Metadata: Estate of Sigi Feigel
Collection
- Country:
- Switzerland
- Holding institution:
- Archives of Contemporary History at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich
- Holding institution (official language):
- Archiv für Zeitgeschichte der ETH Zürich
- Postal address:
- Hirschengraben 62, CH-8092 Zurich
- Phone number:
- +41 44 632 40 03
- Web address:
- https://www.afz.ethz.ch/
- Email:
- afz@history.gess.ethz.ch
- Reference number:
- NL Sigi Feigel
- Title:
- Estate of Sigi Feigel
- Title (official language):
- Nachlass Sigi Feigel
- Creator/accumulator:
- Feigel, Sigi
- Date(s):
- 1910/2004
- Language:
- German
- French
- English
- Italian
- Extent:
- 3.25 shelf metres
- Type of material:
- Textual material
- Photographic images
- Audio
- Physical condition:
- good
- Scope and content:
- The collection of Sigi Feigel mainly contains textual documents such as correspondence, newspaper articles and official documents, but there are also photos and recordings of radio interviews.
- Archival history:
- Most of the holdings were delivered to the AfZ in 2005 through the mediation of Dr. Eric Teitler. In 2005 to 2008 and 2011 smaller deliveries followed.
- Administrative/biographical history:
-
Sigmund “Sigi” Feigel was born in Zurich on 15 May 1921 and died on 28 August 2004 in Zurich. He was one of three children of Leo Feigel, a linen salesman from Beresow (Russia), and Tema Feigel, née Capitancik. From 1933 to 1939, Feigel attended the cantonal school in Lucerne, then served in the army, and studied jurisprudence at the University of Zurich. In 1949, he married Eva Heim and successfully completed his dissertation ‘Erziehungszweck im schweizerischen Strafvollzug’ (Educational purposes in the Swiss penitentiary system). That same year, Feigel took over his father-in-law’s clothing factory H. & A. Heim AG, which he sold in 1977. In 1983, Feigel passed the bar exam and opened a law firm in Zurich together with Jacques Schlegel.
From 1962 to 1964, he was president of the Augustin Keller-Loge (Bnai Brith) and from 1972 to 1987 president of the Israelitische Cultusgemeinde Zürich (ICZ; Jewish Community of Zurich). He introduced the women's right to vote in the ICZ and sought to open up the community. In 1987, he became ICZ honorary president and from 1984 to 1996 Feigel was a member of the executive board of the Swiss Federation of Jewish Communities (SIG). On his initiative, various institutions and associations were founded during these years: the “Society for Minorities in Switzerland“ (GMS, 1975), the “Commission Teaching Materials for Minorities“ in 1978 (subsequently “Education toward Tolerance Foundation“), the “Foundation against Racism and Antisemitism“ (GRA, 1982), the “Association for Youth Residential Assistance“ (1983) and the “Community to Support the Solidarity Switzerland Foundation“ (1998). In 1991, Feigel became co-president of the “Yes to Antiracism Act“ task force and cofounder of the “Parliamentary Group against Xenophobia and Racism“ in 1993. In 1992, together with Nanny Fischhof, he founded the Fischhof Prize and from 1999 he was a member of the Swiss Press Council.
In the context of his commitment against racism and antisemitism, Feigel received various awards, including the Prix Courage in 1994, awarded by the Group of Christian Entrepreneurs. In 1998, Feigel was awarded a honorary doctorate from the faculty of law of the University of Zurich. From 1991 to 1994, he actively participated in the vote for the provision on racism (Art. 261 of the Penal Code; also known as the Anti-Racism Act). He also shaped the debates on Switzerland's refugee policy during the Second World War, on dormant assets and the demands for reparations in the 1990s, including the Bergier Commission and the Volcker Commission.
- Access points: locations:
- Switzerland
- Subject terms:
- Antisemitism
- Personal records
- Access, restrictions:
- Partially restricted. Subject to application.
- Finding aids:
- An online finding aid is available.
- Links to finding aids:
- http://onlinearchives.ethz.ch/
- Yerusha Network member:
- Jewish Museum Hohenems
- Author of the description:
- Severin Holzknecht; Jewish Museum of Hohenems; 2019
