J. Jacques (Jean Jacques) Porchat

Born in 1800 near Geneva, Jean-Jacques Porchat was a Swiss chansonnier, poet, translator, jurist, and professor. He studied law in Lausanne and Paris, then taught at the Academy of Lausanne, where he held posts in Roman law, criminal law, and later Latin literature.

Alongside his academic work, he built a wide literary career. He translated Goethe’s complete works from German into French and also wrote poetry, fables, dramas, and books for younger readers. His best-known titles include Trois mois sous la neige (Three Months Under the Snow), a story admired for its clear storytelling and sense of endurance.

Porchat’s writing often feels practical, humane, and easy to enter, which helps explain why his work continued to circulate long after his lifetime. He died in Lausanne in 1864.