Read more
In their first novel, Gottfried and Andrea von Siebenthal recount the fascinating true story of Emilie Steffen-von Siebenthal (1846 -1922) in a fact-filled and imaginative way: Born in Gstaad into a poor family of 14 children, Emilie, like many other people from the region, leaves her home as a young woman in search of a better life. After several years in Geneva and Paris, she returns to her home. As a baker's wife, she becomes an important person in the village and, unwillingly, a key figure in the village fire that destroys half the village in 1898 and changes the lives of those involved forever. Against all odds, she becomes a formative figure in the village as tourism begins to flourish - "Madame Gstaad".
About the author
Gottfried von Siebenthal (IV) was born in 1946 in his parents’ house on Gstaad square. As a long-time businessman in the family enterprise and local politician, he has witnessed Gstaad’s history and played a decisive role in shaping it. Since childhood, the local historian has been a passionate collector of old photos and stories from “his” village. This has resulted in three richly illustrated books on the history of Gstaad, which have been translated into several languages. Gottfried von Siebenthal and his wife Katharina Imhof from Liestal have four children and nine grandchildren.Andrea von Siebenthal was born in 1979 as the second child of Gottfried and Katharina von Siebenthal in Saanen. She holds a master’s degree in International Conflict Journalism and worked as a journalist and television presenter before spending several years managing communications for an international humanitarian organisation in Geneva. Andrea von Siebenthal now works as a documentary filmmaker, communications consultant and translator. She has two grown-up daughters.
