Education
Heinrich Häberlin studied law in Zurich, Leipzig and Berlin and graduated with an advocate's licence from Thurgau Canton in 1891.
Heinrich Häberlin studied law in Zurich, Leipzig and Berlin and graduated with an advocate's licence from Thurgau Canton in 1891.
He opened his own law practice in Weinfelden in 1892 which he moved to Frauenfeld in 1894.
From 1899 to 1920 he chaired the District Court of Frauenfeld.
Before his election to the Federal Council, he held the following political offices:
1905-1920: Cantonal Great Council in Thurgau; President of the Council in 1909-1910 and 1915-1916;
1908-1915: Chairman of the FDP in Thurgau;
1904-1920: National Council; President of the National Council in 1918-1919;
On 12 February 1920 Häberlin was elected to the Federal Council. On 30 April 1934 he handed over office after his resignation on 12 March. During his tenure, he was the head of the Justice and Police departments.
Häberlin was elected President of the Federal Council in 1926 and 1931 and vice president in 1925 and 1930. He was most active in state security policy making.
Today his name is mainly associated with two failed criminal law bills which were supposed to strengthen Swiss state security. They are now known as Lex Häberlin I and II. He resigned from his post following the rejection of the second state security bill in 1934. During his tenure he tried to unify Swiss penal code.
He was the President of Pro Helvetia cultural organization from 1939 to 1944. He was also the President of the Federal Nature and Heritage Commission (1936-46), the President of the Board of Trustees of the Pro Juventute (1924-37) and the Ulrico-Hoepli Foundation (1921-47). During his political career he evolved from a dedicated party fighter into a bipartisan Statesman holding on to his non-socialist beliefs. His condemnation of fascism, National Socialism and totalitarianism was based on his liberal democratic views.
In 1931 he earned an honorary doctorate from Faculty of Law from University of Basel, Switzerland.
During his political career he evolved from a dedicated party fighter into a bipartisan Statesman holding on to his non-socialist beliefs. His condemnation of fascism, National Socialism and totalitarianism was based on his liberal democratic views.