The Valais in Research

Description

Goodwill or Opportunism? The Valais hospitality towards the interned during the First World War The canton of Valais played an important role in accommodating wounded or sick prisoners of war, who were transferred to Switzerland as part of humanitarian internment. These internees were housed in hotels, whose business was severely affected by the decline in tourism. Affected locations include Bagnes, Brig, Champéry, Fiesch, Finhaut, Leukerbad, Martigny, Montana, Monthey, Morgins, Naters, Randa, Reckingen, Ried-Brig, Saint-Maurice, Saint-Nicolas, Salvan, Sierre, Sion, Stalden, Täsch, Troistorrents, Vernayaz, Visp, and Zermatt. This policy, presented as a humanitarian effort, allowed Switzerland to reaffirm its neutrality and strengthen its reputation internationally. It also aligned with economic interests, particularly through supporting the hotel industry and maintaining economic relations with warring countries. This conference discusses the living conditions of the internees in Valais and their relations with the local population to better understand the motives and consequences of this reception policy in Valais. Note: This text was translated by machine translation software and not by a human translator. It may contain translation errors.

Highlights

• Conference on Valais hospitality during the First World War
• Discussion of the living conditions of the internees
• Venue: Médiathèque Valais - Sion

General Information

The conference highlights the role of the canton of Valais in the reception of wounded prisoners of war during the First World War. It examines the relationships between the internees and the local population as well as the economic and humanitarian aspects of this policy.

Location

Rue de Lausanne 45, 1950 Sitten, Switzerland

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