Rietmann (family)

The House of Rietmann (or von Rietmann) is an ancient protestant, ruling patrician Swiss family, with its earliest records dating back to the 13th century and most likely originating in Bischofszell, in the Canton of Thurgau. Over the centuries, its various branches established themselves in numerous Swiss cities, including Zurich, St. Gallen, Schaffhausen, and Basel.

Registered in the respective Bürgerbuch of these cities, the family was a historical member of the local patriciate, producing merchants, military leaders, public officials, and prominent figures within the civic guilds. From the 19th century onwards, some members emigrated beyond Switzerland’s borders, settling in centres such as Milan and even venturing as far as New Zealand.^{[1][2][3][4][5]}

Although the family’s naturalization in Bischofszell is documented as early as 1417, the first reliable reference dates to 1296, when a Burkard Rietmann appears in the registers of Zurich. Between the 14th and 15th centuries, several Rietmanns are recorded in the area stretching from Bischofszell to Wattwil, bound by oaths to the Counts of Toggenburg. In the centuries that followed, members of the family relocated first to Zurich, Schaffhausen, and Basel, and later to St. Gallen, where the Rietmanns would achieve their greatest political and economic prominence. One branch remained in Bischofszell, attained great wealth through trade in France.^[1][2][3][5]

The branch destined to become the most influential was that of St. Gallen. Around the year 1420, the Rietmanns moved from Rorschach to the city-republic. Initially they were closely tied to the Abbey of St. Gallen, they served the Prince Abbot as councillors, treasurers, bailiffs and received numerous fiefs. Later, the family obtained citizenship in 1499 through Hans Rietmann, formerly the bailiff (Vogt) of Rorschach Castle. This lineage became known as the Vogt line. A second branch from Bischofszell (citizens at least since 1420), known as Kudermann, was naturalized in 1538 and went extinct in 1837.^[4][3]

The family's activities prior to their relocation to St. Gallen are not entirely clear; however, there are mentions of the family in the area already in 1364 and as early as the 1421 several members are recorded as citizens of Bischofszell with rights over ecclesiastical estates and tithes. An Ulrich (Üli) Rietmann was an Imperial Count Palatine under Abbot Ulrich VIII^[6], and in 1421 was enfeoffed by the Abbot of St. Gallen with lands and revenues in Nieder-Arnegg.

In 1467, the brothers Hans and Üli Rietmann, sons of the late Üli, received properties and tithes in Nieder-Arnegg and Hüttenwil. Previously, in 1440 Hans already appered as the owner of estates in Begginen. Meanwhile, in 1470 Ulrich is recorderd in the Oath of the Councilors as a member of the Council of the Prince-Abbey of St. Gallen serving the great Abbot Ulrich Rösch and alongside high-ranking figures such as the Dean Konrad von Berneck and the Hofammann Rudolf von Steinach.

Once established in St. Gallen, between the 16th and 19th centuries, the Rietmanns continued serving the Abbot of St. Gallen and receiving fiefs however the main scope of the family changed. The Rietmanns became one of the city's ruling families, systematically holding offices at every level of the municipal government, military and local judiciary. Numerous members served as public officials, Vogts, merchants, and guild masters (Zunftmeister), particularly within the butchers' guild, but also in those of the blacksmiths and weavers. This allowed the family to maintain a nearly continuous presence over the centuries in the prestigious Notenstein Society, an association of the most influential and wealthy families, and the Small Council (Kleiner Rat), the city's most important governing body. St. Gallen was organised under a guild-based system in which the guilds assumed a primary political role, and the guild masters represented the majority of the Council members. On several occasions, the family succeeded being bestowed honorary weapons and securing the positions of Standard-bearer, Vice-Mayor and Mayor (Bürgermeister), the highest office in the city.^[2][7][3]

In 1509, Heinrich Rietmann is recorded as one of the four survivors of the 1495 mercenary expedition to Naples in the service of Charles VIII. This expedition involved 121 St. Gallen citizens led by Captain Kaspar Gnäpser.^[8][3]

The family played an active role in the Protestant Reformation in Eastern Switzerland through its members serving in the Reformed clergy, the city magistracies, and the militias. In June 1529, during the tensions preceding the Second War of Kappel, Heinrich Rietmann (known as Vogt) led a detachment of 105 militiamen sent by the St. Gallen Council to the Rhine border. Shortly thereafter, he took command of a 24-man garrison stationed to protect the city’s abbey.^[9]

