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colonial - Switzerland’s Global Entanglements
Swiss colonial history spans the period from the sixteenth to the twentieth century, but vestiges of it still persist into the present. Largely unknown until just a few years ago, this chapter in Swiss history played out on every continent in a globally interconnected world. It involves individuals, companies, and communities from all parts of the country who profited from European colonialism.
Our image of Switzerland's colonial entanglements and their continuing echoes in the present is still incomplete. The fourteen contributions in this book provide a point of departure for a critical engagement with the theme, stimulating further discussion and posing questions that will inspire deeper engagement with the issues.
Our image of Switzerland's colonial entanglements and their continuing echoes in the present is still incomplete. The fourteen contributions in this book provide a point of departure for a critical engagement with the theme, stimulating further discussion and posing questions that will inspire deeper engagement with the issues.
- GenresHistory
284 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2024
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May 31, 2025
Rating: 3.5-4 stars
Britain, France, Spain, Portugal, the Netherlands - those are some of the countries one would most likely name when asked what nation was colonialist/imperialist. For some it might be old news and for others surprising to hear that Switzerland was also part of the colonial project.
In recent years/decades, countless researchers have shown how Europe as a whole (to be fair, the whole world) was part of colonial endeavours and how there were no "neutral" or "innocent" parties. Every country was involved in the colonial project, be it through individuals (scientists, soldiers, investors, merchants, bankers, etc.), companies or institutions (local and federal governments, universities, museums, etc.). Countries that formerly did not posses any colonies were also part of colonialism, shaped and influenced it, and engaged with it through manyfold ways.
This book is the exhibition catalogue for the exhibition of the same name at the Swiss National Museum in Zurich. It is one of several exhibitions in Switzerland that deals with Swiss colonial history throughout the centuries in the last two years (2024/25).
The catalogue consists of several short essays by prominent scholars on the topic, ranging from early colonial entanglements, such as in the slave trade and colonial product import, cultural aspects that permeate society until today, museum collections, military expanionism, science and much more. Since the topic is not new to me and part of my own research, I know many of the scholars contributing to the book and am happy to see how this "nieche" subject finally gets the general attention it deserves.
I've seen the exhibition, but I won't really include any observations or opinions from it in this review. Partly because it would be too much and partly because the book can stand on its own and for GR purposes I'll focus on the book.
As mentioned, the book offers a wide array of topics and gives great insight into the various ways Switzerland was and is part of colonial history. It begins with economic interests and participation in colonial projects, such as the slave trade. Merchants would invest money in the trade of people for raw materials, would use their own ships for tradings and transportation of enslaved people, and some individuals also acquired slaves through various means.
There were also numerous Swiss colonies, including in the Americas and South East Asia, with Swiss settlers being active participants in the expulsion and persecusion of indigenous populations. Of course, Switzerland made a lot of money with certain raw materials and products it is famous for today, like chocolate, silk and cotton. In fact, there was a time when Switzerland was famous for its textile production, with materials comming from India, Africa and the Americas.
With this spread of colonial expansionism for economic purposes also came military activities and collecting of 'specimen' (objects, flora and fauna, and people). Swiss soldiers/mercenaries were hired by 'proper' empires to fight in colonised regions. One such case, Hans Christoffel, became a successful miltary figure. The fought for the Netherlands in Indonesia, committing several massacres, for which he received high honours by the Dutch Queen and is remembered until today by the descendants of the few survivors of those massacres.
Apart from contributing in military operations, Swiss individuals and organisations also were part of a wide missionary network to Christianise 'barbarians and hethens' around the world. Mission Basel is the most famous and influential example. Like their contemporaries from other countries, these Swiss missionaries shared a paternalistic and racist view of 'those in need'. The book also explains how missionary work was important for white women as a way to have a career 'in the periphery' since women in Europe could not become professionals in any field, however, the colonies gave them the opportunity not just to work, but climb up the professional/corporate ladder, so to speak.
