{{Short description|Swiss publisher (1951–2025)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=March 2025}} {{Infobox person | name = Ellen Ringier | birth_name = Ellen Renée Lüthy | birth_date = {{Birth date|1951|12|07|df=y}} | birth_place = Lucerne, Switzerland | death_date = {{Death date and age|2025|03|19|1951|12|07|df=y}} | death_place = Zurich, Switzerland | citizenship = Swiss | occupation = Philanthropist, socialite, publisher, film producer, attorney | spouse = {{marriage|Michael Ringier|1976}} | children = 2 }}

'''Ellen Renée Ringier''' (née '''Lüthy'''; 7 December 1951 – 19 March 2025) was a Swiss philanthropist, socialite, publisher, film producer, and attorney. She was married to Michael Ringier, who is the chairman of the Ringier publishing company, and a member of the Ringier family.

== Early life and education == Ellen Renée Lüthy was born 7 December 1951 in Lucerne, Switzerland to Viktor Lüthy (1924–1998), a furrier, art collector and patron, and Harriet Lüthy (née Hock).<ref>{{Cite web |title=Hommage an Viktor Lüthy (1924–1998) {{!}} Kunstmuseum Luzern |url=https://www.kunstmuseumluzern.ch/en/exhibitions/hommage-an-viktor-luethy-1924-1998/ |access-date=22 September 2024 |website=www.kunstmuseumluzern.ch/en/ |language=en-US}}</ref> Her mother was born to an Austrian mother and English father who all fled to London, England during World War II.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ellenringier {{!}} Golf Engadin St. Moritz |url=https://www.engadin-golf.ch/en/ellenringier |access-date=22 September 2024 |website=www.engadin-golf.ch}}</ref> She had two younger sisters; Janet Briner (née Lüthy) and Kay Lüthy.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Neue Zürcher Zeitung 12. August 1998 — e-newspaperarchives.ch |url=https://www.e-newspaperarchives.ch/?a=d&d=NZZ19980812-01.2.14.1&srpos=1&e=------199-de-20--1--img-txIN-Viktor+L%C3%BCthy-------0----- |access-date=22 September 2024 |website=www.e-newspaperarchives.ch |language=de}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web | title=Archived copy | url=https://www.rosengart.ch/images/content/Guebelin_Deeply_Inspired_PortraitJanetBriner_EN.pdf | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210125124210/http://www.rosengart.ch/images/content/Guebelin_Deeply_Inspired_PortraitJanetBriner_EN.pdf | archive-date=2021-01-25}}</ref>

Ringier was born into a well-established family. The Lüthy family, was originally from Wohlen, Aargau, and settled in Lucerne at the end of the 19th century becoming active in fur manufacturing and trading at the Weinmarkt.<ref>{{Cite web | title=PA 212/3 Pelzgeschäft und Haus am Weinmarkt, Undatiert.1959, 1959 (ca.) (Archiveinheit) | url=https://query-staatsarchiv.lu.ch/detail.aspx?ID=1271109 | access-date=2025-08-14 | website=query-staatsarchiv.lu.ch}}</ref> Her great-great-grandfather was Rudolf-Alois Kauffmann, colloquially Alois Kauffmann (1804–1889), who was a butcher of Austrian descent, who became a real estate speculator and landowner.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Hirschmatt-Neustadt Luzern :: Rudolf-Alois Kauffmann |url=https://www.hirschmatt-neustadt.ch/de/neustadtplan/hirschmatt/rudolf-alois-kauffmann/ |access-date=22 September 2024 |website=www.hirschmatt-neustadt.ch}}</ref> His estate was valued at 1,109,676.86 Swiss Francs (adjusted for inflation roughly 310 Million Swiss Francs in 2025).<ref>p. 8 / 16 (Chronik Kauffmann von Luzern LU)

https://www.kauffmannag.ch/wAssets/docs/Chronik-Kauffmann.pdf</ref>

She studied law at the University of Zurich completing her Juris Doctor (''Promotion'') under Manfred Rehbinder in 1980. Subsequently, she started working as an auditor at the regional court.{{citation needed|date=February 2026}}

== Activities == Ringier was committed to the areas of culture, anti-racism, women, and scouting. She worked with the Humanitas Foundation and served as the president of the board of the Museum Haus Konstruktiv in Zurich for 13 years. In 2001, she founded the Elternsein Foundation, which publishes the parenting magazine Fritz + Fränzi. According to Ringier, this magazine aims to raise awareness of parenting tasks among both parents and the general population. Additionally, she was a co-producer of the documentary ''#Female Pleasure'' directed by Barbara Miller.{{citation needed|date=September 2024}}

== Personal life and death == In 1976, she married Michael Ringier (born 1949), the youngest son of Hans Ringier (1906–2003) and Eva Ringier (née Landolt; 1914–1996). Hans Ringier was then the sole proprietor of the Ringier publishing company and member of the Ringier family.<ref>{{Cite web |date=7 December 2016 |title=Ellen Ringier: "Disziplin war alles. Und Sport" |url=https://www.fritzundfraenzi.ch/blog/ellen-ringier-disziplin-war-alles-und-sport/ |access-date=22 September 2024 |website=Das Schweizer ElternMagazin Fritz+Fränzi |language=de-DE}}</ref> They had two daughters, Lilly (born 1991)<ref>{{Cite web |title=Michael Ringier |url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm10370443/ |access-date=22 September 2024 |website=IMDb |language=en-US}}</ref>{{unreliable source?|date=September 2024}} and Sophie (born 1993).<ref>{{Cite web |title=Michael Ringier |url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm10370443/ |access-date=22 September 2024 |website=IMDb |language=en-US}}</ref>{{unreliable source?|date=September 2024}}<ref>[https://epaper.annabelle.ch/magazine/catalogs/AB-1707/pdf/complete.pdf p. 24/153]</ref>

They resided in Küsnacht on Lake Zurich.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ellen Ringier: "Ich wollte unseren Familiennamen nicht beschädigen" |url=https://www.bluewin.ch/de/leben/lifestyle/ellen-ringier-ich-wollte-unseren-familiennamen-nicht-beschaedigen-169631.html |access-date=22 September 2024 |website=blue News |language=de}}</ref> She died after a serious illness in Zurich, on 19 March 2025, at the age of 73.<ref>{{cite news |title=Publisher Ellen Ringier (73) is dead |url=https://www.bluewin.ch/en/news/switzerland/publisher-ellen-ringier-73-is-dead-2613399.html |access-date=19 March 2025 |publisher=Blue News |date=19 March 2025}}</ref>

== References == {{Reflist}}

==External links== *{{IMDb name| 10142154}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ringier, Ellen}} Category:1951 births Category:2025 deaths Category:20th-century Swiss lawyers Category:21st-century Swiss lawyers Category:People from Lucerne Category:Swiss film producers Category:Swiss philanthropists Category:Swiss publishers (people) Category:Swiss socialites Category:Swiss women film producers Category:Swiss women lawyers Category:Swiss women philanthropists Category:University of Zurich alumni