Josef Ritler: key obituary facts
Is Josef Ritler dead? Yes. Josef Ritler died on October 29, 2026, at age 87.
Cause of death: Josef Ritler's cause of death has not been publicly confirmed.
What was Josef Ritler known for?
He was a Swiss journalist and photographer.
More about Josef Ritler
Born: 1 January 1939.
Place of birth: Naters.
Gender: male.
Occupation: journalist, photographer.
Nationality: Switzerland.
Josef Ritler, a Swiss journalist and photographer, died on October 29, 2026, aged 87.
Born in Naters, in the canton of Valais, he first imagined following his father, a foreman, into that line of work. He attended primary school in Naters, then moved to a school in Brig after being bullied.
Ritler began an apprenticeship as a mason but had to leave after discovering an allergy to cement. Photography became his direction: he moved to Lucerne, one of the few places offering photography apprenticeships, and began photographing the people and scenes around him. An accidental photograph of a film set making an army propaganda film for Expo 64 brought him to the attention of Blick. Ritler went on to work for the newspaper for 40 years as both a writer and photographer. He later worked as a video journalist for Tele Tell, the central Swiss television station. Known as Josef “Sepp(i)” Ritler, he carried his work from newspaper journalism and photography into regional television, where he reported through video.