Ein Archiv für Wissenschaft, Staat und Nation

Abstract

In the second half of the nineteenth century, most European countries began to finance weather observation networks. As a result, climatological data practices changed fundamentally. Using the example of Switzerland, this paper examines the political, institutional and methodological dimensions of national data archives. The institutionalization of data collection within the national framework meant, on the one hand, that more observations were systematically made and published. On the other hand, it also meant that the monitoring was connected to state boundaries. However, based on their universalistic conception of science, this did not preclude national institutions from striving for international data standardization. The national framework also shaped the process of transforming weather observations into statistical data. This information formed the basis for national climatographies and thus had a nation-building effect. According to the Swiss Meteorological Institute, climate data were practically useful and had great potential for research work. However, the epistemic status of data collection was uncertain, since physical approaches to climatology had gained in importance. The anticipation of scientific and practical potential benefits played a central role for the continuation of data production. The Swiss case study presented here illustrates that climatology was transformed by the process of nation-building, affecting its institutional structure, spatial references, and epistemology.

Early instrumental meteorological measurements in Switzerland

“…However, its coordination was professionalised in the form of an administrative centre, the Schweizerische Meteorologische Zentralanstalt (Swiss Central Meteorological Agency, later MeteoSwiss). This state-supported institution pushed for the standardisation of both observers and instruments and adapted international agreements about the recording and communication of data (Hupfer, 2017(Hupfer, , 2019on internationalisation: Edwards, 2010). After a few years, in 1881, the meteorological agency became an official state institution responsible for climate monitoring and synoptic weather forecasting based on international telegraphic data exchange.…”

“…In Switzerland, a national meteorological network was initiated in December 1863 and maintained by the Schweizerische Naturforschende Gesellschaft (Swiss Society of Natural Sciences) before it became part of the Swiss federal administration (today MeteoSwiss) in 1881 (Hupfer, 2017). These data are well documented; a considerable fraction has been digitised and is electronically available (e.g.…”

“…Although meteorological networks in Switzerland in the mid-19th century have been analysed by historians (e.g. Pfister, 1975;Hupfer, 2015Hupfer, , 2019, no attempts have been undertaken to compile and digitise the data.…”

Swiss Early Instrumental Meteorological Measurements

“…However, its coordination was professionalised in form of an administrative centre, the "Schweizerische Meteorologische Zentralanstalt" (Swiss Central Meteorological Agency, later MeteoSwiss). This state-supported institution pushed standardisation of both observers and instruments and adapted international agreements about the recording and communication of data (Hupfer, 2017; 2019; on internationalisation: Edwards, 2010). After a few years, in 1881, the meteorological agency became an official state institution, responsible of climate monitoring and of synoptic weather forecasting based on international telegraphic data exchange.…”