Carrie Carney, lived in Switzerland (2014-2015)
This is such an interesting question, and one that I asked myself when we moved to Switzerland a few years ago. When I started digging for more information, I realized that the Swiss people themselves wanted to more fully understand their country’s role throughout WWII. The short answer to this question is that the Swiss weren’t neutral at all. The long answer is much, much longer.
In 1996, the Swiss Federal Council appointed something called the Bergier Commission (or ICE - Independent Commission of Experts). The task for this international team was not to attack or criticize Switzerland’s actions with regards to WWII, but rather to better understand its role during the war within a historical context. With a budget of 22 million francs and unlimited access to private and public documents, the commission concluded its research in 2002. The result was 25 comprehensive volumes analyzing the movement of assets, Switzerland’s relationship with Nazi Germany, its refugee policy, the exchange of Swiss francs for gold, and the manufacture and movement of arms, all within the legal framework of neutrality as dictated by the Hague Convention of 1907. Information about Switzerland’s refugee policy was also included in the final report.
The commission concluded that Switzerland repeatedly violated their neutrality (though at times in favor of the Allies, so that’s a plus). The report found that the reasons the Nazis didn’t invade Switzerland had less to do with their geography, militia, or pro-Jewish sentiment and far more to do with money. It was good business for Swiss companies and the government to do business with German companies and the Nazi Regime. And while many individual Swiss citizens might not have been pro-Hitler, the commission found that the policies of the government were in fact anti-semitic. These were several of the passages that most stood out to me, taken as direct quotes from their findings.
“All the clearing credits were used by the German and Italian armies to buy Swiss machines, agricultural products and, above all, war materials, so that the loans granted by the Swiss government contravened the law of neutrality. On balance, this state loan can be regarded as a «toll» paid to the Axis powers, which, until 1944, effectively controlled Switzerland’s foreign trade by way of their counter-blockade.” ICE Vol 3.
“Throughout the duration of the Nazi régime, the companies we looked at were all able to maintain their autonomy and their private sector character. At the same time, through their manufacturing activities and the employment of a vast number of workers, they contributed to the rallying and expansion of the German economy, thus supporting the Nazi system. The entrepreneurs were of the opinion that this was their duty towards the national-socialist state, regardless of what political system that state presented them with and of its legality.” ICE Vol 6
“For Swiss refugee policy, two years were of particular importance. In 1938, Switzerland was involved in the marking of passports of German Jews with a «J» , and in August 1942 it closed its borders for persons persecuted ‘for racial reasons only.’ ” ICE Vol 17
“The closing of the borders in the summer of 1942 was justified in part by the food supply situation. Sources prove, however, that neither the food supply situation nor military or political pressure from abroad played a decisive role in the closing of the borders. The question, therefore, arises why Switzerland, in spite of the knowledge it had, and without any stringent necessity, in the following months rejected thousands of refugees and got involved in national socialist crimes by abandoning refugees to their persecutors. In the present volume, anti-Semitism appears as an important reason for either not perceiving the persecution of Jews, or not drawing the necessary consequences in favor of the victims from this knowledge. This appears clearly from a comparison with policy regarding those refugees who had fled the repercussions of the Russian revolution and had found refuge and financial support in Switzerland. While in this case the all pervasive anti-communism worked in favor of the refugees, the rejection of Jewish refugees was motivated by a widespread anti-semitic attitude. Anti-Semitism in Switzerland was culturally, socially and politically founded and linked to forms of Christian hatred of Jews. It was embedded in a population policy which had been fighting the «Überfremdung» («over-foreignization») of Switzerland, and in particular the socalled «Verjudung» («over-Jewishization») since World War One (chapter 1.3). There were other factors affecting the definition of Swiss refugee policy, however, factors of national as well as international origin. At a national level, in particular xenophobia and the discourse of «Überfremdung» (chapter 2.2.2), economic protectionism (chapter 2.2.3), concerns regarding supply and national security (2.2.4) and the concept of a humanitarian mission (chapters 2.2.1 and 6) are to be mentioned. The interplay and incompatibility of these motives made it impossible for the Swiss decision makers to decide for a more generous admission of Jewish refugees, in spite of their extensive knowledge of the national socialist policy of persecution and destruction.” ICE Vol 17
Even this answer is probably far more info than most folks want, but for anyone who wants to read the actual reports, the summaries are available for free to the public on this site Independent Commission of Experts Switzerland. I’d encourage folks to read it. Don’t let those 22 million francs be for nothing.
I do want to add that we were lucky enough to live in Switzerland for a year and loved it. From the landscapes and food to the incredible Swiss friends we made, we will always love it!
Understanding history is important, but it is not a stick by which we should forever levy judgement.
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