Meier, Joschka (2 September 2022). Archaeologists, Anthropologists, and the Quest for a 'Swiss Identity': Academic Perceptions of the Past, Identity, and Eugenics. (Unpublished). In: Second international ZAZH-Conference. Zürich. 01.09.-03.09.2022.
Antiquity served as the basis for widespread narratives, which were highly significant for the development of group identities in the 19th and 20th centuries: Britain and the Anglo-Saxons, France and the Gauls, and of course Germany and the concept of the Germanen. The development of these supposed national lineages, creation myths and similar are being intensely investigated and fuel controversial yet illuminating academic debates to this day.
However, comparatively little research has been done on similar patterns and processes in the search for a "Swiss" identity despite the concept’s complex history and political relevance.1 The idea of multi-ethnic Switzerland being a "Willensnation" in contrast to supposed "nation-states" emerged early on. However, this did not impede the efforts of anthropologists and archaeologists to locate a biologically defined autochthonous "Swiss race" in antiquity. How were these investigations conducted, and what can be found out about the validity of the resulting theories, underlying assumptions, and motivations, as well as the intended socio-political impact of the research?
These questions will be investigated based on the works of several highly influential academics of their day from 1870-1980 including Eugène Pittard and Theophil Studer, and publications of scholarly associations like the Bernische Geographische Gesellschaft and the Swiss Prehistoric Society. Based on the resulting findings the last part of the presentation explores how such a critical reassessment of our academic past can serve to better inform future endeavours including engagement with contemporary political discourse.
Core topics:
- Where and how can the construction of a Swiss "original identity" be grasped in the works of key figures of early Swiss archaeology and anthropology?
-What methodological approaches and narratives based on antiquity did they employ?
- What connections to the present were drawn by the researchers themselves? How were, for example, concepts like a biologically defined "Volkskörper" connected with eugenic ideas and political activism?
Item Type: |
Conference or Workshop Item (Speech) |
|---|---|
Division/Institute: |
06 Faculty of Humanities > Department of History and Archaeology > Institute of History |
UniBE Contributor: |
Meier, Joschka |
Subjects: |
300 Social sciences, sociology & anthropology 900 History 900 History > 930 History of ancient world (to ca. 499) |
Language: |
English |
Submitter: |
Joschka Meier |
Date Deposited: |
05 Sep 2023 12:18 |
Last Modified: |
05 Sep 2023 12:18 |
URI: |
https://boris.unibe.ch/id/eprint/185938 |
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