This, of course, is tied to a complex gendered and racialised hierarchy, wherein white Christian, middle-class men were at the top of the pyramid, followed by white Christian, middle-class women, and then all other 'races' in a similar gendered, classist and racial pattern.
The book also goes into the various ways in which science served the colonial project and how museums and institutional collections relied on colonial systems to extract information and materials to create those collections in the first place. Plants, animals, objects and human remains were collected, stolen, looted and bought from everywhere by everyone. Swiss merchants, soldiers and scientists alike brought back countless objects, filling the collections of the museums that we know today. Thankfully, there are some projects that deal with question of restitution, not just with art stolen by Nazis, but also with artefacts 'acquired' during colonial times, such as the Benin bronzes.
Swiss scientists also greatly contributed to "race science" and were important in implementing eugenics, advocating for the sterilisation of 'undesired' people. Some of the most famous are Agassiz and Schlaginhauf, whose works are only being critically analysed in the last few years. If you want to learn more about one of the most well-known Swiss "race scientists", I'd suggest googling Agassiz. He also worked at Harvard and amassed a huge collection of photographs and directly contributed to racist politics in the US. There are new discussions on him because of the photograph of Renty.
I'm incredibly happy that the catalogue also includes essays on contemporary/postcolonial issues of Swiss colonialism. The authors show how all these ideas filtered through military reports, economic participations, museum collections, scientific research and missionary work infiltrated society on every level, like it did in any other country. Ideas of 'impoverished Africa', 'barbaric savages' and white supremacy permeate every aspect of Swiss society and identity, be it through advertisements, toys, book and movies, and every-day life.
Possibly the most well-known example is Globi, a blue cartoon-bird created by Globus (yes, this means globe), a high-end shopping company. It is no coincidence that the company is named "Globe", as it's linked to the history of "colonial goods markets". In dozens and dozens of comics, Globi explores the world, and like Tin-Tin, the cultures are depicted in stereotypical and often racist ways. A happy-go-lucky blue bird teaching children about cannibalistic Africans and other racialised stereotypes is undoubtedly part of Swiss coloniality.
If you're interested in Swiss colonial history, don't know much about the topic or anything at all, and want an accessible way to learn, this might be the book for you. As someone who is very familiar with the research, this was still a great read and a good summary of what I've been reading/studying the last few years.
The book is available in German, English and French. I also found the quality of the book itself very good, with a nice selection of objects, not just by giving a nice picture but important context. Also knowing how many experts from diverse backgrounds contributed to this book makes it easy to recommend.
My biggest issue with the book is the first essay after all the short introduction pages. It's by the head curator of the museum and there is a stark difference to all the other essays. You can literally feel how the author just learned about Swiss colonialism and lacks a full understanding of what decolonisation truly means. As if changing some texts and objects in the exhibitions were enough.
It honestly reads like somebody who hasn't done the research and instead forced some poor intern to compile a bibliography, and then based on one or two papers read, they started writing this essay, lacking the fundamental and deep understanding of what decolonising a museum truly means, using outdated definitions and notions that are honestly scientifically unsound and borderline racist, but in a subtle, off-handed way.
I can hear the silent "I'm writing this because I have to, not because I believe in what this project and process stand for" permeate each page of that essay.
Nonetheless, the other essays are worth a read, especially if you want an accessible way that summarises decades of research in well-written and short essays written by experts. And the book also offers additional reading material with the accompanying bibliographies, as well as contemporary art pieces that work decolonially with archival material and colonial history. This way you can explore numerous ongoing projects and artists, which is really cool!
Britain, France, Spain, Portugal, the Netherlands - those are some of the countries one would most likely name when asked what nation was colonialist/imperialist. For some it might be old news and for others surprising to hear that Switzerland was also part of the colonial project.
In recent years/decades, countless researchers have shown how Europe as a whole (to be fair, the whole world) was part of colonial endeavours and how there were no "neutral" or "innocent" parties. Every country was involved in the colonial project, be it through individuals (scientists, soldiers, investors, merchants, bankers, etc.), companies or institutions (local and federal governments, universities, museums, etc.). Countries that formerly did not posses any colonies were also part of colonialism, shaped and influenced it, and engaged with it through manyfold ways.
