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Jonas Lauwiner

Jonas Lauwiner
King of Switzerland
self-proclaimed
Reign2019 – present
Coronation2019
Born (1994-09-15) September 15, 1994 (age 31)
Unterseen, Switzerland
FatherThomas Lauwiner
MotherHabiba El-Rhaib
Known forTaking ownership of a large area of Swiss land
Legally styling himself as King of Switzerland
Political party
König Jonas Lauwiner im Dienst für die Burgdorfer
Websiteen.empire-gov.com

Jonas Lauwiner (born September 15, 1994) is a Swiss politician and the self-styled "King of Switzerland".

He became known in the 2020s for having acquired a number of unowned plots in Switzerland and founding the symbolic "Lauwiner Empire".[1]

Early life

Jonas Lauwiner was born to a Valaisan father from the municipality of Ried-Mörel[2] and a Moroccan[3] mother. He is a citizen of Switzerland and Morocco.[4] He grew up in Bernese Oberland[5] and in the canton of Zug.[4]

Lauwiner completed an apprenticeship as an automation technician, with further education in business administration.[6] He has worked as an IT manager for an American pharmaceutical company.[5][7]

Political career

In 2024, Lauwiner was elected to the Burgdorf legislature.[8] However, he failed to be elected as mayor of the municipality.[9][10]

Lauwiner was a candidate in March 2026 for the Grand Council and Executive Council of Bern.[8][needs update]

Land ownership

Lauwiner's interest in land ownership began when for his birthday, he received a 840m2 plot of land in the canton of Valais from his father.[6] When he tried to buy the neighboring plot a few years later, he discovered in the land registry that it was classified as an ownerless property.[2] He became the owner through usucaption and began searching for other ownerless properties.

Lauwiner Empire

"Fascinated by kingdoms", Lauwiner founded the symbolic "Lauwiner Empire" on the lands he acquired.[11] In 2019, he organised a coronation ceremony in the Nydeggkirche in Bern. Lauwiner mints his own currency, the Lauwiner Imperial Vellar. He has organised the Lauwiner Empire Legion, which describes itself as mainly conducting trainings and peacetime operations, and promises to defend Switzerland in time of war.[11][12] Lauwiner owns several antique cannons,[13] as well as a former German armoured vehicle.[14] He has established a "palace" in a former paint factory in Oberburg,[4] located on a 5,800m2 polluted plot of land.[6][5] The empire is purely symbolic,[15] and does not claim independence from Switzerland.[4][5]

Lauwiner refers to his acquisitions as "campaigns". The first acquisition was in 2021, when Lauwiner acquired 50 plots of land.[5] He has since continued such acquisitions. As of 2025, Jonas Lauwiner owned 149 plots and 83 roads, measuring at 114,000m2, spread across 9 cantons,[4] primarily in Valais and Bern, but also in Lucerne and Schwyz.[16][2] His acquisitions were hampered in Lower Valais[2] and the canton of Fribourg.[17]

Controversy

Lauwiner has monetised his acquisitions. He has leased forests to forestry companies, or granted them harvesting rights in exchange for maintenance.[18] He has also decided to charge tolls on the roads he owns,[19] which has sparked outrage in the canton of Lucerne, affecting the residents of two villages.[20][21] Lauwiner defended himself, citing maintenance costs and the legality of his approach. In 2025, several officials appealed to the government of Lucerne, asking it to find a solution. This brought Lauwiner considerable media attention.[22] He has also offered Burgdorf that he would sell a street for CHF 120,000, or donate it if it were renamed "Lauwinerstraße".[a][23]

Notes

  1. ^ Translated literally: "Lauwiner Street"

