Internment in Switzerland During the First World War (Hardcover) (ISBN-13: 9781350037731)

In contrast to the plethora of works focusing on the tragic loss of human lives during the First World War, little is known about the more hopeful realities of thousands of prisoners of war from Britain, France, Germany and Belgium who were sent to Switzerland from 1916. This book explores the everyday lives of these prisoners and their impact on Switzerland.

Internees were warmly welcomed by local people and given education, training and employment. Leading relatively free lives, they were able to engage in leisure activities and develop new relationships. However, they also contributed to the country's economy, helping to keep Swiss tourism alive at a time when businesses were struggling and alleviating Switzerland's labour shortage as Swiss men were called-up to defend their borders and preserve the country's neutrality.

Drawing on a wide range of sources from official records to magazines and postcards, Susan Barton provides an absorbing account of the social and cultural history of internment in Switzerland.

Author: Susan Barton
ISBN-10: 1350037737
ISBN-13: 9781350037731
Publisher: Bloomsbury Academic
Language: English
Published: 08/22/2019
Pages: 240
Format: Hardcover
Weight: 1.10lbs
Size: 9.30h x 6.30w x 0.70d