Wilhelm Matthias Naeff (19 February 1802 – 21 January 1881) was a Swiss politician and one of the seven initial members of the Swiss Federal Council (1848–1875). Naeff was born in Altstätten into a long-established Rhine-Valley's family. Already, his father was an influential merchant. Naeff studied law in Heidelberg (Germany), and, after his return to Switzerland, he was elected to the cantonal (state) government of St. Gallen. Naeff is well known for not intervening in the conflict, which dominated Switzerland at that time, between liberals and conservatives. The Rhine Valley was a stronghold of the liberals, which is why Naeff could depend on his supporters.