During the Second World War, more than 100’000 foreign soldiers were
interned in Switzerland. French, Polish, English, Russian, Italian,
Germans who fled combat found a save haven in neutral Switzerland.
According to the international conventions signed before the war, the
Swiss government had to accept these soldiers and
keep them interned until the end of the hostilities. These soldiers
were held in barracks and used as helping hands for agriculture and
industries. Officers were not compelled to forced labour and stayed in
unoccupied mountain hotels. These rather mild detention conditions could
become nightmarish for those who tried to escape. The escapees were
sent to the camp of Wauwilermoos near Lucerne. This military prison was
under the command of André Béguin, a known crook and member of a right
wing movement. He imposed extremely harsh detention conditions. In April
2014, eight survivors of this camp received the Prisoner of War Medal,
thus being recognized for the suffering they endured during their
imprisonment.
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