In this essay the theoretical focus of postcolonial theory has been shifted
from the cultures and societies of former formal colonies to those countries
that have an explicit self-understanding as an outsider within the European
colonial power constellation. Using the example of Switzerland, it analyses
the presence and perseverance of colonial structures and power relations in a
country that has never been regarded as or understood itself as an official
colonial power. In a first step, we compare present debates on colonialism in
Switzerland with those in neighbouring countries, i.e. France, Germany, Italy
and Austria. In a second step, we trace previous research that postulates a
link between Switzerland and colonialism, and apply the concept of
‘colonialism without colonies’, which, in contrast, engages with methods
and themes that have emerged from postcolonial studies. Finally, we present
a specific case study on ‘Swiss commodity racism’ in order to elucidate the
concept ‘colonialism without colonies’.