Slavery in Switzerland

Slavery in Switzerland encompasses the historical practice of slavery within Swiss territories from the Roman era through the Middle Ages, as well as Swiss involvement in the Atlantic slave trade and plantation slavery in the Americas during the early modern period. While Switzerland never established overseas colonies, Swiss merchants, financiers, and individuals played significant roles in the transatlantic slave trade and owned enslaved people in colonial plantations, particularly during the 18th and early 19th centuries.

The history of slavery in Switzerland spans several distinct phases: the Roman period when slavery was legally regulated and widespread; the medieval transformation of slavery into various forms of serfdom; and the early modern period when Swiss merchants and capitalists became involved in the Atlantic slave trade and colonial plantation systems. Swiss participation in the slave trade from 1719 to 1830 resulted in the transportation of over 170,000 enslaved Africans, representing approximately 2% of all captives transported by European vessels during this period.