Switzerland, one of the most outstanding ski destinations, had internment camps for allied forces in today’s most renowned ski resorts.
Bajo los criterios del Convenio de la Haya, la neutralidad suiza, estatus que mantiene oficialmente desde el renacimiento, se vio comprometida durante la Segunda Guerra Mundial al verse rodeada de países beligerantes. Los soldados de ambos bandos que –por múltiples razones– se refugiaron en Suiza fueron internados y puestos bajo estricta custodia para impedir que se escaparan. La mayor parte de ellos tuvo que trabajar o bien en las granjas como suplentes de los suizos movilizados, o bien en proyectos de edificación.
According to the principles of The Hague Convention, the neutrality of Switzerland –a status kept by that country back from Renaissance– was in risk during World War II as a result of being surrounded by belligerent nations. Soldiers from both sides who sought refuge for different reasons in Switzerland were interned to be watched over to avoid an escape. Most of them had to work either in farms, substituting mobilized farmers, or in building projects.
Existieron numerosos campos de retención, pero únicamente nos fijaremos en este reportaje en aquellos que se situaron en lo que hoy son famosas estaciones de esquí suizas.
There were many internment camps. Here we will only concentrate in those which have become nowadays popular ski resorts.
Hünenburg, en el Cantón de Zug, fue uno de los primeros. Construido en 1940 por soldados polacos, fue usado para retener a Aviadores Americanos y Soldados Italianos, usando principalmente edificaciones ya existentes. cerca de donde estuvieron estos barracones, está hoy en día la estación de Rigi-Kulm
Hünenburg, in the region of Zug, was one of the first internment camps. It was built in 1940 by Polish soldiers and was used to keep American airmen and Italian soldiers in custody, mainly in already existing buildings. near that location there is nowadays a Rigi-Kulm ski resort..
Hunenburg Camp
El primer campo permanente de retención de tropas americanas se situó en Adelboden, y fue llamado ‘Camp Moloney’ (Joe Moloney fue el primer aviador americano en morir en Suiza durante la Segunda Guerra Mundial).
The first permanent internment camp to keep American soldiers was located in Adelboden. It was named ‘Camp Moloney’ after Joe Moloney, the first American airman to die in Switzerland during World War II.
Durante la guerra, la lejana ciudad de Adelboden había sido abandonada en gran parte, y resultaba por tanto un lugar ideal para establecer un campo de retención. En junio de 1944, muchas tripulaciones aliadas habían sido obligadas a aterrizar en Suiza por parte de los cazas suizos, y por tanto el Campo de Adelboden estaba repleto. Davos-Platz fue elegido como el nuevo destino para los oficiales americanos, mientras que Adelboden quedó únicamente para la tropa.
During the war, the isolated town of Adelboden had been largely deserted, so it was a perfect location to establish a detention camp. In June 1944 many allied flight crews had been forced to land in Switzerland, therefore the Adelboden camp soon become overcrowded. Davos-Platz was chosen as a new internment camp for American officers, leaving Adelboden for enlisted men only.
Adelboden in 1944
Curiosamente Davos-Platz tiene una aldea vecina, Davos-Dorf, que fue durante un tiempo el destino principal para el descanso de oficiales alemanes. Algunos de ellos traían a sus esposas e hijos.
Curiously Davos-Platz has a neighbouring village, Davos-Dorf, which had been for some time the main vacation destination for German officers during the war. Some of them even took there their wives and sons with them.
Mapa de pistas de Davos en 1940
Davos piste map in 1940
Wengen, in a nearby valley two hours Hawai from Adelboden, was also another popular ski destination before the war. It was chosen as an internment camp for American soldiers in August 1944 as a result of overcrowding at Adelboden and Davos camps. The 14 hotels in that village were used as lodging for the aircrews.
Palace hotel en Wegen, 1944
Wengen Palace hotel, 1944
Straflager-Les Diablerets was established for Americans who had tried to escape. Located in a three-storey building in the mountain village of Les Diablerets, there was only one way in or out of the village, so it was difficult to escape. Les Diablerets is located in the borough of Ormont-Dessus near lake Geneva. It is a famous ski resort because of nearly year-round snow.
Les Diablerets
These camps were watched by armed Swiss soldiers at the entrance to the quarters. Internees had two formations daily and a bed check at 9.00 pm.
Aunque eran campos de internamiento, la libertad de movimientos dentro de las ciudades que los albergaban era bastante grande lo cual dio lugar a más de una anécdota, pues no era infrecuente que aficionados al esquí de uno y otro bando coincidiesen en las laderas nevadas.
Even though being internment camps, internees had a lot of freedom to walk around in town, which caused many anecdotes as it was quite frequent for ski lovers from both sides to meet in the snowy slopes.
Insignia sarcástica que lucían los oficiales americanos en alusión a la inactividad militar que llevaban en Suiza.
Sarcastic badge worn by American officers in reference to their military inactivity in Switzerland.
El 4 de julio de 1944 los oficiales americanos tiraron fuegos artificiales delante de la embajada alemana en Davos.
On 4th July 1944 American officers shot fireworks at the German embassy in Davos.
Embajada Alemana en Davos.
German embassy in Davos.
Anyway, the most outstanding diplomatic incident was the theft of the nazi flag in the German embassy by officers Sampson and Garcia on 6th August 1944. They were arrested by the Swiss authorities in the Palace hotel.
Sampson y Garcia lucen en sus chaquetas de aviador la insignia sarcastica antes reseñada.
Sampson and Garcia with the badge Sarcastic in their jackets.
Algunos oficiales también conocieron allí a quienes posteriormente fueron sus esposas. Eso fue lo que le ocurrió a John Steichen con la enfermera Pauly Buol, cuya familia tenía una granja en la llegada del funicular de Davos y era una gran esquiadora.
Some officers even met there their wives-to-be, as happened to John Steichen with nurse Pauly Buol, whose family run a farm at the top of the Davos funicular. She was a skilled skier.
1947 – Días felices tras la Segunda Guerra Mundial. Pauly ganó una competición de slalom en Cerro Catedral, Bariloche, Argentina.
1947 - Happier days after WWII. Pauly winning a slalom race at Catedral mountain, Bariloche, Argentina.
All in all, Switzerland lodged more than 100.000 foreign soldiers during the war. The first group were French and Polish troops which crossed the border after France surrendered in June 1940. Other minor groups were prisoners of war, deserters or wounded soldiers.
Fuentes/Sources:
http://www.jmi.com
http://swissinternees.tripod.com/
Nuestro agradecimiento a/ Special Thanks to:
M.M. Caballero por su asesoramieto.