.
  8. ↑ Swiss representation in Tonga – Switzerland. Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Fiji. Accessed 24 October 2017.
  9. ↑ Im Ausland niedergelassene Schweizer nach Wohnstaaten und -gebieten. Website of the Swiss Confederation. Accessed 29 November 2017.
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Embassy of Switzerland in New Zealand – History. Website of the Swiss Confederation. Accessed 28 October 2016.
  11. ↑ Bilateral relations Switzerland–New Zealand – History of bilateral relations. Website of the Swiss Confederation. Retrieved 3 November 2016.
  12. ↑ Bilateral relations Switzerland–Tonga – History of bilateral relations. Website of the Swiss Confederation. Accessed 28 October 2016.
  13. ↑ Bilateral relations Switzerland–Samoa – History of bilateral relations. Website of the Swiss Confederation. Accessed 28 October 2016.
  14. ↑ Bilateral relations Switzerland–Fiji – History of bilateral relations. Website of the Swiss Confederation. Accessed 28 October 2016.
  15. ↑ Bilateral relations Switzerland–Tuvalu – History of bilateral relations. Website of the Swiss Confederation. Accessed 28 October 2016.
  16. ↑ Bilateral relations Switzerland–Cook Islands – History of bilateral relations. Website of the Swiss Confederation. Accessed 28 October 2016.
  17. ↑ Curriculum Vitae David Vogelsanger. Website of the Swiss Confederation. Accessed 28 October 2016.
  18. 1 2 Neuseeland. Historisches Lexikon der Schweiz. Retrieved 2 November 2016.
  19. ↑ Story: Brunner, Thomas. Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand. Retrieved 3 November 2016.
  20. ↑ Auckland Swiss Club. Website of the Swiss Society of New Zealand. Accessed 31 October 2016.
  21. ↑ Hamilton Swiss Club. Website of the Swiss Society of New Zealand. Accessed 31 October 2016.
  22. ↑ Taranaki Swiss Club. Website of the Swiss Society of New Zealand. Accessed 31 October 2016.
  23. ↑ Wellington Swiss Club. Website of the Swiss Society of New Zealand. Accessed 31 October 2016.
  24. ↑ Helvetia. Website of the Swiss Society of New Zealand. Accessed 27 November 2017.
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