Swiss jurist (1893–1970)
Zaccaria Giacometti (26 September 1893 – 10 August 1970) was a Swiss scholar of constitutional law and professor at the University of Zurich.
Biography
Early life in the giacometti artist family
Zaccaria Giacometti was born in the canton Graubünden's southerly alpine valley Val Bregaglia to Zaccaria Giacometti, Sr. (1856-1897) and Cornelia Stampa (1868-1905). Orphaned at the age of 12, Zaccaria and his older brother Cornelio spent much of their childhood in the household of their aunt Anetta, and were raised as "older brothers“, so to speak, to their cousins (and later world-famous artists) Alberto Giacometti (1901–1966), Diego Giacometti (1902-1985), and Bruno Giacometti (1907-2012).
After visiting boarding school in Schiers and obtaining his Matura Diploma, Giacometti, interested in Theology and Philosophy, set out initially to study Philosophy.
Studies
In April 1914, Giacometti enrolled at Faculty of Philosophy of the University of Basel, but soon thereafter enrolled at the Law Faculty in winter term 1915/16.
After a transfer to the University of Zurich in 1916, he concluded his studies there by obtaining a doctoral degree in law (Dr. iur.) in 1919 under the supervision of his mentor Fritz Fleiner (1867-1937).
University of Zurich
After serving in the Justice Department of the Federal Department of Justice and Police of Switzerland, Giacometti assisted Fleiner in the conclusion of his standard reference book on Swiss constitutional law. In 1927, he was appointed as Professor extraordinarius for public law and canon law at the University of Zurich. After acting as Dean of the Law Faculty for two years, Giacometti succeeded his mentor Fleiner and was appointed Professor ordinarius. In the years 1954/55, he was chancellor of the University of Zurich. In 1960, Giacometti fell ill and retired from his post. In 1962 he was awarded an honorary doctorate by the University of St. Gallen, but was unable to attend the ceremony due to his bad health.[1]
On 10 August 1970, Giacometti died in Zurich. He was buried in his native Val Bregaglia in Borgonovo.
Giacometti’s heirs subsequently donated the Professor’s scientific library to the law library at the University of Zurich[2]
Work
In his work as professor, Giacometti was a staunch defender of the rule of law and democracy. His liberal views on political philosophy were based on the writings of Immanuel Kant, and, to a lesser degree, on Hans Kelsen's neo-Kantianism.[3]
This was most apparent in Giacometti's strong criticism of the state of emergency declared by the Swiss government and the ensuing legislation during the interwar period.[4] During this time, Giacometti regarded the Swiss Confederation as an authoritarian state with totalitarian tendencies.[5]
