Publication

Grounding imperialism: Zschokke and the construction of the El Kansera Dam in Morocco from 1927-1934

2026

Abstract

What can a colonial dam’s foundations reveal about imperial practices and hidden social impacts in architecture history? The El Kansera Dam in Morocco (1927-1934), built by the Omnium d’Entreprises and Swiss contractor Zschokke French subsidiary Entreprise des grands travaux hydrauliques de France, serves as a paradigmatic case study. Through the French subsidiary of the Swiss contractor Zchokke, this deep involvement in the French colonial apparatus demonstrates yet another imperial entanglement through the private industries of “neutral” Switzerland. Hidden Swiss partners bringing the power of Alpine dam expertise and Swiss financing, making the dam one of many Swiss–French hydraulic projects outside its border.

Rather than focusing on unilateral technical transfers from Switzerland to Morocco, this paper examines how knowledge was exchanged and created through such projects. It explores how mercenary forms of private engineering firms were supported by Swiss federal institutions, illustrating how the Swiss state utilized private industry to exert control abroad. It then considers the project’s relation to French colonial governance, questioning why such an elaborate technoscientific apparatus collaborated with a neighboring European nation. Finally, by cross-reading institutional archives, the paper investigates the project’s interactions with local farmers, Moroccan rock and soil, Moroccan territorial knowledge, and the development of know-how, ultimately exploring the agency of a project treated as a testing ground.

This lightning talk presents research from a larger project arguing that Swiss domestic networks of knowledge production expected Zschokke and other contractors to export immaterial expertise abroad. However, it examines how much of that expertise was produced in colonial contexts, using them as testing grounds, and then imported back into Swiss practices. I will focus on the investigative methodological approach, emphasizing how archival documentation offers potential for uncovering counter-archival moments that reveal hidden sociocultural dynamics behind seemingly polished imperial infrastructures such as the El Kansera Dam.

Official source

https://infoscience.epfl.ch/entities/publication/588660e2-9fe9-4681-ad55-907d53036699

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2026

Abstract

Official source

https://infoscience.epfl.ch/entities/publication/588660e2-9fe9-4681-ad55-907d53036699

Related concepts (32)

Swiss mercenaries

The Swiss mercenaries (Reisläufer) were a powerful infantry force constituted by professional soldiers originating from the cantons of the Old Swiss Confederacy. They were notable for their service in foreign armies, especially among the military forces of the Kings of France, throughout the Early Modern period of European history, from the Late Middle Ages into the Renaissance. Their service as mercenaries was at its peak during the Renaissance, when their proven battlefield capabilities made them sought-after mercenary troops.

Banking in Switzerland

Banking in Switzerland dates to the early eighteenth century through Switzerland's merchant trade and has, over the centuries, grown into a complex, regulated, and international industry. Banking is seen as emblematic of Switzerland. The country has a long history of banking secrecy and client confidentiality reaching back to the early 1700s. Starting as a way to protect wealthy European banking interests, Swiss banking secrecy was codified in 1934 with the passage of the landmark federal law, the Federal Act on Banks and Savings Banks.

Swiss people

The Swiss people (die Schweizer, les Suisses, gli Svizzeri, ils Svizzers) are the citizens of the multi-ethnic Swiss Confederation (Switzerland) regardless of ethno-cultural background or people of self-identified Swiss ancestry. The number of Swiss nationals has grown from 1.7 million in 1815 to 8.7 million in 2020. More than 1.5 million Swiss citizens hold multiple citizenship. About 11% of citizens live abroad (0.8 million, of whom 0.6 million hold multiple citizenship). About 60% of those living abroad reside in the European Union (0.

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