Genevese company of the Swiss colonies

The Genevese Compagnie of the Swiss Colonies is a company of colonization in Algérie in the area of Sétif which was creates by business men Suisse S in 1853.

Napoleon III which had remained in exile in Switzerland and which had been helped by business men conceded by a decree of August 26th, 1853 20000 hectares of ground in the area of Sétif. Among the recipients of this concession appeared in particular the Count François de Beauregard and Charles Louis Sautter.

N the other hand of the concession of the 20000 hectares, the financial ones were committed to create villages and making come from the owners. The beginnings were difficult and the Company never fulfills completely its obligations, being satisfied to exploit its grounds thanks to sharecroppers.

Among its directors, there was of them one which did an important work on the agronomic level for the Company and even for the area of Sétif. It is about Gotlieb Ryf whose contribution with the agriculture of the area unaniment was unaniment recognized. One of its sons, Arnold Ryf, succeeded to him the head of the Company. One must add that Henry Dunant the founder of the Red Cross tried to make deals in Algeria and in particular in the area of Sétif and he worked even some time with the signature of the Genevese Company.

This company will disappear a few years before independence from Algeria and one can consult his files in Geneva and the files of North Africa in Aix in Provence.

See too

Random links: