Dear visitor,
Due to extensive work on my satirico-political show "Louverture died in 1803" and due to some 30 performances during the year 2003, I have not been in a position to provide a full-fledged English version of my site. However, you will find a considerable number of texts in English listed below.
My book on Swiss participation in slavery and the transatlantic slave-trade, a sequel, so to speak, to my satirical work on Toussaint Louverture, was published in October 2005 by Rotpunktverlag of Zurich: "Reise in Schwarz-Weiss: Schweizer Ortstermine in Sachen Sklaverei", Zurich 2005, ISBN 3-85869-303-0. The translation into French came out in October 2007 under the title "Une Suisse esclavagiste. Voyage dans un pays au-dessus de tout soupçon" (Duboiris, Paris).
If you need to know more but do not speak German, do yot hesitate to contact me in English under: hans.faessler[at]web.de !
The following texts will inform you on how I got into Haiti, Toussaint Louverture and the history of slavery and what my satirical show "Louverture died in 1803" has been all about:
"Demounting Louis Agassiz"
Campaign to unname the Agassizhorn in Switzerland because of the racism propagated by Swiss scientist Louis Agassiz (1807-1873)
From St. Gall to Haiti - and back
Conceptual text on the genesis of my politico-satirical revue "Louverture died in 1803", which I performed some 30 times in the year 2003 on the occasion of the canton of St. Gall's 200th anniversary.
About Hans Fässler
An updated CV containing my qualifications, politics, projects and recent work.
Historical Material on the Slavery Issue
During my research into the history of my home canton of St. Gallen, the life of Toussaint Louverture and the history of Haiti I have come across sufficient evidence for the thesis that, although a landlocked country, 18th century Switzerland had numerous links with slavery and the transatlantic slave trade.
Swiss Involvment in Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade
English version of the parliamentary move submitted to the Swiss federal government by Pia Hollenstein, Green member of the Swiss House of Representatives, on 5th March 2003, translated by HF
Switzerland and Slavery
English version of parliamentary move ("interpellation") submitted by MP Josef Lang (Green Socialists, representing the Canton of Zug) on 21st March, 2006: "Switzerland and Slavery" (translation HF)
"Switzerland played key role in the slave trade"
Article by Vanda Janka, from swissinfo-interview, 24th August 2003 (translated into English by Joanne Shields)
"Never trust a neutral!"
Eight contributions to Fässler's thesis on discussion forum "Free Republic"
IMPERIAL CULTURE IN COUNTRIES WITHOUT COLONIES: AFRICA AND SWITZERLAND
Invitation to a historical conference organized by the historical seminar of the University of Basel (23rd-25th October 2003)
Programme of the same conference
Plus texts of papers delivered at the conference
THE THIRD CHAPTER IS THE FIRST - Unravelling Switzerland’s Slavery Past
Unpublished paper by Hans Fässler (talk delivered on 25th October 2003 at the Basel Conference, see above)
Postcolonial Coincidences
Text published in German and English in the "Shedhalle Zeitung" of Zurich (01/06)
"Swiss Initiatives for Slavery-Reparations"
Motion (private member's parliamentary move submitted in the lower house of the Swiss Parliament in December 2006) by Josef Lang, Socialist-Green MP, Zug:
Switzerland and Slavery? Switzerland and Slavery!
Flyer produced for a conference in South Africa, summing up my book and projects and appealing for an English editor for my book.
Should you be interested in specific questions or require translation of particular pages on my site, do not hesitate to contact me in English via hans.faessler[at]kst.ch !
Yours sincerely,
Hans Fässler