Ulrich Kiebler

Born in 1864 and originally from Eberhardzell in Württemberg, Ulrich Kiebler trained as a gardener in Bad Ragaz. He went on to spend much of his working life in Switzerland, where he taught fruit, vine, and vegetable growing at the Plantahof agricultural school from 1896 to 1928. He also founded a commercial gardening business in Poschiavo.

Kiebler was active in agricultural circles as a member of the Swiss Alpine Farming Association and a contributor to its Alpwirtschaftliche Monatsblätter. His background in horticulture and rural education gave him a close, practical knowledge of everyday farming life.

That experience shapes his best-known book, Aus Berg und Tal: Charakterbilder aus dem schweizer. Bauernleben, a collection of character-driven pieces about Swiss rural life. Rather than writing from a distance, he drew on the people, landscapes, and working traditions he knew firsthand, which gives his work an easy authenticity and a strong sense of place.