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| Semester | fall semester 2021 |
| Course frequency | Irregular |
| Lecturers | Julia Tischler (julia.tischler@unibas.ch, Assessor) |
| Content | «Postcolonial Switzerland» has become a catchword to summarize debates over Switzerland’s colonial legacy. Parts of this heritage are visible in Swiss museums that display objects from “exotic” regions of the globe and construct a specific image of the colonial “Other”. In this course, we first engage with several core texts on current controversies over restitution and the decolonization of European museums, colonial practices of collecting and exhibiting ethnographic objects, and modern debates on curating in “postcolonial Switzerland”. In a second part, we will study concrete displays of “Africa”/the "Global South" in an ethnographic museum. We will also consult with museum staff to obtain insights into the ways in which issues of representation and recent restitution claims are currently being negotiated within these institutions. |
| Bibliography | Purtschert, Patricia and Fischer-Tiné, Harald (2015), ‘Introduction: The End of Innocence: Debating Colonialism in Switzerland.’ In: Purtschert, Patricia and Fischer-Tiné, Harald (eds.) 2015: Colonial Switzerland. Researching Colonialism from the Margins. Palgrave McMillan, Cham. 1-15. Zimmerman Andrew (2013), ’Bewegliche Objekte und globales Wissen. Die Kolonialsammlung des Königlichen Museums für Völkerkunde in Berlin. ’ In: Habermas, R. und Przyrembel, A. (eds.) 2013: Von Käfern, Märkten und Menschen. Kolonialismus und Wissen in der Moderne. Vandehoeck & Ruprecht, Göttingen. 247-258. |
| Comments | The course will take place in the form of two blocks: - One reading session (half-day), Friday, 12 November, 9-13:00, online - One museum excursion (half-day), Friday, 10 December, 9 - 15:00 in Berne |
| Admission requirements | The course is primarily intended for students of History, African Studies, and Global Studies. Students from other courses are welcome. The maximum registration is 15 students. After the first week of the semester, you will receive an email to let you know about your admission. **** Please note that the excursion is subject to a Corona certificate requirement; students without a certificate cannot attend. |
| Language of instruction | English |
| Use of digital media | No specific media used |
| Interval | Weekday | Time | Room |
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No dates available. Please contact the lecturer.
| Modules |
Electives Bachelor History: Recommendations (Bachelor's degree subject: History) Modul: Areas: Afrika (Master's degree program: European History in Global Perspective) Modul: Europäisierung und Globalisierung (Master's Studies: European Global Studies) Modul: Fields: Knowledge Production and Transfer (Master's degree program: African Studies) Modul: Interdisciplinary and Applied African Studies (Master's degree program: African Studies) Wahlbereich Master Geschichte: Empfehlungen (Master's degree subject: History) |
| Assessment format | continuous assessment |
| Assessment registration/deregistration | Reg.: course registration; dereg.: not required |
| Repeat examination | no repeat examination |
| Scale | Pass / Fail |
| Repeated registration | as often as necessary |
| Responsible faculty | Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, studadmin-philhist@unibas.ch |
| Offered by | Departement Geschichte |