The widespread image of Switzerland as a welcoming land for exiles during the 20th Century does not always correspond to reality. Often the destination of choice for many women from the 1550s, who at that time felt the urge to abandon France due to religious wars, Switzerland remained a safe haven for numerous intellectuals in the following centuries, and most particularly in the 20th Century. Nonetheless, women were compelled to face numerous obstacles in their Swiss asylum: besides never losing their status as exiles, they had to struggle to find a place of their own in a male-dominated professional environment. This paper aims to illustrate the reality of Swiss exiles with the significant example of Else Lasker-Schüler.

Lasker-Schüler expatriation Exile Switzerland displacement

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