“The most despicable and cowardly crime ever to grow in Switzerland from the seeds of antisemitism sown by Oltramare, Fonjallaz, Bonny and others has met its just punishment” – Transcripts of the interrogations of Nazi war criminals at the court – internal publication by the Press Office of the Association of Israeli Local Authorities. Zurich, November 21, 1947. The present documentation concerns the trial of three collaborators with Nazi Germany in Switzerland, who were primarily involved in spreading antisemitism through the Swiss press and radio stations: Georges Oltramare, Paul Bonny, and René Fonjallaz. The three were tried at the Federal Court in Switzerland on November 10–11, 1947, under Swiss law for treason, violation of Swiss independence or neutrality, and collaboration with the enemy.
The three were sentenced in parallel to the proceedings held in Nuremberg as part of the international judicial system of the “Second Nuremberg Trials.”
The report states that the three: “not only cowardly abandoned their country at its hour of greatest danger, but also placed themselves at the service of Goebbels’ propaganda machine as paid agents, thereby undermining the independence of Switzerland.” It describes how, three days after the German invasion of Paris, Oltramare arrived in the city and was appointed editor of the antisemitic newspaper La France au Travail, which was published by the Nazis. He promoted an editorial line presenting Europe as the center of a Jewish–Masonic–Anglo-Saxon conspiracy, and received an inflated salary from his Nazi propaganda superiors, with the goal of spreading hatred against the Jews in war-torn France. The indictment details his grave crimes: “Oltramare-Dieudonné’s special mission was to sow the poison of antisemitism in the hearts of the French. He carried out this mission with zeal (and had already acquired ‘expertise’ beforehand), first at La France au Travail, and after being forced to leave due to the insistence of Laval (who opposed a foreigner preaching French patriotism), he continued at ‘other German newspapers with French editions’, and above all, on Radio Paris. He became a regular contributor and was handsomely paid by this station, which was subordinate to the occupying force and received its directives from the Propaganda Ministry in Berlin. In broadcasts such as ‘Keeping Up with the Times’, ‘Beauty Against France’, and ‘They Do Not Speak’, he spewed venom and bile against the Jews and the ‘Jewish’ opponents of Hitler’s Germany.” When confronted by the President of the Federal Court regarding the fact that “he had confiscated the well-furnished apartment of a deported Jew for his private use”, he brazenly replied: “The Jews have a habit of living at others’ expense. It is only right that the tables are turned this time!”…
The report further revealed the actions of Oltramare, Fonjallaz, and Paul Bonny, the former editor of the Swiss newspaper Action Nationale. He was accused of handing over secrets and engaging in espionage on behalf of Nazi Germany even before the war began. Bonny left Geneva shortly after the outbreak of the war and became a salaried employee of the German delegation in Paris, which allowed him to enthusiastically support Oltramare’s campaigns in the press and on the radio. In 1943, Bonny joined the League of Swiss in Greater Germany, which recognized Hitler as the “leader of all Germans” and entrusted him with the power to decide the fate of the Swiss people. In the indictment, the French Federal Prosecutor, René Dubois, framed the criminal activities of the defendants within the broader context of the psychological warfare waged by Germany against Switzerland. He described Oltramare, Fonjallaz, and Bonny as “Hitler’s soldiers against Switzerland.” Had Switzerland succumbed to this psychological warfare—conducted primarily through the press and radio—and taken special measures against the Jews, it would have lost its independence and slipped into alignment with the “Third Reich.” Thanks to the maturity of the Swiss people and their passionate desire for freedom, Switzerland succeeded in resisting this propaganda.
According to the report, in court Oltramare attempted to defend himself by employing his theatrical skills during his closing statement – Oltramare had been a writer, journalist, actor, and fascist militant in Switzerland before the war – and tried to create the impression that he had “sought in vain a graceful exit from the political stage.” He spoke unclearly, stammered, and nearly broke down in tears during his speech, all while attempting to shift the blame for his criminal actions onto others. He claimed that his greatest mistake was trying to promote understanding between Germany and France before Churchill did the same in Zurich the previous year – prompting laughter from the judges.
In its verdict, the court found all three defendants guilty of attacking Switzerland’s independence, as defined in Article 266 of the Penal Code, explicitly labeling Oltramare and Fonjallaz as “paid agents of the German government.” Both were also convicted of violating service regulations (failing to return to Switzerland to fulfill their military duties), as defined by the Military Penal Code. In determining the sentences, the court took into account Oltramare’s responsibility as an intellectual, and Fonjallaz’s particular cunning in his attacks and activities, which demonstrated the corrupt nature of his character. The involvement of the German intelligence service was considered an aggravating factor, while the Federal Court also noted, as a mitigating factor, that the defendants likely had very limited influence on the German government’s policies toward Switzerland. As a result, Oltramare and Fonjallaz were each sentenced to three years in prison and disenfranchisement for an additional five years, while Bonny was sentenced to one year in prison, which he “rightfully” deserved.
At the same hearing, the court also rejected the appeal of former priest Philippe Leugrin against the verdict issued by the court on July 7, 1947. Leugrin, a proponent of antisemitic doctrines of hatred, was definitively sentenced to 20 years in prison and disenfranchisement for 10 years for incitement to the premeditated murder of the Jewish cattle dealer Arthur Bloch, which occurred on April 16, 1942. It was reported that Leugrin was sent to Bochuz Prison, where the hired murderers were already serving their very long prison sentences—some of them life sentences. “The most despicable and cowardly crime ever to grow in Switzerland from the seeds of antisemitism sown by Oltramare, Fonjallaz, Bonny, and others has met its just punishment, ” the report stated. At the time, photographs of the three appeared in the press, showing their stunned faces as their sentence was handed down—they had not anticipated being charged at all and believed they would easily escape conviction.
6 leaves. Typewritten and stapled. Very good condition.
