«La frontiera dalle uova d'oro»

In his new book "La frontiera dalle uova d'oro. Contrabbando di uomini e di merci tra Valtellina e Val Poschiavo (1800-1950)", Andrea Paganini dedicates herself to the history of the Italian-Swiss border between Valtellina and Poschiavo. The focus is on the phenomenon of smuggling, which for many centuries represented both a survival strategy and a path to prosperity. The author shows how this has had a strong impact on the area and the identity of its population. The border is not only to be understood as a dividing line. It will also become a space of encounter and economic, social and cultural exchange. In times of crisis – especially during the Second World War – smuggling was closely linked to the flight of asylum seekers as well as to the liberation movements.

The book and the lecture are based on sources that have not yet been evaluated and concentrate on the period between 1800 and 1950. The focus is on people – smugglers, border crossers, refugees – who are often on the margins of historiography. Paganini re-evaluates the Alpine border valleys as scenes of human fates and important hubs in transalpine freight traffic. The study was carried out as part of a research project by the Institute for Cultural Research of the Grisons.

The event is organised in cooperation with the Institute for Cultural Research Graubünden (ikg) and will be held in German.