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Inaugural Lecture : Prof Dr Bernhard C. Schär - Where Were the Swiss? Switzerland and the Making of European Empire
Inaugural Lecture : Prof Dr Bernhard C. Schär - Where Were the Swiss? Switzerland and the Making of European Empire
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12. März 2026
Switzerland never ruled a colonial empire—but it was never outside empire. Over the past decade, historical research has fundamentally reshaped our understanding of Switzerland’s past, revealing deep Swiss entanglements in the colonial projects of Europe’s imperial powers. These findings challenge conventional narratives of neutrality and innocence and force a broader rethinking of European imperial history itself. This inaugural lecture revisits these debates and asks what changes when countries without colonies are placed at the heart of empire. It argues that imperialism was shaped not only by rivalry, but also by transimperial cooperation, and points toward a global history of Switzerland and Europe that places empire and inequality at its centre.
Prof. Dr Bernhard C. Schär
Bernhard C. Schär received his PhD from the University of Bern in 2013. He has led international research groups at ETH Zurich and the University of Lausanne and has been awarded a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Fellowship and an SNSF Eccellenza Grant. He has held fellowships in Berlin, Singapore, Munich and Leiden. In December 2025, he was appointed Chair of Modern and Contemporary History at UniDistance Suisse. His research focuses on the global histories of Europe and Switzerland.
Organisiert von
Faculty of History, UniDistance Suisse
Sprachen der Veranstaltung
Englisch
Anmeldung bei Kontaktperson
Campus, UniDistance Suisse
Anmeldeschluss
12.05.2026 - 12:00
Schinerstrasse 18
Inscription
3900
Brig
Valais
morgane.gay@unidistance.ch
