Switzerland AE medal Louis le Fort geneva consul 1734

Medal of Louis Le Fort, Consul of Geneva. The reverse legend means: By divine will, the rights of the citizens were affirmed in 1734.

Louis Le Fort (1668–1743) was a prominent member of the Republic of Geneva, born into a patrician family well established in trade, craftsmanship, and politics. Elected First Syndic (the equivalent of a consul or head of the executive council) in 1730 and again in 1734, he held a major executive role in the city-state. At that time, his duties included defending the rights of citizens against local aristocratic powers and overseeing municipal administration. The medal engraved in 1734 by Jean Dassier commemorates this very action. Louis Le Fort represents, in Geneva, the ideal of an enlightened magistrate working to preserve public liberties in the 18th century.