From 1848 to 1888, the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) was officially called the “Political Department”. In 1888, it was renamed the “Federal Department of Foreign Affairs”; in 1896, it reverted to the name “Political Department”. It obtained its current name in 1979.

 

2003-2011	Micheline Calmy-Rey
1999-2002	Joseph Deiss
1994-1999	Flavio Cotti
1988-1993	René Felber
1978-1987	Pierre Aubert
1970-1978	Pierre Graber
1966-1970	Willy Spühler
1961-1965	Friedrich Traugott Wahlen
1945-1961	Max Petitpierre
1940-1944	Marcel Pilet-Golaz
1920-1940	Giuseppe Motta
1918-1919	Felix-Louis Calonder
1917	Gustave Ador
1914-1917	Arthur Hoffmann
1913	Eduard Müller
1912	Ludwig Forrer
1911	Marc-Emile Ruchet
1910	Robert Comtesse
1909	Adolf Deucher
1908	Ernst Brenner
1907	Eduard Müller
1906	Ludwig Forrer
1905	Marc-Emile Ruchet
1904	Robert Comtesse
1903	Adolf Deucher
1902	Joseph Zemp
1901	Ernst Brenner
1900	Walter Hauser
1899	Eduard Müller
1898	Eugène Ruffy
1897	Adolf Deucher
1893-1896	Adrien Lachenal
1887-1892	Numa Droz
1886	Adolf Deucher
1885	Karl Schenk
1884	Emil Welti
1883	Antoine Louis Ruchonnet
1882	Simeon Bavier
1881	Numa Droz
1880	Emil Welti
1879	Bernhard Hammer
1878	Karl Schenk
1877	Joachim Heer
1876	Emil Welti
1875	Johann Jakob Scherer
1874	Karl Schenk
1873	Paul Ceresole
1872	Emil Welti
1871	Karl Schenk
1870	Jakob Dubs
1869	Emil Welti
1868	Jakob Dubs
1867	Constant Fornerod
1866	Melchior Josef Martin Knüsel
1865	Karl Schenk
1864	Jakob Dubs
1863	Constant Fornerod
1862	Jakob Stämpfli
1861	Melchior Josef Martin Knüsel
1860	Friedrich Frey-Herosé
1859	Jakob Stämpfli
1858	Jonas Furrer
1857	Constant Fornerod
1856	Jakob Stämpfli
1855	Jonas Furrer
1854	Friedrich Frey-Herosé
1853	Wilhelm Matthias Naeff
1852	Jonas Furrer
1851	Martin J. Munzinger
1850	Daniel-Henri Druey
1848-1849	Jonas Furrer