On this day, 80 years ago, Swiss citizen Maurice Bavaud was executed in Berlin-Plötzensee for trying to kill Adolf Hitler in 1938. The Swiss government did nothing to help him during his trial or while he was in prison. Never forget this Swiss hero

23 comments

  2. He is a legend, trying to do the good thing. And he came close to Hitler, when you read the articles and books, it was bad luck that his line of fire was blocked by cheering people.

    And by the way, let’s not forget another Swiss Legend: [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carl_Lutz](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carl_Lutz)

    Lutz was one of the saviors for the jews, he managed to save around 62’000 jews, that they could leave Hungary instead of being deported to the death camps.

  3. I mean he did try to kill a hugely popular and powerful head of state of a neighbouring nation. The world did not yet see Hitler for what he was (or became) in 1938.

  6. Our government’s stance towards nazi germany makes me puke to this day. Thanks Guisan for keeping us out of the war

  10. Was the swiss government supposed to show support for someone who tried to assassinate a foreign head of state ? Sorry but that’s a pretty stupid things to suggest, even if it was Hitler.

  11. Afaik today, Switzerland is still not caring that much about swiss people in difficult situation in foreign countries. I.e. arrests by dictatorships, kidnappings, etc

  14. Out of interest, isn’t he a prime candidate for a Stolperstein in Neuchatel or Basel (apparently he bought he weapon here and travelled from here to Germany)?

  16. What could Swizerland do when he was on trial or in prison? I ask this because, today people globally have a misconception that their country has a lot of power to help them in legal trouble at all, when they really do not, or usually do not bother to do much. Let alone in 1938. So, I wonder if this statement has to do with this modern misconception, or if I miss something here.

  18. Let’s not forget the huge part of the country that wanted to join the war on the German side and let’s not forget our crimes. Let us not hide behind empty figures of heroic martyrs and realise that we ought to do better

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