Seide, Sand, Papier (D)

A splendid but little known Baroque Manor in Basel

The economic and industrial history of 18th century Basel in a global context

Two editions: German and English

In the mid-eighteenth century, the Basel silk manufacturer Achilles Leissler (1723-1784) had an impressive summerhouse, known as the “Sandgrube (sand pit), built on Riehenstrasse”. The building well suits the considerable number of opulent residences that line the road from Kleinbasel to Riehen. With their remarkable gardens full of exotic plants they represented not only the business elite of a rich city, but were also direct neighbours of those production sites that refined cotton and silk through special dying and printing processes, thereby enabling them to serve a global market.

This publication explores the heritage-protected “Sandgrube” and its internationally active residents. In doing so it provides insight into Basel’s early participation in a global market and the impact that production and trade in global commodities had on the local community and its self-image.

About the authors:
Susanna Burghartz (* 1956) is Professor of the Early Modern Era at the History Department and the Institute for European Global Studies of Basel University. Madeleine Herren (* 1956) is Director of the Institute for European Global Studies at Basel University and Professor of History of the Modern Era.

Programmschriftartig steht dieses Werk für eine historisch-kritische Interpretation verschränkter kultureller Phänomene und referenziert damit die Lebenswelt und das Agieren von Achilles Leisler mit einer heute in seiner Sommerresidenz betriebenen und gelehrten Mikroglobalgeschichte, wie sie überzeugender kaum Umsetzung finden könnte. (Brigitte Heck, WerkstattGeschichte 1/2023)