For decades, the 13-tonne granite block in the middle of Chur’s cemetery in Switzerland was largely ignored. But recent research by a local journalist has revealed its links to Nazi Germany and Switzerland’s own awkward relations with its World War Two neighbours. The monument was built in 1938, 20 years after the deaths of German, French, and British soldiers who were treated and interned in Switzerland during World War One. It was created for propaganda reasons, as part of Hitler’s machine to create visible signs of Nazi power in neighbouring countries.
At the time, many Germans were living in Switzerland, and Nazi organisations such as the National Socialist Party, the German Labour Front, and the Hitler Youth were all present. The German War Graves Commission had submitted ambitious plans to build a mausoleum in St Gallen, but this was rejected by Swiss authorities. However, the monument in Chur was approved and engraved with Fraktur font, a favourite of the Nazis. On Nazi holidays, swastikas were placed on it, and locals must have been aware of its origins.
An indignant letter to the local newspaper was written in 1938 asking why there was a Nazi stone in the cemetery. While Swiss sympathisers of Nazi Germany were well-documented in canton Graubünden, homegrown Swiss fascist parties never really took off. Throughout the war, Germans in Switzerland continued to be active in the Nazi party and display their sympathies. Switzerland made compromises with Berlin, banking Nazi gold and turning away Jewish refugees.
Just one day after the war ended, Switzerland purged itself of Nazis and expelled them from the country. This collective amnesia meant that today, many locals like radio journalist Stefanie Hablützel were unaware of the monument’s origins and the presence of Nazi organisations in the 1930s. Local member of parliament Jon Pult was also taken by surprise when he found out about it.
Nowadays, there is consensus that the monument should remain in Chur but should be used as a memorial to remember all those who died in World War Two. It should also serve as a warning against fascist ideologies. Switzerland has approved plans for an official Holocaust memorial and there are around 50 unofficial monuments across the country. It is hoped that this monument will help to re-examine and publicise that period in Swiss history and provide an opportunity for apology for its treatment of Jewish refugees during the war.