Interpersonal Violence and Social Change in the City of Berne 1850 ‐1930

With the help of criminal investigation hearings issued in the administrative district Bern, my project plans to investigate the development of the physical and sexual violence in Swiss urban regions between 1850 and 1930. This will be done by taking on a microhistorical actor’s perspective. Due to a significant increase in industrialization and urbanization, the designated period is particularly suited for research on the relations of everyday personal violence and social change. With this project, I hope to gain new insight into the changing relations of violence, gender, emotion, sexuality and subjectivity in the course of cultural and social change around 1900. I will also discuss classical themes of discourse analysis by approaching them from both the practical level of action and experience, and through the narratives of historical actors.