Alfred Ilg
1854 – 1916 – A Swiss Engineer as Councillor of State in Ethiopia
von Elisabeth Biasio, Hans Brunschweiler und Peter R. GerberAlfred Ilg (1854–1916) died more than one hundred years ago;
nonetheless, the interest in his life and work still endures. There
is indeed a growing wish to keep alive the memory of this great
man from the Canton of Thurgau, one of the most important Swiss
expatriates. The publication of this book by the Alfred Ilg Society
is a step toward fulfilling this wish. This present work endeavors to
trace Ilg’s life and philosophy, and so to commit his service to Ethiopia
to memory. May Alfred Ilg be a role model for many young
Swiss as someone who, from a simple family background, rose to
great importance and played a decisive role during his long stay
(1879–1906) in helping Ethiopia move towards a modern society
under the King of Shoa, the later emperor Menilek II (1889–1909).
nonetheless, the interest in his life and work still endures. There
is indeed a growing wish to keep alive the memory of this great
man from the Canton of Thurgau, one of the most important Swiss
expatriates. The publication of this book by the Alfred Ilg Society
is a step toward fulfilling this wish. This present work endeavors to
trace Ilg’s life and philosophy, and so to commit his service to Ethiopia
to memory. May Alfred Ilg be a role model for many young
Swiss as someone who, from a simple family background, rose to
great importance and played a decisive role during his long stay
(1879–1906) in helping Ethiopia move towards a modern society
under the King of Shoa, the later emperor Menilek II (1889–1909).