The Swiss Memorial for the Victims of National Socialism in Diepoldsau: developing the Rheintal Exhibition Centre on the history of escape and refugees in Switzerland 1933-1945

In 2023, the Swiss Federal Council made a fundamental decision to establish a Swiss memorial for the victims of National Socialism with the elements of remembrance, education and networking in two places: in the Swiss capital Bern and a location on the border in the canton of St. Gall. The natural choice was Diepoldsau – here in summer 1938, in particular, an outstanding number of refugees crossed the Rhine, escaping from Nazi persecution.

In the meantime – as of spring 2025 – planning for the memorial site in Bern is also progressing and the “Swiss Network Memorial to the Victims of National Socialism” association has been founded with its headquarters in Zurich at the Swiss Federation of Jewish Communities.

The foundation has been laid: the phase of conception for process and completion by 2028/2029 for the Rheintal Exhibition Centre in the former customs building at the border can begin!

St.Gallen conference on the future education center documented!

In June 2024, the prominently introduced and participatory networking meeting brought together 100 historians, exhibition designers and cultural professionals from Switzerland, Austria, Liechtenstein and Germany. The participants discussed the status of the plans for both Swiss memorials and potential questions regarding the focus and educational activities. At the same time, the conference provided the first historical overview of the history of escape at all Swiss borders between 1933 and 1945.

The venue of the conference: the former Hadwig School in St. Gallen, was the arrival point of a transport of survivors from Theresienstadt in February 1945 and functions today as the city’s teacher training college.

Tagungsdokumentation St.Gallen (Juni 2024) Doppelseiten (pdf in German) ►
Tagungsdokumentation St.Gallen (Juni 2024) Einzelseiten (pdf in German) ►