History

The first Consulate of Switzerland was established in Auckland in 1912. It was moved to Wellington in 1937 and from then on had a career consular officer at its head. In 1955, it was upgraded to a Consulate General with a diplomat heading the post. Switzerland and New Zealand established diplomatic relations in 1962. A Swiss Embassy was opened in Wellington in 1963, with a diplomatic Chargé d’affaires. The Ambassador in Canberra was then also accredited to New Zealand. The Consulate in Auckland was reestablished in 1966 with an Honorary Consul in charge. The first Swiss resident Ambassador came to New Zealand in 1969.

Today, the Ambassador of Switzerland serves also as envoy to Fiji, Samoa, Tonga, Tuvalu and the Cook Islands as well as Consul General to American Samoa. There are Consulates General in Fiji and Samoa with an Honorary Consul General in charge. 

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Wellington

   

Walter Schmid

1937 – 1946

Consul

Ernst Theiler

1946 – 1949

Consul

Henri Blanchard

1949 – 1955

Consul

Pierre Aubaret

1955 – 1959

Consul General

Oscar Rossetti

1959 – 1963

Consul General

Jean-Pierre Weber

1963 – 1967

Chargé d’affaires

Paul Erb

1967 – 1969

Chargé d’affaires

Max Corti

1969 – 1974

Ambassador

Fritz Adams

1975 – 1979

Chargé d’affaires

Walter Sollberger

1979 – 1982

Chargé d’affaires

Ivan Etienne

1982 – 1987

Chargé d’affaires

Fridolin Wyss

1987 – 1989

Chargé d’affaires

Michael von Schenck

1989 – 1993

Ambassador

Ernst Thurnheer

1993 – 1996

Ambassador

Walter Simmen

1995 – 2000

Chargé d’affaires

Silvie Matteucci

2000 – 2005

Ambassador

Beat Nobs

2005 – 2010

Ambassador

Marion Weichelt

2010 – 2014

Ambassador

David Vogelsanger

2014 – 2019

Ambassador

Michael Winzap

2019 – 2022

Ambassador

Viktor Vavricka

2022 – 

Ambassador

Auckland

 

 

Georg Streiff 1912 – 1917  Honorary Consul 
Walter John Pugh  1917 – 1918  Honorary Consul 
J. A. C. Allum  1926 – 1933  Consular Agent 
Albert Blau  1933 – 1936  Consular Agent  

Ernest Merz

1966 – 1970

Consular Agent

Arthur Müller

1970 – 1994

Honorary Consul

Peter Deutschle

1994 – 2018

Honorary Consul
Adrian Blaser 2019 –  Honorary Consul
     

Suva (Fiji)

 

 

Rolf Gfeller

2012 –

Honorary Consul General

     

Apia (Samoa)

 

 

Marco Kappenberger

2007 – 2012

Honorary Consul General

Sylvie Salanoa

2013 –

 

Honorary Consul General

     

Nuku’alofa (Kingdom of Tonga)

 

 

Carl Henry Sanft

2017 – 

Honorary Consul General