Karl Hoffmann (Swiss politician)

Karl Jakob Hoffmann (2 February 1820 in St. Gallen – 18 December 1895 in St. Gallen) was a Swiss politician of the Free Democratic Party and President of the Swiss Council of States (1877/1878 and 1889/1890).

After studying law in Bern, Jena and Munich, Karl Hoffmann obtained a doctorate in 1839 and became a lawyer in St. Gallen (1840–1891). He was elected to the Grand Conseil of the Canton of St. Gallen between 1853 and 1870, and again between 1873 and 1895. In parallel, he was elected to the Council of States between 1873 in 1891.

On 22 February 1881, he was elected to the Swiss Federal Council but declined the election for family reasons.

His son Arthur Hoffmann (1857-1927) was a member of the Federal Council (1911-1917).

Works

• Hahn, Theodor; Hoffmann, Karl Jakob (1863). Offene Briefe von und an Theodor Hahn und Fürspr. Hoffmann, oder Rechts- und Sittenzustände im Kt. St. Gall 1863 (in German). St. Gallen. 
• Hoffmann, Karl Jakob (1883). Ueber das Schweizerische Obligationenrecht: Oeffentlicher Vortrag. Mit Einwilligung des Vortragenden nach stenographischen Aufzeichnungen veröffentlicht (in German). St. Gallen: Th. Wirth. 
• Hoffmann, Karl Jakob; Hafner, Heinrich (1887). Rechtsgutachten der Herren Ständerat Dr. K. Hoffmann in St. Gallen und Bundesrichter Dr. H. Hafner in Lausanne über die Rechtsnatur der appenzell ausserrhodischen Zedel: deren faustpfandliche Verwendung und Amortisation, sowie über die Verpfändung und Amortisation der grundversicherten Forderungen überhaupt (in German). 

References

• Hoffmann, Karl in German, French and Italian in the online Historical Dictionary of Switzerland.
• Biography of Hoffmann Karl J. on the website of the Swiss Parliament.
• Profile of Karl Hoffmann with election results on the website of the Swiss Federal Council.