Anna Kunz
Anna Kunz | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | July 13, 1889 Aargau, Switzerland |
| Died | August 10, 1973 Berne, Switzerland |
| Other names | Anna Bolliger |
| NSA member | Italy & Switzerland 1953 - 1962 Switzerland 1962 - 1969 |
Anna Kunz (July 13, 1889 - August 10, 1973) was a Swiss Bahá’í who helped establish the Bahá’í community of Switzerland and served on the National Spiritual Assembly of Italy and Switzerland and the independent National Spiritual Assembly of Switzerland.
Biography[edit]
Kunz ws born Anna Bolliger in Aargau, Switzerland, in 1889. Her father, Adolph Bolliger, was a Reverend of the Reformed Church and she had nine younger siblings. In her childhood her father was appointed a Professor of Theology at the University of Basel, ultimately becoming president of the University, and she was raised in Basel. After graduating high school she wanted to attend university but instead studied at a home economics seminary in Berne at her fathers direction and became a teacher at it after graduating.[1]
In 1913 Anna married Dr. Jakob Kunz, a Swiss physicist who worked at the University of Illinois in America, and she moved to the United States with him settling in Urbana, Illinois. They had two daughters, Annamarie and Margaret, while living in Urbana. In approximately 1914 the Kunz's attended a talk on the Bahá’í Faith and they enrolled in a study class facilitated by Albert Vail on the religion and they declared after a short time.[1]
In 1921 the Kunz's went on pilgrimage to the Holy Land and met ‘Abdu’l-Bahá who revealed a prayer for their daughters.[1] After their pilgrimage Kunz was elected to the Local Spiritual Assembly of Urbana and she served on the body for several years often being elected chairman and as a delegate to the National Convention. She studied a typing course in 1939 for the purposes of improving her ability to serve on the Assembly.[2]
In the 1940's Kunz, now a widow after her husbands passing in 1938, informed Shoghi Effendi that she was willing to pioneer and in 1947 she returned to Switzerland.[2] She assisted with successful efforts to establish the Local Spiritual Assembly of Berne then returned to Urbana in 1949. After living in the United States for a time she wrote to Shoghi Effendi to ask whether she should remain in America or return to Switzerland and after a lengthy period she received a reply advising her to return to Switzerland as soon as possible.[3]
In October 1952 Kunz pioneered to Switzerland again settling in Zurich, and in 1953 she was elected the inaugural secretary of the National Spiritual Assembly of Italy and Switzerland and moved from Zurich to Berne at the request of Shoghi Effendi. She planned to go on pilgrimage at some point to meet with Shoghi Effendi however she was unable to do so before he passed in 1957. She attended his funeral in London, England. In 1962 the independent National Spiritual Assembly of Switzerland was formed and she was elected to it as secretary, and in 1963 she attended the First International Convention in the Holy Land to cast a vote in the establishment of the Universal House of Justice. It was the first time she had visited the Holy Land since 1921.[3]
In 1969 Kunz retired from the National Spiritual Assembly of Switzerland as her health was in decline. She suffered several illnesses in her later years and moved into a nursing home where she passed in her sleep in 1973. The Universal House of Justice conveyed the following message after her passing:
DEEPLY GRIEVED PASSING ANNA KUNZ STEAD FAST DISTINGUISHED HANDMAID BAHAULLAH HER ASSOCIATIONS BELOVED MASTER DEVOTED PIONEERING SERVICES EUROPE OVER EXTENDED PERIOD UNFORGETTABLE . . .[3]
References[edit]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (1978). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 16 (1973-1976), Pg(s) 520. View as PDF.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (1978). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 16 (1973-1976), Pg(s) 521. View as PDF.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (1978). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 16 (1973-1976), Pg(s) 522. View as PDF.