This commitment to the city’s welfare continued in various forms over the following centuries. Michael Rietmann (1647–1726) became a benefactor of the city’s education system by funding local schools, while his grandson of the same name, Michael Rietmann (1782–1862), distinguished himself by promoting the scientific management of communal forests. By the late 19th century, the family’s impact shifted toward finance and infrastructure; Georg Karl Rietmann-Gruebler (1843–1899) served as the vice-president and co-founder of Unionbank and was a key advocate for the construction of the Mühlegg funicular.^[7][3][1]

Beyond politics and commerce, the Rietmanns left a significant mark on the cultural and social fabric of Switzerland. The spiritual and literary life of the region was shaped by the pastor and writer Johann Jakob Rietmann-Brändli (1815–1867), while the field of physical education was influenced by Jakob Arnold Rietmann (1846–1906). A goldsmith by trade, Jakob Arnold became nationally renowned as a gymnastics instructor for the influential exercise routines he composed.

The family also contributed to the hospitality industry, managing various local inns and hotels. Their visual legacy remains highly relevant today through the works of two notable artists: Johann Jakob Rietmann (1808–1868), a landscape painter and draftsman, and Otto Rietmann (1856–1942), a photographer whose documentation of the era is of lasting historical value.^[9][5][4]

In the 19th century, some branches moved beyond Swiss borders: commercial operators established offices in Galați (Romania), others settled in Milan, while travelers such as Otmar Laurenz Rietmann (1831–1869) reached Australia and New Zealand. Despite this dispersion, the surname remains deeply intertwined with the economic and political history of St. Gallen.^[3]

From the line that settled in Milan descended Hugo Eugen Rietmann, a textile entrepreneur and prominent figure in the early days of Italian football. Having moved to the Lombard capital in his youth and naturalized as Italian in 1920, he took part (as did his brother Max and sister Alice) on 9 March 1908 in the meeting at the Ristorante L’Orologio that led to the founding of the Foot-Ball Club Internazionale, where he also played as a midfielder during the 1909 season.^[10] After his playing career, he became a federal referee; in 1911 he contributed to the establishment of the of the Italian Referees’ Association (A.I.A.), with which he remained involved as a director for three decades, and refereed the Italian Top Division from 1911 to 1920. Most notably he refereed the Coppa Beretta-Rietmann in 1913, which Inter FC won, and served on Italy’s National team Technical Commission. At the same time, he managed a fine fabric and textile business located in Piazza della Scala N.4^[11][12], maintaining trade ties with Switzerland and helping introduce St. Gallen textile techniques into Lombardy’s industry. In 1948, the FIGC awarded him the title of “Pioneer of Italian Football.”^[13][3]

His grandson Ugo Rietmann carried on his entrepreneurial spirit, establishing himself as a director and CEO of various Italian and international companies, including Philips, Telecom Italia and Athena 2000 (Fininvest Group). In 1999 he was among the founding partners, directors and members of the Board of Fastweb. He currently serves as senior partner at the corporate consultancy ERA Group – Europe. He married Nob. Elena Bonzi, of the Counts Bonzi, with whom he had two sons: Alessandro and Federico.^[14][15]

The Rietmanns are recorded in Schaffhausen as early as 1392, when the family appears in the city’s first tax register. In 1575, a Johann Georg Rietmann formally obtained Burgerrecht (citizenship rights), securing their place within the Schaffhausen urban patriciate. Indeed, the family was part of the prestigious Merchants Guild.

Among its notable figures was Johannes Rietmann, who pursued a military career that culminated in his appointment as Field Marshal (the Ancien regime equivalent of a modern day General) in the service of the House of Savoy and was ennobled in 1734.^[16][17]

The Zurich branch originated through naturalization from Bischofszell between 1422 and 1434. They were part of the Watermen's Guild and the prestigious Böcken Society (one of the three aristocratic societies of Zurich). This line became extinct on March 28, 1723.^[7]

Over the centuries, the Rietmann family of St. Gallen established ties with numerous prominent houses, consolidating social and political relations between Switzerland and Italy. We know little of this information for the other branches.

