R. (Rudolf) Bommeli

Born in Berg, Thurgau, on May 26, 1859, Rudolf Bommeli trained as a teacher before studying natural sciences in Zurich. He was a student of Arnold Dodel, and from about 1890 he published popular science works with the socialist publisher Dietz in Stuttgart.

Sources agree that his materialist and socialist views made steady employment difficult. He lived in Geneva from 1891 to 1893, where he played an important role in the founding of the Geneva Social Democratic Party, and later served as a member of the Zurich Cantonal Council.

Bommeli is remembered as a Swiss author who wrote accessible books on the natural world, including works on earth history, prehistoric life, and plants. He died in Zurich on July 31, 1926.