Abstract
Alfred Ilg (1854–1916) died more than one hundred years ago; nonetheless, the interest in his life and work still endures. There is indeed a growing wish to keep alive the memory of this great man from the Canton of Thurgau, one of the most important Swiss expatriates. The publication of this book by the Alfred Ilg Society is a step toward fulfilling this wish. This present work endeavors to trace Ilg’s life and philosophy, and so to commit his service to Ethiopia to memory. May Alfred Ilg be a role model for many young Swiss as someone who, from a simple family background, rose to great importance and played a decisive role during his long stay (1879–1906) in helping Ethiopia move towards a modern society under the King of Shoa, the later emperor Menilek II (1889–1909).
Biasio, Elisabeth