• Zollikofer – a Swiss patrician merchant family, ennobled in the H.R.E., which became one of the leading Reformed families in Eastern Switzerland.^[3][18] Members of the Notenstein.
• Zili (Zyli) – a Swiss patrician merchant family from St. Gallen, the Zili became among the wealthiest in the 15th century, forged alliances with the city’s elites, played an important role in the Reformation and the Notenstein Society, and went on to found Wegelin & Co. bank.
• Högger – a family of Appenzell origin, known for the Höggersberg branch. In the 17th and 18th centuries, some members obtained noble titles in France and Sweden, founded banks, and held high diplomatic and military offices, also distinguishing themselves in St. Gallen’s political life.^[19] Members of the Notenstein.
• Huber – an ancient St. Gallen lineage, documented since the 14th century. Notable members include Uli Huber, who fell at Marignano (1515), and Ferdinand Fürchtegott Huber (1791–1863), a composer of great popularity in Switzerland. The family included mayors, clergymen, military officers, and key figures in the city’s cultural life.^[20]
• Scheitlin – a bourgeois family rooted in St. Gallen since the 16th century. It distinguished itself through prominent religious and academic figures, such as Peter Scheitlin (1779–1848), pastor and professor of philosophy and natural sciences, regarded as a reformer of St. Gallen’s cultural and social life.^[3]
• Locher – attested in St. Gallen as early as the 14th century, the family prospered through trade and allied with prestigious houses such as the Högger. Some descendants founded charitable institutions, while others held prominent political, military, and religious offices.^[3]
• Bonzi – a noble Lombard family, Counts of the Serio of Crema, with whom the Rietmann established ties in modern times after settling in Milan.^[21][22]

Other marriages connected the Rietmann with families such as Wild, Tobler, Wettach, Alther, Rheiner, Scherrer, Dürrler, Ehrenzeller, Schlegel, and Fehr, further expanding the network of relations of the house.^[3]

• Heinrich Rietmann (†1509): took part in the Swiss mercenary expedition to Naples in 1495, surviving as one of only four survivors among the 121 men from St. Gallen who set out.^[5]
• Ulrich Rietmann (?-?): served as deputy mayor (1597-1617) and master of the arsenal (1599-1606).
• Heinrich Rietmann (?-?): In 1633 became a member of the St. Gallen Society of Notenstein.
• Jakob Rietmann (?-?): Known as Vogt, in 1670 the entire Council of Banners bestowed an honorary sword upon in recognition of his merits.
• Michael Rietmann (1647–1726): a wealthy merchant and city councilor; he supported the schools of St. Gallen and served as treasurer.^[5]
• Johannes Rietmann (1679–1765): fought in the service of the Netherlands (1696–1703) and later of Piedmont (1703–1743), rising to the rank of field marshal by royal decree, thereby attaining the rank of general. He took part in the War of the Spanish Succession, the War of the Polish Succession, and the War of the Austrian Succession. In 1734, he was ennobled by the King of Sardinia.^[23][5][16]
• Hans Jacob Rietmann (1667–1756): served the city of St. Gallen as master of the weavers' guild, captain in the garrison troops, head of the Merchants' College, hospital administrator, deputy mayor (1725–1729), triennial mayor (1729–1756), imperial judicial officer and standard-bearer. He became mayor during a period of reform, during which he ordered the reorganization of the city's school oversight.^[5]
• Johannes Rietmann (“Trisch”) and his son Zacharias (†1830): gave their name to the inn and reading society “zum Trischli” in St. Gallen.^[5]
• J. J. Rietmann-Brändli (1815–1867): Protestant pastor, active mainly in Lichtensteig, known for his originality of thought and literary vitality.^[5]
• Georg Karl Rietmann-Gruebler (1843–1899): a highly capable entrepreneur, built his fortune in Galați, Romania, before returning to St. Gallen, where he held leadership positions in banking and commercial institutions.^[5]
• Michael Rietmann (1782–1862): made decisive contributions to the sustainable use of St. Gallen’s municipal forests; he served as forest administrator from 1819 to 1850 and remained on the forestry commission until his death.^[5]
• Hans Kaspar Rietmann (1717–1777): military chaplain in the French army with the Diesbach regiment, later a French language teacher at the St. Gallen gymnasium, and then pastor of the French Church (1767–1775).^[5]
• Hugo Eugen Rietmann (1886–1959): was a textile entrepreneur, footballer (one of the founders of Inter Milan), football referee (founder of the A.I.A.), and a Swiss-Italian naturalized coach, who played as a midfielder.^[5][13]

• Caspar Zili