“The most important source for Swiss foreign policy is the series Diplomatische Dokumente der Schweiz […]. The spread offered is impressive. The series naturally concentrates on Switzerland’s relations with the major powers, but care has been taken to include documents relating to other areas of Swiss foreign policy, so as to provide a flavour of Switzerland’s diplomatic activities as a whole. […] Documents Diplomatiques Suisses should be the first port of call for any serious research into Swiss diplomacy.”
Sacha Zala
Sacha Zala, born 1968, Dr. phil., studied History, Political Science and Constitutional Law at the University of Berne and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. 1997-2000 scientific researcher for the project «Internationalization strategies as an instrument of Swiss foreign policy» in the national research program «Foundations and Prospects of Swiss Foreign Policy» under the direction of Prof. Dr. Madeleine Herren (University of Zurich). From 1998 to 2002 academic assistant to Prof. Dr. Judit Garamvölgyi and Prof. Dr. Marina Cattaruzza at the University of Berne. From 2002 to 2004 senior researcher and lecturer for Modern and Contemporary History at the University of Berne. Scholarship in 2004 from the Hans-Sigrist-Foundation of the University of Berne and member of the Istituto Svizzero di Roma. From 2006 to 2009 Oberassistent (senior researcher and lecturer) for Modern and Contemporary History at the University of Berne, since then associated researcher. In 2009 Fellow at the Cluster of Excellence «Asia and Europe in a Global Context: Shifting Asymmetries in Cultural Flows» of the University of Heidelberg. Since 1998 various teaching assignments at the universities of Berne, Zurich, Basel and Lucerne.
Since 2000 academic researcher for the Diplomatic Documents of Switzerland. Since 2008 Director of the DDS.
Main fields of research
Historiography, history of historiography and politics on history; international politics and foreign policy; the history of European nationalities, minorities and border regions.
Main publications
Sacha Zala, Gebändigte Geschichte. Amtliche Historiographie und ihr Malaise mit der Geschichte der Neutralität. 1945-1961, Bern 1998 (Dossier des Schweizerischen Bundesarchivs, Bd. 7).
Sacha Zala, Geschichte unter der Schere politischer Zensur. Amtliche Aktensammlungen im internationalen Vergleich, München 2001 (Diss., Manuskript: Bern 1999).
Madeleine Herren und Sacha Zala, Netzwerk Aussenpolitik. Internationale Organisationen und Kongresse als Instrumente der schweizerischen Aussenpolitik. 1914-1950, Zürich 2002 (Schweizer Beiträge zur internationalen Geschichte, Bd. 5).
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