In addition to the well-established edition Diplomatic Documents of Switzerland (DDS), the Dodis research centre is currently launching a new series of testimonies, the Quaderni di Dodis – memorie.
The first volume is dedicated to the memoirs of the former Ambassador Ernst Iten. Having entered the Swiss diplomatic service in 1973, Iten represented Switzerland in places and at times of tension: after his first experiences in the Ivory Coast, Colombia, Iran, Argentina and in the OECD delegation in Paris, he was appointed ambassador to Venezuela, to several Caribbean countries and later to Israel, then also as Switzerland’s delegate to UNESCO and the Francophonie in Paris. His career has taken him to hot spots in world history – during the occupation of the embassy in Bogotá in 1980, when he represented the US-American interests in Iran in 1981/1982, during the Falklands War or in the Middle East conflict – and to areas of great cultural interest. His memoirs, accompanied by numerous pictures, thus offer a fascinating insight into the life of a Swiss diplomat.
The publication can be freely downloaded.
The event was recorded and can be watched here in full length.