Hohenems in 1938 was a possible gateway to freedom for Jewish refugees. Many attempted to get away from persecution in Nazi Germany and Austria, by crossing the old Rhine, the border between Vorarlberg and Switzerland. We follow their traces on a guided tour that starts at the Jewish Museum. We walk along the Emsbach and listen to audio interviews with survivors. They speak about their personal experience in 1938, about their escape but also about their difficult life in Switzerland once they have crossed the border. We also listen to the story of those who dared to help the refugees. Some of them – like the police officer Paul Grüninger from St. Gall – risked their own future for this.

The tour crosses the border into Switzerland, returning over the Paul-Grüninger-bridge into Austria. Here is also the end of our guided tour. The tour regularly takes one and a half hours.