TRANSIT

This lecture was originally delivered at the University of California, Berkeley, on November 18, 2008. Its thematic focus is on multilingualism and cultural diversity in Switzerland. It also addresses political and cultural loyalty, modern survival strategies in economically marginal regions, and cultural priorities in a globalized world.

Iso Camartin was born in Graubünden in 1944. His mother tongue is Romansh but he is fluent in the four official languages of Switzerland. From 1974 to 1997 he worked as a research fellow at the Center for European Studies at Harvard University. From 1985 to 1997 he was Professor for Romansh literature and culture at the Technical University Zurich as well as at the University of Zurich. His pedagogical and research interests focus on multilingual and multicultural minorities. In 1986 he was awarded the European Essay Prize of the Veillon Trust. In 1993 he was writer-in-residence at the University of Southern California. Between 2000 and 2003 he was the director of the cultural division of Swiss Television DRS.