and other Swiss Righteous among the Nations
Brunschweiler’s life and lifesaving activities
Eduard Benedikt Brunschweiler (1910–1987) was a Swiss national who was appointed by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to manage the Benedictine Archabbey of Pannonhalma on their behalf, during the final months of the German occupation, towards the end of the Second World War.
In early 1944, Archabbot Kelemen Krizosztom wrote to the Committee with a proposal that the Archabbey, situated in North-Western Hungary, be put under the protection of the ICRC. Friedrich Born, the ICRC delegate in Budapest, took this opportunity both to help protect the 800-year-old historical buildings and at the same time make use of them to provide shelter for refugees from the conflict. Born obtained agreements from the Hungarian government and the German military that the premises of the abbey were to be regarded as militarily neutral, despite the fact that they were directly on the line of defence between the Soviet Red Army and the German forces.
In October 1944, Born appointed Brunschweiler, a businessman, who had been living in Budapest, to take charge of the operation, on behalf of the ICRC. Brunschweiler managed to arrange a meeting with the German Reich plenipotentiary for Hungary, Edmund Veesenmayer, concerning arrangements for the shelter of the refugees there. Veesemeyer accepted that Jewish children would be sheltered in the archabbey but insisted that the percentage of Jewish refugees should not exceed those of half-Jewish refugees.
At the time, those Hungarian Jews who had not been sent on train transports to extermination camps were being force-marched West ahead of the Soviet advances and many died on these journeys. Born’s instructions to Brunschweiler were that children who had lost their parents or otherwise needed protection could be given shelter but ‘political figures’, men and boys over the age of 14 were not to be accepted. In fact, the monks in Pannonhalma turned a blind eye to many of these restrictions.
As the Red Army approached Pannonhalma, the refugee population grew to about 3000 people. Following the defeat of the Hungarian and Nazi defensive forces around the abbey in April 1945, the Red Army took control of the area and Brunschweiler and the ICRC were expelled from the Abbey.
On October 17, 2006 a memorial plaque to Brunschweiler was unveiled at the Archabbey. On March 31, 2009 the Israeli ambassador to Hungary presented an award to the present arch-abbot of the Abbey, posthumously recognizing Brunschweiler as Righteous among the Nations for his actions in sheltering the refugees.
Further Swiss Righteous among the Nations active in Budapest 1944-45
The Righteous Among the Nations list includes almost 50 Swiss citizens who were honoured by the Israeli Yad Vashem for saving Jews during the Nazi era.
Carl Lutz
In Budapest, Carl Lutz was entrusted with the leadership of the Consular Protection Department of the Swiss Legation from 1942 to 1945 and represented the interests of twelve belligerent states. In collaboration with Raoul Wallenberg, Apostolic Nuncio Angelo Rotta, ICRC delegate Friedrich Born, and other diplomats, tens of thousands of letters of protection, emigration certificates, and collective passports were issued. As a result, most of Budapest’s Jews—who were also sheltered in over a hundred safe houses—were spared deportation. 124,000 Jews survived the war in Hungary; about half owe their lives to Carl Lutz. In the so-called Glass House at Vadász utca 29 in Budapest—the center of Swiss Vice-Consul Carl Lutz’s rescue operation during World War II—the Carl Lutz Foundation Budapest has created a memorial room. In the Jewish quarter, there is also a memorial site and a street (Carl Lutz rkp.) along the Danube on the Pest side, near Margaret Island.
Gertrud Lutz
Wife of Carl Lutz. While her husband Carl Lutz and his staff issued protective letters for thousands of Jews, thereby saving them from deportation to the extermination camps, Gertrud Lutz procured food, cooked, and cared for the sick in the basement of the Swiss legation, which served as a hiding place at the time. After her divorce from her husband, the tireless Gertrud proved that she was not merely “the woman by his side.” She continued her humanitarian mission undeterred. She worked for the aid organization Schweizer Spende, was active in what was then Yugoslavia, Finland, and Poland, among other places, and then joined the children’s aid organization UNICEF. In the impoverished northeast of Brazil, she oversaw nutrition programs starting in 1951 and established maternity homes. Gertrud Lutz concluded her professional career as UNICEF Vice President in Paris.
Peter Zürcher and Ernst Vonrufs
Toward the end of the war, Vice Consul Carl Lutz appointed the Swiss industrialists Peter Zürcher and Ernst Vonrufs as his representatives in the “Foreign Interests Section” of the Swiss legation in Pest. Lutz feared that, from his residence in Buda, he would not be able to act quickly enough to protect the Jews under Swiss care. Zürcher and Vonrufs carried out their duties skillfully and with great courage.
