Als die Italiener noch Tschinggen waren

How did the Italian immigrants perceive the Schwarzenbach initiative in 1970 and how did they react to it? What did their resistance look like, and who rushed to their aid? What impact did their struggle have, and what was the long xenophobic shadow from which they emerged?

This book sheds light on the prehistory, the highlights and the aftermath of the Schwarzenbach initiative against the ‘over-foreignisation of Switzerland’ from the perspective of those who lived a shadowy existence at the time. At the time, Italian immigrants were the main subject of public debate and the political and cultural concerns of the Swiss, but were hardly heard themselves. So what were their worries and hopes? The ‘alien plant’ and the ‘brown sons of the south’, as Schwarzenbach called them, have long since become part of the image of a ‘Mediterraneanised’ Switzerland. Espresso has become a matter of course and pizzerias on every corner exude the flavour of southern Italy. In fact, however, the actors in this theatre of national vanity have merely changed, the roles have remained the same. Schwarzenbach's grandchildren are fuelling xenophobia for the same political purpose, but with greater success.