This book is the exhibition catalogue for the exhibition of the same name at the Swiss National Museum in Zurich. It is one of several exhibitions in Switzerland that deals with Swiss colonial history throughout the centuries in the last two years (2024/25).
The catalogue consists of several short essays by prominent scholars on the topic, ranging from early colonial entanglements, such as in the slave trade and colonial product import, cultural aspects that permeate society until today, museum collections, military expanionism, science and much more. Since the topic is not new to me and part of my own research, I know many of the scholars contributing to the book and am happy to see how this "nieche" subject finally gets the general attention it deserves.
I've seen the exhibition, but I won't really include any observations or opinions from it in this review. Partly because it would be too much and partly because the book can stand on its own and for GR purposes I'll focus on the book.
As mentioned, the book offers a wide array of topics and gives great insight into the various ways Switzerland was and is part of colonial history. It begins with economic interests and participation in colonial projects, such as the slave trade. Merchants would invest money in the trade of people for raw materials, would use their own ships for tradings and transportation of enslaved people, and some individuals also acquired slaves through various means.
There were also numerous Swiss colonies, including in the Americas and South East Asia, with Swiss settlers being active participants in the expulsion and persecusion of indigenous populations. Of course, Switzerland made a lot of money with certain raw materials and products it is famous for today, like chocolate, silk and cotton. In fact, there was a time when Switzerland was famous for its textile production, with materials comming from India, Africa and the Americas.
With this spread of colonial expansionism for economic purposes also came military activities and collecting of 'specimen' (objects, flora and fauna, and people). Swiss soldiers/mercenaries were hired by 'proper' empires to fight in colonised regions. One such case, Hans Christoffel, became a successful miltary figure. The fought for the Netherlands in Indonesia, committing several massacres, for which he received high honours by the Dutch Queen and is remembered until today by the descendants of the few survivors of those massacres.
Apart from contributing in military operations, Swiss individuals and organisations also were part of a wide missionary network to Christianise 'barbarians and hethens' around the world. Mission Basel is the most famous and influential example. Like their contemporaries from other countries, these Swiss missionaries shared a paternalistic and racist view of 'those in need'. The book also explains how missionary work was important for white women as a way to have a career 'in the periphery' since women in Europe could not become professionals in any field, however, the colonies gave them the opportunity not just to work, but climb up the professional/corporate ladder, so to speak.
This, of course, is tied to a complex gendered and racialised hierarchy, wherein white Christian, middle-class men were at the top of the pyramid, followed by white Christian, middle-class women, and then all other 'races' in a similar gendered, classist and racial pattern.
The book also goes into the various ways in which science served the colonial project and how museums and institutional collections relied on colonial systems to extract information and materials to create those collections in the first place. Plants, animals, objects and human remains were collected, stolen, looted and bought from everywhere by everyone. Swiss merchants, soldiers and scientists alike brought back countless objects, filling the collections of the museums that we know today. Thankfully, there are some projects that deal with question of restitution, not just with art stolen by Nazis, but also with artefacts 'acquired' during colonial times, such as the Benin bronzes.
Swiss scientists also greatly contributed to "race science" and were important in implementing eugenics, advocating for the sterilisation of 'undesired' people. Some of the most famous are Agassiz and Schlaginhauf, whose works are only being critically analysed in the last few years. If you want to learn more about one of the most well-known Swiss "race scientists", I'd suggest googling Agassiz. He also worked at Harvard and amassed a huge collection of photographs and directly contributed to racist politics in the US. There are new discussions on him because of the photograph of Renty.
I'm incredibly happy that the catalogue also includes essays on contemporary/postcolonial issues of Swiss colonialism. The authors show how all these ideas filtered through military reports, economic participations, museum collections, scientific research and missionary work infiltrated society on every level, like it did in any other country. Ideas of 'impoverished Africa', 'barbaric savages' and white supremacy permeate every aspect of Swiss society and identity, be it through advertisements, toys, book and movies, and every-day life.
