The six largest ethnographic collections in Switzerland alone now hold more than 100,000 items of African cultural heritage.
Not all of these objects originate from a colonial context. Yet their provenance histories constitute a vast body of sources for researching Switzerland’s involvement in the colonisation of Africa.
Seen in this light, cultural and natural history museums become colonial archives of a country without a formal colonial policy. They are therefore key reference points for writing the history of Switzerland’s global entanglements.
Alongside exhibitions, provenance research – the investigation of the ownership and acquisition history of collection items – is central to addressing the colonial legacy. The reality in museum archives, however, is that there is often little reliable information on the precise origins of objects from colonial contexts.
Many of these museum projects also tend to be inward-looking. The way research findings are communicated suggests a form of accountability that primarily serves the museum’s audience, its funders or local political stakeholders. Research projects that do not necessarily benefit the museum – and might even harm it – stand little chance. By contrast, a carefully presented strategy can be expected to enhance a museum’s public image.
Unlike museums, the Swiss authorities see little need for action. That said, Interior Minister Elisabeth Baume-Schneider acknowledged in her opening speech at the National Museum’s exhibition on colonialism that it has become clear how deeply Switzerland was entangled in the colonial system.
She noted that the country had been involved “a little bit everywhere”, which, taken together, amounted to quite a lot. However, she argued that responsibility for this colonial legacy lies with everyone, rather than with the state. In doing so, she shifted responsibility away from the authorities.
