Transcript for Andrew Jenson, "Swiss and German Mission," Encyclopedic History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Salt Lake City: Deseret News Publishing Co., 1941), 853-54
SWISS AND GERMAN MISSION (The) comprises the Republic of Switzerland and the west half of Germany, or that part of the German Republic lying west of an imaginary line, commencing a little east of Rostock (on the shore of the Baltic) and running thence north to and southward along the German-Austrian border in the south. The mission contains (1930) 16 organized branches of the Church, namely, Basel, Bern and Zurich in Switzerland, and Bielefeld, Bremen, Cologne, Frankfurt a. M., Hamburg, Hanover, Kassel, Karlsruhe, Munich, NÃ¼rnberg, Ruhr, Stuttgart and Schlesvig-Holstein in Germany. For many years the Swiss and German Mission represented the German-speaking people of the European continent.
At the commencement of 1868 the name of the Swiss, Italian and German Mission was changed to Swiss and German Mission, there being only one branch of the Church at that time in Italy. Joseph S. Home, president of the mission before the change of name took place, continued to preside until June, 1868, when he returned home in charge of a large company of emigrating saints. He was succeeded by Karl G. Maeser. At the close of 1868 the mission contained 13 branches, namely, 9 in Switzerland, 2 in Germany, 1 in Italy and 1 in France, with a total Church membership of 538. Four Elders from Zion were laboring in the mission at that time and the missionary work in Germany appeared most hopeful. On Jan. 1, 1869, the first number of "Der Stern," a 16-page monthly periodical in the German language, was commenced in the interest of the Church in Zurich by Karl G. Maeser. This magazine (later published semi-monthly) has had a continued existence ever since.
In 1883 an attempt was made to open up missionary work in Austria and Hungary. Previously (in 1865) an effort had been made by Elders Orson Pratt and Wm. W. Riter to preach the gospel in Vienna, but with no success, owing to religious intolerance. In 1883, however, Elders Thomas Biesinger and Paul E. B. Hammer were sent to Vienna to labor under the jurisdiction of the Swiss and German Mission. Elder Hammer baptized a few converts in Vienna (Austria) and Elder Biesinger labored in Prague (Hungary), with some success, until he was imprisoned for preaching and banished from the country.
At the close of 1887 the Swiss and German Mission consisted of six conferences, namely, Bern, Jura, Central Swiss, and East Swiss in Switzerland, and the North German and the South German conferences in Germany. There were 26 organized branches of the Church in the mission, with a total Church membership of 717. Continued emigration had broken up some of the branches, and today. (1930) Swiss and German saints and their descendants are occupying many positions of responsibility in the Church in the various stakes where they have located in their adopted country. In 1896 Elder Andrew Jenson visited the mission in the interest of Church history.
At the close of 1897 the Swiss and German Mission was divided, and two missions (the German and the Swiss) were operated in each country separately until May 22, 1904, when the two missions were again amalgamated. At that time there were 15 organized branches of the Church in Switzerland and 18 in Germany, with a total Church membership of 1,634. Elder Hugh J. Cannon, who had presided over the German Mission, was chosen to preside over the amalgamated Swiss and German Mission.
On May 7, 1925, the east part of Germany was separated from the Swiss and German Mission to form, with the addition of Austria, a new mission to be called the German-Austrian Mission. Of the sixteen conferences previously comprised within the limits of the Swiss and German Mission, eight, namely, Hamburg, Hanover, Cologne, Frankfurt a. M., Stuttgart, Basel, Zurich and Bern were retained with an approximate membership of 5,300. The other eight conferences, with a membership of 6,125, were transferred to the German-Austrian Mission.
On Dec. 31, 1930, the Swiss and German Mission had a membership of 6,222, including 1 High Priest, 148 Elders, 204 Priests, 171 Teachers, 344 Deacons, 5,550 lay members and 804 children; 148 Elders from Zion and one missionary sister were laboring in the mission.
Following is a list of the presidents of the Swiss and German Mission: Joseph S. Horne, Jan. to June, 1868; Karl G. Maeser, 1868; Edward Schoenfeld, 1870-1872; John Huber, 1872-1874; John U. Stucki, 1874-1876; Joseph S. Horne (2nd term), 1876-1877; Henry Flamm, 1877-1879; Serge L. Ballif, 1879-1881; John Alder, 1881-1882; Peter F. Goss, 1882-1883; John Q. Cannon, 1883-1884; Fredrich W. Schoenfeld, 1884-1888; John U. Stucki (2nd term), 1888-1890; Theodore Brandley, 1890-1891; John J. Schaerrer, 1891-1894; John Henry Stocker, Feb. to May, 1894; George C. Naegle, 1894-1897; Peter Loutensock, Jan. to Dec., 1897; Hugh J. Cannon, 1904-1906; Serge F. Ballif, 1905-1909; Thomas E. McKay, 1909-1912; Hyrum W. Valentine, 1912-1916; Angus J. Cannon, 1916-1921; Serge F. Ballif (2nd term), 1921-1923; Fred Tadje, 1923-1926; Hugh J. Cannon (2nd term), 1926-1928, and Fred Tadje (2nd term), 1928-1931.