Afrikastadtrundgang

We are Basel’s city tour for encounters between Africa and Basel.

The tour was designed in 2008 at the University of Basel in a two-semester student event. In 2016, the city tour was refreshed. The themes of the tour range from colonial times to the present day. The colonial era had its dark sides, but fortunately also brought about positive encounters between Basleans and Africans. Last but not least, Basel is a critical reflection on post-colonial Africa and post-colonial Switzerland. What achievements and impulses does Basel owe to its contact with Africa in colonial times and today? What are the special relations between Basel and Africa?

At six stations, we will guide you for about 90 minutes through Basel’s history, which has close personal and business connections to Africa. We will look at the history of the Basel missionary families, musical influences, connections from Basel to South Africa during apartheid, media coverage of Africa in Switzerland, human zoos, and finally the role of Switzerland as Slavery Hinterland.

In cooperation with Radio X, we are offering a tour during the Week Against Racism 2019 that is specially adapted to this event. We make historical and contemporary encounters between Africa and Basel visible.

We will guide you for about 90 minutes through a number of themes like Missionary families, jazz, Switzerland’s economic support for the apartheid regime in South Africa and local protests against Apartheid, cultural appropriation, literature and last but not least Switzerland’s role as Slavery Hinterland.

On a walk through the picturesque old town of Basel you can discover unexpected connections and surprising facts from a long history of entanglements.

On Saturday, 23 March 2019, the tour will take place in English, on Sunday, 24 March 2019, in German. The meeting point is at 14:00 at the pyramids in front of the Elisabethen Church.

The tour is free of charge. Reservations are requested but not required.