Irene Herrmann (University of Geneva) will speak at the seminar "Swiss Republicanism through Russian Eyes : Uses and Usefulness of an Ideal Image".
At the time when Russian travelers started to massively visit Switzerland --already viewed as an ideal republic--, its republican system was about to undergo dramatic changes. During the 19th century, the country shifted from a confederation of diversely oligarchic republics to a federalist (semi-)direct democracy. In parallel, the Russian image of this very system also changed. Whereas it was initially seen as an ideal republic, it insensibly represented its contrary. Why? The answer to this fascinating question requires to decipher the formation, the use of and the qualities inherent to ideals – and to explore the sometimes unideal outcome of such an idealization.