Humanitarian – Neutral Switzerland

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War, Refugees, and Internment

The Franco-Prussian War (1870-1871) ends with the defeat of France. after the capture of Napoleon III. In the autumn of 1870, the proclamation of the Third Republic in France and the proclamation of the German Empire, in January 1871 the French Eastern Army under General Bourbaki reigned for the last time.
However, the soldiers are surrounded by German troops in the French Jura. On February 1, a contract paved the way for the largest refugee admission to Switzerland ever carried out – the internment of the French Bourbaki army. Around 87,000 soldiers cross the Swiss border within three days.

 

 

 

 

The Painter, Edouard Castres (1838-1902),

as the painter of the Bourbaki Panorama, (can be seen in Lucerne, Bourbaki Panorama, Löwenplatz 11, Lucerne), witnessed the soldiers crossing the border in Les Verrières himself.

On the Panorama,

Castres describes the integration in Les Verrières in Val-de-Travers, where he was an eyewitness. The French soldiers were disarmed by the Swiss military, first aid from civilian helpers, and medically cared for by the Swiss Red Cross.

They were then housed in 188 different Swiss towns.
After the end of the war in March 1871, the “Bourbakis” left neutral Switzerland for their homeland. Civil society, the state, and aid organizations were tackling this enormous task with natural solidarity that has cemented Switzerland’s humanitarian and neutral tradition to this day.

Panoramas are the mass media of the 19th century. The audience’s desire to see is satisfied by spectacular illusions. The circular images can be interpreted today not only as a forerunner of the cinema but also as a trailblazer for the most modern digital forms of presentation.

The Bourbaki Panorama

was painted by Edouard Castres (1838-1902) in Geneva. Castres – himself involved in the war as a Red Cross helper – succeeds in creating a realistic portrayal of the war misery that reveals his great commitment to peace.
In 1889 the Bourbaki Panorama came to Lucerne, where it is open to the public for viewing.