References

  1. ^ "The King of Switzerland". Der König der Schweiz. Retrieved 2026-05-06.
  2. ^ a b c d Justin Grept (2 August 2025). "Comment le «Roi de Suisse» a construit un «empire» en Valais". Le Nouvelliste (in French). Retrieved 2 August 2025.
  3. ^ Boris Busslinger (14 July 2025). "Le «roi de Suisse» commence à fatiguer les cantons de Suisse centrale". Le Temps (in French). Retrieved 30 July 2025.
  4. ^ a b c d e Moritz Marthaler (6 April 2025). "Il se prend pour le roi de Suisse". 24 heures (in French). Translated by Emmanuelle Stevan. Retrieved 30 July 2025.
  5. ^ a b c d e René Haenig (23 June 2025). "Zu Besuch bei Jonas Lauwiner, dem selbst ernannten König der Schweiz". Schweizer Illustrierte (in Swiss High German). Retrieved 2025-07-30.
  6. ^ a b c Stephan Künzi (26 March 2022). "Der König der herrenlosen Grundstücke". Der Bund (in German). Retrieved 30 July 2025.
  7. ^ Moritz Marthaler (2025-04-11). "Qui est Jonas Lauwiner, ce trentenaire qui se prend pour le roi de Suisse?". Le Figaro (in French). Retrieved 30 July 2025.
  8. ^ a b Alexandre Steiner (13 February 2026). "Le roi qui veut être ministre". Le Temps (in French).
  9. ^ Markus Hofer (3 September 2024). "Der «König von Burgdorf» fordert Stadtpräsident Stefan Berger heraus". D’Region (in German). Retrieved 30 July 2025.
  10. ^ "In der Ticker-Übersicht: Alle Gemeindewahlen und Abstimmungen im Kanton Bern: Burgdorf: Der «König» regiert doch noch mit – im Stadtrat". Berner Zeitung (in German). 14 November 2024. Retrieved 30 July 2025.
  11. ^ a b Walder, Samuel (2022-01-14). "Ce Zougois, empereur, part à la conquête de la Suisse". Blick (in Swiss French). Translated by Jocelyn Daloz. Retrieved 2025-07-30.
  12. ^ "The Lauwiner Empire Legion". Lauwiner Empire.
  13. ^ "Skurril! 27-Jähriger lässt sich in der Schweiz zum König krönen". RTL (Germany) (in German). 10 March 2022. Retrieved 30 July 2025.
  14. ^ "Il s'est autoproclamé «roi de Suisse» et il agrandit son empire". Watson (in French). Translated by Léon Dietrich. 3 April 2025. Retrieved 30 July 2025.
  15. ^ Jonas Lang (2025). "Das «Lauwiner Empire» und die Bürokratie". HKB-Zeitung (in German). Retrieved 30 July 2025.
  16. ^ Julien Guillaume (28 July 2025). "Autoproclamé "roi de Suisse", il agace les élus avec ses pratiques foncières". RTS Info (in French). Retrieved 30 July 2025.
  17. ^ Martin, Victoria (29 July 2025). "Fribourg résiste à Jonas Lauwiner. Voici pourquoi le «roi de Suisse» n'a pas réussi à s'approprier de terrain dans le canton". La Liberté (in French). Retrieved 30 July 2025.
  18. ^ Spring, Rebecca (16 January 2022). "Voici comment acquérir un terrain gratuitement en Suisse". Blick (in Swiss French). Translated by Daniella Gorbunova. Retrieved 4 August 2025.
  19. ^ Nadler, Marian (3 June 2025). "Le «roi de la Suisse» vole une route aux Lucernois". Blick (in Swiss French). Retrieved 30 July 2025.
  20. ^ Perucchi, Alessandro (6 June 2025). "Lucernois, attention: le roi Jonas Lauwiner va vous taxer!". Blick (in Swiss French). Retrieved 30 July 2025.
  21. ^ Schaffner, Joschka (4 July 2025). "La méthode du «roi de Suisse» indigne la politique". Blick (in Swiss French). Retrieved 30 July 2025.
  22. ^ Dugalic, Jaschar (10 April 2025). "Der «König der Schweiz». Auf den Spuren der Medienfigur Jonas Lauwiner". Neue Zürcher Zeitung (in Swiss High German). Retrieved 30 July 2025.
  23. ^ Enderli, Janine (26 April 2023). "«L'Empereur» revient et achète des rues dans le canton de Berne". Blick (in Swiss French). Translated by Luca Baume. Retrieved 30 July 2025.

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