Annelise Rüegg

She is remembered for two autobiographical publications: Erlebnisse einer Serviertochter (A Waitress's Experiences, 1914) and Im Kriege durch die Welt (Through the World in Wartime, 1918).

[1] After her father's early death, when she was 14 Rüegg had to contribute to the family's income by working in a factory and taking on other odd jobs.

In 1910, now 20, while working in Zürich's luxury hotel Baur au Lac she was attracted by social democracy but when she attempted to interest her colleagues in the cause, she was fired.

[6] From the income she received from her successful Erlebnisse einer Serviertochter published in 1914, she was able to travel to Colombo in Ceylon and to Australia before returning to Switzerland in 1915 during World War I.

After her biographical Weitere Erlebnisse was published in 1916 and Im Kriege durch die Welt in 1918, in 1920 she was able to travel to the Soviet Union where she met Lenin but the trip put an end to her political ambitions.