Nationalparks von Nord bis Süd Eine transnationale Verflechtungsgeschichte von Naturschutz und Kolonialisierung in Argentinien

The first national parks in Latin America were established in Argentina. The Nahuel Huapi, the Iguazú Falls and the Perito Moreno Glacier come to mind. The establishment of these nature reserves takes place in a transnational intertwined space in which ideas, imaginations, people, biota and artefacts circulate. The Argentinian national park idea is influenced by different approaches, ranging from US park policy to French landscape architecture, Prussian sustainable forestry and international debates on nature conservation. While national parks today are seen as a haven of wilderness, the contemporary interpretation in the first half of the 20th century is more open. In Argentina, a position has prevailed that sees national parks as ‘real instruments of colonisation’. Agricultural colonisation and the displacement of indigenous peoples, extensive programmes of urbanisation and touristisation of the landscape, as well as biological colonisation through salmon, deer and Douglas fir are integral components of Argentine park policy. This book therefore examines the relationship between nature conservation and colonisation and poses the following question: How do national parks work?

Olaf Kaltmeier