Roland Jenzer

Roland Jenzer was born and raised in Bern, alongside four siblings. He served in the military during the 1940s, eventually being promoted to lieutenant in 1943, and finally to first lieutenant of the infantry by 1948. It was during this time that he met his wife, Alice Trüssel, and settled into a home with her in a suburb of Bern not too far from his parents. Jenzer apprenticed to become a druggist and clerk, attending schooling in Neuchâtel/Neuenberg. He eventually worked for over 30 years for Paul Eggimann AG in Thalwil, a chemical and pharmaceutical products company, during which time he traveled frequently around the country.

Jenzer was an active and founding member of the Berner Field Hockey Club, and one of the driving forces behind its inaugural meeting in July 1945, serving briefly as its president while in his early 20s and then as its treasurer. He was the club’s sole representative on the national team which competed at the 1948 Olympic Games in London; traveling by train to France then by ship to England, Jenzer would eventually play in two matches. The first was a tie against Afghanistan where he unfortunately missed a chance to score, with a moment too long of hesitation. He also played in the next match against the USA, a 3-1 victory for the Swiss team.

Jenzer retired from the sport in 1951 after the birth of his son, but remained active in field hockey circles. He founded the junior section of the Berner Hockey Club in 1955, and was made an honourary member of the Berner Hockey Club in 1959. He also was president of the Swiss Field Hockey Association’s technical commission from 1967 to 1972. Later in life, Jenzer became an avid golfer along with his son, playing at over 350 different courses around the world. He was also a keen philatelist and card player, meeting with old friends to play the game, Jass, up until his death in 2013 at the age of 92.