A relict from strict borders between Switzerland and connecting countries, the bureau fiscal is the French office for tax affaires of the passing by citizen. Before Schengen, a contract between Switzerland and the UE, and other agreements regulating import, export and identities, many goods and people had to be controlled, detaxed, retaxed etc.
In former times people seem to have used the bureau fiscal quite often. Having bought quite some meat, wine or cheese, TVA had to be recalculated in case of exceeded limits. These buildings were also a status symbol of the nation. Then permanently occupied they are now at abandon.
Fiscus, from which comes the English term fiscal, was the name of the personal treasury of the emperors of Rome. The word is literally translated as “basket” or “purse” and was used to describe those forms of revenue collected from the provinces1.
The bureau fiscal is of particular interest for the urbanist as it’s geographic location is very specific. The building is typically the first one after the border, right hand site.
The corresponding office of the other country is therefore placed across the border on the opposite side.
location: Ambilly, France
Time:08/07/2014
Psychogeography (Chtcheglov): bizarre
delay:next week
- Wikipedia 2014 ↩