Albert Ziegler (theologian)

Albert Ziegler (11 July 1927 – 4 August 2022) was a Swiss Roman-Catholic theologian, ethicist and author.

Early life and education

Ziegler was bron 11 July 1927 in Zurich, Switzerland, one of three children, to Albert Gebhard Ziegler (1893–1953), a postal worker, and Bertha Amalia Ziegler (née Ochsner; 1889–1945), into a Catholic family. He had two sisters; Bertha Malin (née Ziegler; 1926–2021), a social worker, who was married to Georg Malin and Franziska Mathilde Ziegler (born 1931).^[1][2]

His paternal family was originally from Gaiserwald near St. Gallen, Switzerland. His great-grandfather Gebhard Rohner (1836–1908), served on the Cantonal Council of St. Gallen for the Rhine Valley constituency. His great-uncle was Anton Rohner. His maternal family hailed from Einsiedeln, Schwyz.^[3]

Ziegler attended the local schools and completed his Matura at the Disentis Abbey School. Between 1950 and 1953 he studied philosophy at the Munich School of Philosophy followed by studies in social sciences and politics at the international institute of the University of Fribourg.^[4] He received his Doctorate of Philosophy from this institution. Between 1956 and 1960, Ziegler studied Theology at the Catholic University of Leuven in Belgium.^[5][6]

Career

During his studies he took the vows as a priest. In 1966, he took vows for the last time as commitment to the Jesuit Order, which added the honoric suffix SJ to his name. He primarily was active as university chaplain while living at Akademikerhaus (aki) in Zürich. From there he also became very active in the fields of lecturer, author and editor of newspaper articles, books and film critiques.^[7][8]

Later he acted as self-employed corporate consultant with topics such as work ethics. He was also a member of the Swiss Academy of Medical Sciences. He served as board director for the Swiss Social Archives from 1964 to 2007.^[9][8]

Personal life

Ziegler lived in Zürich most of his life before relocating into the Christian nursing home St. Franziskus in Menzingen. He died there 4 August 2022 aged 95.^[10]