www.anthropology-online.de. Freiburg Ulrich Oberdiek

März 2007

FÄSSLER, HANS

Reise in Schwarz-Weiss. Schweizer Ortstermine in Sachen Sklaverei Zürich: Rotpunktverlag 2005, 337 pp., Euro 22,-; ISBN 3-85869-303-0

Journey in black and white. Swiss focal places concerning slavery

Fässler describes 19 places in Switzerland tracing Swiss relations with slavery: of merchants, officers, emigrants, bankers, family enterprises, travellers and philosophers. In historical, narrative sketches starting at visible remnants of capital (palaces, factories...) secured through participation in North American and Carribbean enterprises run with slaves – including slave trade from Africa to Central and North America the author shows networks of families operating globally in this business which included production, trade, and finance (banking). He also discusses contexts of tabuization of these topics until the 1990s when more informative publications on Swiss participation in the slavery business came out.