On July 10, 2025, the panel “(In)visible State Knowledge. Practices of Secrecy in the Swiss and South German Context (17th/18th Century)” took place at the Seventh Swiss History Days in Lucerne, as part of the broader conference theme “(Un)sichtbarkeit / In(visibilité)”.
The panel explored how early modern governments in republican contexts navigated access to sensitive information. While much research has focused on secrecy within monarchies, the contributions here emphasized the role of secrecy in decentralized and collectively governed territories. Archives, secret councils, and encryption strategies emerged as key tools for controlling information and shaping power.
Jan Haugner, in his talk “Accessibility and Confidentiality of State Documents in Archives of the Early Modern Swiss Confederation”, examined archival practices in the early modern Confederacy. His contribution illustrated how access and invisibility of state documents were regulated—often creating tensions within ruling authorities themselves.
Debora Heim, in her presentation “The ‘Age of Secrecy’ in the Old Swiss Confederacy. Secret Councils and Secrecy Practices in the 16th–18th Centuries“, analyzed the emergence and function of so-called “Secret Councils”. These small, powerful bodies reflected the balancing act between efficient governance and the challenges of political legitimacy in republican regimes.
A third contribution by Eveline Szarka, titled “The Secret Codebooks of the Margrave – The Case of Baden-Durlach (1677–1709)”, provided insight into encryption and clandestine communication strategies in the South German principality of Baden-Durlach.
The panel concluded with a thoughtful commentary by Andreas Würgler, who contextualized the contributions within broader historiographical debates on secrecy, communication, and state knowledge in the early modern period.