Friedrich Born
Friedrich Born demonstrated moral courage during dark times. In 1944, Born (born in 1903 in Langenthal), who had absolutely no experience in practical Red Cross work, was appointed head of the ICRC delegation in Budapest, succeeding Jean de Bavier. To support the work of his delegation, he employed primarily Jews. Born established hospitals, children’s homes, orphanages, and soup kitchens for Hungarian Jews and placed these facilities under the protection of the Red Cross. Approximately 7,000 to 8,000 children were cared for in the roughly 60 children’s homes and orphanages. Born was authorized by the ICRC to issue protective papers for the affected people. He also collaborated with the consular missions of Latin American countries in Switzerland to issue immigration papers from those countries, thereby enabling further Hungarian Jews to find protection from Nazi reprisals and deportation. Unfortunately, Born was unable to prevent the majority of the deportations through his efforts. He did, however, succeed in halting the departure of the last convoys, thereby saving the lives of approximately 7,500 people. Another 3,000 to 4,000 Hungarian Jews avoided transport to concentration camps through their work for the ICRC delegation.
Harald Feller
Harald Feller assisted Carl Lutz in rescuing Jews under Swiss protection. Feller worked closely with the other neutral legations to exert constant pressure on the government to bring an end to the persecution and deportation of Jews. Feller protected members of the Swedish legation, who were targeted by the Arrow Cross Party, by providing them with forged Swiss passports and shelter. Toward the end of the war, Feller hid dozens of Jews in the basement of his consular residence in Budapest. In February 1945, the Soviets arrested Feller and another employee of the Swiss legation and deported them to Moscow. Both were returned in February 1946 in exchange for two pilots who had crashed in Switzerland.
Hildegard Gutzwiller
She does not appear on the Yad Vashem list reproduced below, but she has been recognised Righteous on 29/05/1995 – file number: M.31.2/6611.
Hildegard Gutzwiller was hired as a teacher at the Sacré-Cœur Convent Sophianum in Budapest in 1934. During World War II, she saved numerous refugees from deportation by taking them into the convent. At that time, the convent’s premises were under the diplomatic protection of Switzerland and the Vatican. Gutzwiller’s name appears on the roll of honor at the Great Synagogue in Budapest.
Otto Haggenmacher
He does not appear on the Yad Vashem list reproduced below, but he has been recognised Righteous on 13/12/2001 – file number: M.31.2/9549.
From October 1944 to February 1945, the businessman Otto Haggenmacher hid, cared for, and saved over thirty Jewish children from deportation in his villa in Buda. He did this in collaboration with the Hungarian pastor Gábor Sztehlo. Most of these children’s parents perished in the extermination camps. Haggenmacher covered the financial expenses out of his own pocket.
Other Swiss who saved Jewish lives
A number of Swiss life savers operated in their home country, other ones in other European states.
Some of them are listed below as examples, including those who have not been awarded by Yad Vashem (marked as such in brackets).
Paul Grüninger
Customs Commander in St. Gallen who falsified documents to allow Jewish refugees to enter Switzerland illegally, saving hundreds.
Jakob F. Spirig-Riesbacher
During the war, Spirig-Riesbacher helped bring persecuted Jews and refugees to Switzerland, and on assisted in providing them with false documents, shelter, and food.
Anna Riesen Flescher
During World War II, she hid and saved the Jewish psychiatrist Joachim Flescher in Rome; he later became her husband. Thanks to her perseverance and resourcefulness, Joachim Flescher survived, while most of his family fell victim to the Holocaust.
Ernest Witwer
During the war years, following Switzerland’s humanitarian tradition, Witwer participated in the rescue of Jewish refugees, prisoners of war, and victims of political persecution. Operating from neutral Switzerland, he organized relief efforts aimed at providing a safe haven for the vulnerable citizens of war-torn Europe.
Margareta Tobler
During the war years, Margareta Tobler took advantage of Switzerland’s neutral status to help persecuted people, mostly Jews, fleeing Nazi occupation. According to sources, she provided them with shelter, food, and false documents, often putting her own safety at risk.
Rosl & Ernst Battegay (have not received the Rightous Medal)
The Battegays lived in Basel and became known for helping Jews fleeing Nazi persecution. During the war, they provided shelter and acted as intermediaries between the Swiss authorities and the refugees. In many cases, their help enabled those being persecuted to safely cross into Switzerland.
Ruth Schmid & Hans Schmid (have not received the Rightous Medal)
Helped hide and protect Jews during the war: the couple lived near the Swiss-French border and, during World War II, helped several persecuted people—mainly refugees of Jewish descent—cross the border into neutral Switzerland.
A háború alatt segítettek zsidók elrejtésében és védelmében: a házaspár a svájci–francia határ közelében élt, és a második világháború alatt több üldözöttet, főként zsidó származású menekülteket segített át a határon a semleges Svájc területére.
Gertrud Kurz (has not received the Rightous Medal)
Known as the “Mother of Refugees,” she advocated for and assisted Jewish refugees trying to enter Switzerland.
Max Waibel (has not received the Rightous Medal)
Played a role in facilitating contacts that helped end fighting in Italy and indirectly protected lives, including Jews.
Sources:
- Wikipedia
- Confédération Suisse 1
- Confédération Suisse 2
- ChatGPT used for name and data collection
Original in English from the sources mentioned.
Edited and HU translation with AI support by P. Krausz