Natural disasters and the national identity in Switzerland 1806-1910
by
Christian Pfister
University of Bern

As of the early nineteenth century, the occurrence of severe natural disasters was systematically utilized in Switzerland to promote the process of national integration and the gradual emergence of a national identity. This is shown through the examination of seven so-called "national disasters," comprising two rock slides (1806, 1881), four severe floods (1834, 1839, 1868, 1910) and an enormous fire (1861). Disaster management focused on recalling common values, mobilizing resources needed for damage compensation and coordinating the activities of institutions and individuals engaged in relief operations. It is shown how the collection, administration and reallocation of donations was more and more efficiently coordinated on the national level, particularly after the federal state was founded in 1848. A continually increasing segment of the population supported the relief operations. These especially involved women who were excluded from the male-dominated middle-class competitions of choruses, marksmen and gymnasts. Newspapers were crucial for mustering patriotic support throughout the country. The lion's share of the donations in 1868 equivalent to some 330 million Swiss francs (2000) was collected in urban centers, whereas the recipients lived mainly in alpine peripheries. The fact must be emphasized that more funds were raised per capita in French-speaking Switzerland than in the German-speaking part of the country. It is argued that the utilization of natural disasters for promoting national identity in Switzerland runs parallel to the utilization of victorious wars in the neighboring countries. The findings will be situated in a broader European context.

Date received: June 24, 2002

Copyright © 2002 by the author(s). The author(s) of this document and the organizers of the conference have granted their consent to include this abstract in Atlas Conferences Inc. Document # caji-34.