WWII, Switz and the Jews - not really a travel question
 

I know this is not a travel question but the people on this board know alot! of things and it is Europe related. My husband and I just came back from our first trip to Switz. We visited the Montreux area and met some very friendly Swiss people that spent some time showing us various sights. In a small city/village (Villenueve) they were showing us a church, telling us about the Protest. and Cath., and when we asked about a synagouge they replied no jews here. It made me wonder about the Swiss, their famous neutrality and the Jews in WWII. Surely many Jews must have tried to enter there from ohter parts of Europe for protection. I can't ever remeber hearing anything one way or the other about the Swiss and Jewish refugees. Anyone care to comment?

The Swiss weren't really refugee friendly, at all

http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/...vjw/swiss.html

I haven't had a chance to read this entire site but it looks interesting. Could it be they meant there were just no Jews in their small town?

Generally Switzerland was not very friendly to refugees of any stripe. My father was a political who illegally crossed the border to Switzerland in 1937, but continued on to France because he knew that the Swiss authorities would send him back to Germany if they caught him. During the war, Switzerland accepted children that were sent over from occupied territories.

What about Jews living in (residents of) Switz. Were they safe from the nazis?

Why wouldn't residents of Switzerland not be safe from the Nazis?

Michael,

Claro, the Swiss banks were laudering every cent the Nazis stole from their own Jewish citizens. Yeah, I know, I'm racist.
M

mikemo,

It is known that the Swiss banks were laundering money, but that does not mean that their Jewish residents were not safe from Nazi persecution, unless you have documented evidence to the contrary.

During WWII, Switzerland's borders were surrounded by the Nazi regime. No, they didn't let many Jews in (although a few did manage to find refuge) and too many were turned away. And yes, the banks laundered money. And yes, the Swiss were scared shitless.

Today there are many Jews in Switzerland. There's an area in Zürich that has many orthodox Jews. You won't see many synogogues, but they are definately around. Many of our successful businessmen in the oil trading business are Jews.

The only people nowadays who cause problems with the Jews are the skinheads...usually a bunch of shaven head young men who have found self esteem because they are part of the "gang".

As for religion in general, usually people are either Catholic or Protestant, depending on the area they live in. This is very traditional although many people are leaving the church.

We also have a growing Muslim community although we have only a few moschees. I don't know where the people in my area go and pray.

Hi
The Swiss were not very friendly to refugees including Jews.. I knew a non Jewish Polish Psychiatrist who made it to Switzerland and was turned over to the Nazis. He was not in Medical school at that time. He spoke about the Swiss and their relationship with the Nazis at that time. He was not a fan of the Swiss.

Most countries, including the USA, were not open to Jewish refugees before and during WWII.
And, after the war, the USA offered top-level work to Wernher Von Braun, who had developed the V-2 missile for the Nazis, missiles that were manufactured in factories staffed by slave labor.

I would say there was and is plenty of blame to go around, fear at the time, notwithstanding.

The phrase "plenty of blame to go around" seems to be a phrase appropriate to many world/national situations. Thanks, Elaine, for the perspective. Can you recall the name of the ship that was refused safe haven by the US? I remember a PBS documentary, but as usual, I can't recall the specifics. I'd like to find some information on the net. J.

You are probably referring to the "St. Louis" and there is an informative summary of that event here:

http://www2.gsb.columbia.edu/hermes/...icle_bonne.cfm

Switzerland provided safety for some Jewish refugees who had connections. Sir Georg Solti, then a young man and later to become the famous conductor, was one. I have heard Dr. Ruth Westheimer tell of her almost slave-like existence as a schoolgirl in Switzerland during the war.

Swiss railways provided transit for trains of boxcars laden with Jews headed for the death camps coming up from Italy. These sealed boxcars rumbled through Switzerland during the night, but some of them were halted by track damage during the days, leading ordinary Swiss citizens along the rights of way to wonder where the screams and moans of thirsty and starving people were coming from.

True, von Braun's team was hustled to America in "Operation Paperclip." In Huntsville and other bases, they were put to work by Chrysler Corp. and the Army in developing our rocket arms program. In the Cold War, there were few nations with clean hands.

Yes, the St Louis was the most famous of several ships full of refugees that were turned away from many shores.
Another article:

http://www.fiu.edu/~fcf/hellstlouis.html