Possibly the most well-known example is Globi, a blue cartoon-bird created by Globus (yes, this means globe), a high-end shopping company. It is no coincidence that the company is named "Globe", as it's linked to the history of "colonial goods markets". In dozens and dozens of comics, Globi explores the world, and like Tin-Tin, the cultures are depicted in stereotypical and often racist ways. A happy-go-lucky blue bird teaching children about cannibalistic Africans and other racialised stereotypes is undoubtedly part of Swiss coloniality.
If you're interested in Swiss colonial history, don't know much about the topic or anything at all, and want an accessible way to learn, this might be the book for you. As someone who is very familiar with the research, this was still a great read and a good summary of what I've been reading/studying the last few years.
The book is available in German, English and French. I also found the quality of the book itself very good, with a nice selection of objects, not just by giving a nice picture but important context. Also knowing how many experts from diverse backgrounds contributed to this book makes it easy to recommend.
My biggest issue with the book is the first essay after all the short introduction pages. It's by the head curator of the museum and there is a stark difference to all the other essays. You can literally feel how the author just learned about Swiss colonialism and lacks a full understanding of what decolonisation truly means. As if changing some texts and objects in the exhibitions were enough.
It honestly reads like somebody who hasn't done the research and instead forced some poor intern to compile a bibliography, and then based on one or two papers read, they started writing this essay, lacking the fundamental and deep understanding of what decolonising a museum truly means, using outdated definitions and notions that are honestly scientifically unsound and borderline racist, but in a subtle, off-handed way.
I can hear the silent "I'm writing this because I have to, not because I believe in what this project and process stand for" permeate each page of that essay.
Nonetheless, the other essays are worth a read, especially if you want an accessible way that summarises decades of research in well-written and short essays written by experts. And the book also offers additional reading material with the accompanying bibliographies, as well as contemporary art pieces that work decolonially with archival material and colonial history. This way you can explore numerous ongoing projects and artists, which is really cool!
November 24, 2024
Ab dem 16. Jahrhundert waren Personen und Unternehmen aus der Eidgenossenschaft mit dem kolonialen System verflochten. Einzelne Schweizer Firmen sowie Privatpersonen beteiligten sich am
transatlantischen Sklavenhandel und verdienten am Handel mit Kolonialprodukten und durch die Ausbeutung versklavter Menschen ein Vermögen. Schweizerinnen und Schweizer waren als Missionare auf der ganzen Welt unterwegs. Andere dienten, getrieben von Armut oder Abenteuerlust, als Söldner in europäischen Heeren, die koloniale Eroberungen machten und den Widerstand der indigenen Bevölkerungen bekämpften. Aber auch Fachleute aus der Schweiz stellten ihr Wissen in den Dienst der Kolonialmächte. An den Universitäten Zürich und Genf wurde zudem rassistisches Denken gelehrt, das international verbreitet wurde und der Legitimation des kolonialen Systems diente.
In 14 essays werden diverse Facetten der Schweizerischen kolonialen Verflechtungen erläuchtert.
transatlantischen Sklavenhandel und verdienten am Handel mit Kolonialprodukten und durch die Ausbeutung versklavter Menschen ein Vermögen. Schweizerinnen und Schweizer waren als Missionare auf der ganzen Welt unterwegs. Andere dienten, getrieben von Armut oder Abenteuerlust, als Söldner in europäischen Heeren, die koloniale Eroberungen machten und den Widerstand der indigenen Bevölkerungen bekämpften. Aber auch Fachleute aus der Schweiz stellten ihr Wissen in den Dienst der Kolonialmächte. An den Universitäten Zürich und Genf wurde zudem rassistisches Denken gelehrt, das international verbreitet wurde und der Legitimation des kolonialen Systems diente.
In 14 essays werden diverse Facetten der Schweizerischen kolonialen Verflechtungen erläuchtert.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews