The Neuenburger affair was a politico-economic argument between Switzerland and the napoleonischen France in the apron of the continental barrier 1806.

The continental barrier, by which the trade with English goods on the continent controlled by France should be prevented by prohibitions and enormous protective duties, came into force only in November 1806; for Switzerland however the napoleonische economic war began to become noticeable already against England 1803, when the transport of English merchandise to France and the mechanism were forbidden of Warenlagern in the proximity of the French border; further prohibitive measures followed. The material damage for Swiss industry was enormous, since this converted cotton for the export to a substantial part and set off only the smallest part of production inland. Likewise many Swiss companies were concerned, which were active in the international wholesale. Business was however on a long tradition to look back could and with those itself the Basler company of the Merian particularly out-done the consequence of it in the halflegal and illegal range, those. The smuggling trade was not unknown to the French authorities. In April 1805 a Basler delegation was therefore over-accumulated up in particular and (however with the the Merian directly did not use) mayors Andreas Merian Iselin by emperor Napoleon with reproaches.

The Neuenburger affair, as the most important politico-economic argument between Switzerland and the napoleonischen France, decreased/went back to the French acquisition of the Prussian Exklave new castle in February 1806. Briefly before the connection Swiss of buyers accumulated a large camp with textiles and colonial goods (cotton, sugar, coffee, pepper, cocoa and spices) in new castle, in order to bring this later duty-free in France on the market. When the French authorities of the project got knowledge, they konfiszierten the camp; Napoleon addressed a sharp diplomatic note to Switzerland, in which the arrest and punishment of the buyers involved were required and besides the invasion of French troops was threatened as a check of the English-Swiss goods traffic. Under the French pressure the hearing ordered in July 1806 - thus four months before the actual continental barrier - an in and an export prohibition for English Manufakturwaren, several tradespeople, also the Merian, was arrested, and the Neuenburger camp to the half with high penalty duties in France sold and to the other half in favor of the French army auctioneers.

The effects of the Neuenburger affair were ambivalent. Nominal independent Switzerland was firmly in the French economic system integrated; it lacked the textile industry raw materials and sales markets; in some regions unemployment and hunger emergency prevailed. Medium-term however the economic war led against England and the damage of the international trade to the development of the own Swiss textile industry; this happened in particular in east Switzerland, where cotton had to be produced before against the English competition and one gained now from the continental barrier quite somewhat. Relieved of the pressure of the English competition, the rapid replacement of the past publishing trade succeeded to the textile producers by a multiplicity of newly created factories, and the mechanical spinning mill became the basis of the modern industry.

Literature

• Niklaus Stettler, Peter Haenger, Robert Labhardt: Cotton slaves and credit, Basel 2004, P. 153-160 ISBN 3-85616-212-7

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