Quaderni di Dodis

Die Schweiz und die NNSC

ISBN 978-3-907261-25-5 (.pdf)
ISBN 978-3-907261-26-2 (Print)
ISBN 978-3-907261-27-9 (.epub)
ISBN 978-3-907261-28-6 (.mobi)

ISSN 2235-509X
DOI https://doi.org/10.5907/Q21

414 pages

Bern 2023

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence (CC BY 4.0).

open science

Sacha Zala, Yves Steiner and Dominik Bär (eds.):
Die Schweiz und die NNSC. Diplomatische Dokumente der Schweiz zur Geschichte der Neutral Nations Supervisory Commission in Korea 1951–1995
(Quaderni di Dodis – fonti, vol. 21)

pdf epub mobi print

Switzerland’s involvement in the Neutral Nations Supervisory Commission (NNSC) in Korea is the flagship of its «Good Offices». Since 1953, Switzerland has been watching over the observance of the armistice in Korea at the 38th parallel in Panmunjom together with Sweden as the neutral representative of the southern side, while Czechoslovakia and Poland represented the northern side (respectively until 1993 and 1995). Since any monitoring activity was suspended as early as 1956, the mere presence of the Commission has since been regarded as a guarantor of the armistice. Through its seat on the NNSC, Switzerland, otherwise so reserved in foreign policy, found itself internationally at the forefront of a conflict that always followed the fever curve of the Cold War.
This volume presents seventy documents on the history of the NNSC and the Swiss participation, shedding light in particular on the political and diplomatic dimension. Thanks to the linkage with numerous other documents and information in the Dodis database, the collection of sources becomes a valuable compass for further research.

Documents in the volume / Documents in Dodis

About the authors

Sacha Zala (*1968): Prof. Dr., Historian, Director of the Dodis research centre and professor at the University of Bern.

Yves Steiner (*1985): M.A., Historian, Researcher at the Dodis research centre.

Dominik Bär (*1994): M.A., Historian, History Teacher at Burgdorf Gymnasium.

Reviews and media

Christoph Wehrli, in: SGA ASPE, 03/2024. PDF

Switzerland’s involvement in the Neutral Nations Supervisory Commission (NNSC) in Korea is the flagship of its «Good Offices». Since 1953, Switzerland has been watching over the observance of the armistice in Korea at the 38th parallel in Panmunjom together with Sweden as the neutral representative of the southern side, while Czechoslovakia and Poland represented the northern side (respectively until 1993 and 1995). Since any monitoring activity was suspended as early as 1956, the mere presence of the Commission has since been regarded as a guarantor of the armistice. Through its seat on the NNSC, Switzerland, otherwise so reserved in foreign policy, found itself internationally at the forefront of a conflict that always followed the fever curve of the Cold War.
This volume presents seventy documents on the history of the NNSC and the Swiss participation, shedding light in particular on the political and diplomatic dimension. Thanks to the linkage with numerous other documents and information in the Dodis database, the collection of sources becomes a valuable compass for further research.