Alfred Siegfried

Alfred Siegfried (15 February 1890 – 27 March 1972) was a Swiss teacher, publicist, and social worker. He was the founder and director of Pro Juventute's "Children of the Open Road" (Kinder der Landstrasse) program and, in this capacity, was co-responsible for the persecution of Yenish families in Switzerland during the 20th century, actions that were classified as crimes against humanity in 2025.

Early life and education Alfred Siegfried was born in Lucerne on 15 February 1890, the son of Karl Siegfried, a hardware merchant, and Emilie Maria Josefa née Lehmann. He attended the pedagogical seminary in Lucerne from 1906 to 1909, after which he worked as a primary school teacher in the city until 1913. That same year, he began studying modern languages and history at the University of Basel, completing a doctorate in 1921.

Career Between 1915 and 1918, Siegfried worked as a secondary school teacher and district secretary for Pro Juventute in Lucerne, then taught at the secondary level in Basel from 1918 to 1924. In 1924, he was convicted by the Basel criminal court for sexual abuse of a student and was banned from teaching. That same year, he was hired by Pro Juventute's central secretariat, where he remained until 1959. In 1930, he married his housekeeper Maria Anna Ermatinger, a widow with a daughter; the couple also adopted two boys.

Recognition as crimes against humanity At the urgent request of organizations representing affected persons, a legal opinion commissioned by the Swiss Confederation was presented in 2025. The Federal Council recognized its conclusions, according to which these systematic violations of human rights should be classified as crimes against humanity under current law.

Death Siegfried died on 27 March 1972 in Oetwil am See. He converted from Protestantism to Catholicism at some point during his life.

Publications

Kinder der Landstrasse. Ein Versuch zur Sesshaftmachung von Kindern des fahrenenden Volkes (1962)