Switzerland and ‘Colonialism without Colonies’

Abstract

In this essay the theoretical focus of postcolonial theory has been shifted from the cultures and societies of former formal colonies to those countries that have an explicit self-understanding as an outsider within the European colonial power constellation. Using the example of Switzerland, it analyses the presence and perseverance of colonial structures and power relations in a country that has never been regarded as or understood itself as an official colonial power. In a first step, we compare present debates on colonialism in Switzerland with those in neighbouring countries, i.e. France, Germany, Italy and Austria. In a second step, we trace previous research that postulates a link between Switzerland and colonialism, and apply the concept of ‘colonialism without colonies’, which, in contrast, engages with methods and themes that have emerged from postcolonial studies. Finally, we present a specific case study on ‘Swiss commodity racism’ in order to elucidate the concept ‘colonialism without colonies’.

• colonial outsider
• colonialism
• commodity
• racism
• postcolonial
• studies
• Switzerland

Notes

1 The UN Special Rapporteur's report on racism found the prevalence of racist ideas within democratic parties in Switzerland alarming. The report also expressed concern that this racist mindset is conveyed during election campaigns and various referenda (UNHRC 2007). For more on the connection between right-wing populism and migration policy, see Skenderovic and D’Amato (2008).

2 For an elaborated version of this concept, see Lüthi, Falk, and Purtschert (forthcoming).

3 Soon afterwards, in response to harsh criticism, Jacques Chirac, president at the time, decided to remove the passage from the law altogether.

4 All citations not originally in English are the authors’ translations.

5 For more on the reception within the German context, see Conrad (2008); Friedrichsmeyer, Lennox, and Zantop (1998); Eggers et al. (2005); Kundrus (2003); Steyerl and Rodríguez (2003); Ha, al-Samarai, and Mysorekar (2007). For the French context, see Bancel et al. (2010); Blanchard, Bancel, and Lemaire (2008); Mollenhauer (2010); Fassin (2006); Dorlin (2009).

6 Italy primarily had colonies in North and East Africa, including colonies in Libya and Ethiopia.

7 Other examples of postcolonial approaches in Italian research currently can be found in Amodeo (2009) and Triulzi (2006).

8 For more information on reception within the Austrian context, see Unterweger (2005); Bakondy and Winter (2007); Kazeem, Martinz-Turek, and Sternfeld (2009); Pfeffer (2012).

9 Loftsdóttir (2010) develops a similar view in her analysis of Iceland. For Norway, see Gullestad (2005).

10 For more on Swiss missionary activities and their role in the field of anthropology, see Harries (2007).

11 Recently, two historical studies introduced the terms Suisse coloniale and koloniale Schweiz into the debate. In contrast to the studies conducted by Minder (2009) and Zangger (2011), which do not focus on (dis)continuities up to the present, these are precisely the aspects that the concept of ‘colonialism without colonies’ addresses.

12 Gloria Wekker coined the term ‘innocence unlimited’ to describe the situation in postcolonial Netherlands. The term seems especially helpful in view of the self-perception of those countries that claim to have been outside the colonial project.

13 The example of the ‘white negro’ draws on an analysis developed in Purtschert and Krüger (2012).

14 On the colonial and postcolonial images concerning Globi, see Purtschert and Krüger (2012).

15 See also Matare-Ineichen, Schneider, and Zeugin (2002).