Vergiftete Schweiz

The history of industrialization is typically told as a story of pioneers and companies. It is well-known that watches and textiles were among Switzerland's top exports in the 19th century, and that the textile industry gave rise to the machinery, dye, and chemical industries. Due to water power, industry preferred to settle along rivers, which not only provided the necessary energy but also served as transportation routes and waste disposal sites.

However, we know surprisingly little about how industrialization specifically affected people and their environment. There are only a few studies that address the darker sides of industrialization. Claudia Aufdermauer aims to fill this gap with her book. She writes an environmental history of industrialization, focusing on the 19th and early 20th centuries and its impacts that continue to this day.