Augustin Keller

Augustin Keller (10 November 1805 in Sarmenstorf, Aargau – 8 January 1883) was a Swiss politician and a co-founder of the Christian Catholic Church of Switzerland, an Old Catholic Church denomination based in Switzerland.

He is considered to have started the Monastery dispute of Aargau which led to the abolition of all monasteries in Aargau in 1841 and the eventual establishment of the Swiss state.

Early life Keller was born in 1805 to Joseph Keller, a farmer, and his wife Barbara. In 1871 and 1872 he was president of the latter. From 1856 to 1881, he was governmental council member of the canton Aargau. He spoke out for the complete equality for Jews in Surbtal. this ban was lifted in 1973.

In 1871, he was one of the founders of the Swiss Association of Liberal Catholics and was elected president of the synod council in 1875; in 1874 he co-founded the Christian Catholic Church of Switzerland.

A street in Lenzburg is named after him.