Georges Brunschvig
Encyclopedia
Georges Brunschvig was a Swiss lawyer and president of the Swiss Federation of Jewish Communities (SIG). Internationally, he is best known for representing the plaintiff in the 1934–35 "Berne Trial".
to a family of Jewish horse traders
, Brunschvig studied law at the University of Berne
and passed the bar exam in 1933. In 1934, he founded a law firm on the Marktgasse
in Berne and married his childhood friend Odette Wyler, with whom he had two daughters.
At the age of 25, in one of his first cases as an attorney, he and his colleague Emil Raas took up a criminal case by the SIG against the Nationale Front
, a movement of Swiss Nazi sympathizers. At the time, Frontists had taken to distributing antisemitic pamphlets on the streets, including The Protocols of the Elders of Zion
. Brunschvig won the case, later known by historians as the "Berne Trial", by a thorough debunking of the Protocols. The defendants were convicted by the Bernese district court of violating a Bernese statute prohibiting the distribution of "immoral, obscene or brutalizing" texts. Even though they were acquitted on appeal – the Cantonal Supreme Court held that the Protocols, while false, did not violate the statute because they were used as a means of political propaganda – Brunschvig had achieved the SIG's principal goal: a court holding debunking the Protocols.
, Brunschvig served as a captain with the military court of Berne. As president of the Bernese Jewish community and a board member of the SIG, Brunschvig was among the first in Switzerland to receive word of the deportation of German Jews to extermination camps. However, his and the SIG's efforts to stop the expulsion of Jewish refugees to Germany by Swiss authorities were largely fruitless.
In August 1942, a Belgian Jewish couple were arrested by police in the Jewish Cemetery in Berne after having fled from Brussels through France to Switzerland on bicycles. Despite Brunschvig's intercession with the authorities, the couple was expelled from Switzerland the day after their arrest; after the war, Brunschvig found out that they had been killed in Auschwitz
. This incident caused Brunschvig to abandon the restraint he had previously imposed upon himself so as not to lose what influence he had with the authorities. Through the journalist Hermann Böschenstein, he had the incident made public in the Basler Nationalzeitung. The resulting public outcry caused Swiss border controls to be loosened temporarily.
, the assassin of Swiss Nazi leader Wilhelm Gustloff
, and he was instrumental in achieving Frankfurter's pardon in 1945. He also represented the defence in the trials of Maria Popesco
(1946–55), Max Ulrich (1957) and Ben Gal (1963). In 1969, he successfully defended Mordechai Rachamim, an El Al
sky marshal
who had shot and killed a Palestinian
terrorist after the man had opened fire on passengers in Zürich Airport. Rachamim was acquitted on account of self-defence.
some 50 years later.
After the founding of Israel
in 1948, Brunschvig arranged what public support he could for the new state. In 1967, he and his friend Reynold Tschäppät, by then mayor of Berne, convinced Bernese commercial leaders to launch a Bratwurst
campaign in support of Israel, with one franc
per sausage sold going to the Jewish state.
Brunschvig died on October 14, 1973 at a Jewish rally during the Yom Kippur war
. He succumbed to a heart attack while delivering an emotional speech in support of Israel.
Berne Trial
Born in BerneBerne
The city of Bern or Berne is the Bundesstadt of Switzerland, and, with a population of , the fourth most populous city in Switzerland. The Bern agglomeration, which includes 43 municipalities, has a population of 349,000. The metropolitan area had a population of 660,000 in 2000...
to a family of Jewish horse traders
Horse trading
In the original sense, Horse trading is the buying and selling of horses, also called "Horse Dealing". Due to the difficulties in evaluating the merits of a horse offered for sale, the selling of horses offered great opportunities for dishonesty...
, Brunschvig studied law at the University of Berne
University of Berne
The University of Bern is a university in the Swiss capital of Bern and was founded in 1834. It is regulated and financed by the Canton of Bern. It is a comprehensive university offering a broad choice of courses and programmes in eight faculties and some 160 institutes. The university is an...
and passed the bar exam in 1933. In 1934, he founded a law firm on the Marktgasse
Marktgasse
The Marktgasse is one of the streets in the Old City of Bern, the medieval city center of Bern, Switzerland. It is part of the Innere Neustadt which was built during the 13th Century. It runs from the Käfigturm between Waisenhausplatz and Bärenplatz in the west to the Zytglogge between...
in Berne and married his childhood friend Odette Wyler, with whom he had two daughters.
At the age of 25, in one of his first cases as an attorney, he and his colleague Emil Raas took up a criminal case by the SIG against the Nationale Front
National Front (Switzerland)
The National Front was a far right political party in Switzerland that flourished during the 1930s.The party began life amongst a number of debating clubs at the University of Zurich, where anti-Semitism, Swiss nationalism and support for ideas similar to those later adopted in the racial policy of...
, a movement of Swiss Nazi sympathizers. At the time, Frontists had taken to distributing antisemitic pamphlets on the streets, including The Protocols of the Elders of Zion
The Protocols of the Elders of Zion
The Protocols of the Elders of Zion is a fraudulent, antisemitic text purporting to describe a Jewish plan for achieving global domination. It was first published in Russia in 1903, translated into multiple languages, and disseminated internationally in the early part of the twentieth century...
. Brunschvig won the case, later known by historians as the "Berne Trial", by a thorough debunking of the Protocols. The defendants were convicted by the Bernese district court of violating a Bernese statute prohibiting the distribution of "immoral, obscene or brutalizing" texts. Even though they were acquitted on appeal – the Cantonal Supreme Court held that the Protocols, while false, did not violate the statute because they were used as a means of political propaganda – Brunschvig had achieved the SIG's principal goal: a court holding debunking the Protocols.
World War II
During World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Brunschvig served as a captain with the military court of Berne. As president of the Bernese Jewish community and a board member of the SIG, Brunschvig was among the first in Switzerland to receive word of the deportation of German Jews to extermination camps. However, his and the SIG's efforts to stop the expulsion of Jewish refugees to Germany by Swiss authorities were largely fruitless.
In August 1942, a Belgian Jewish couple were arrested by police in the Jewish Cemetery in Berne after having fled from Brussels through France to Switzerland on bicycles. Despite Brunschvig's intercession with the authorities, the couple was expelled from Switzerland the day after their arrest; after the war, Brunschvig found out that they had been killed in Auschwitz
Auschwitz concentration camp
Concentration camp Auschwitz was a network of Nazi concentration and extermination camps built and operated by the Third Reich in Polish areas annexed by Nazi Germany during World War II...
. This incident caused Brunschvig to abandon the restraint he had previously imposed upon himself so as not to lose what influence he had with the authorities. Through the journalist Hermann Böschenstein, he had the incident made public in the Basler Nationalzeitung. The resulting public outcry caused Swiss border controls to be loosened temporarily.
Trial attorney
In his work as an attorney, Brunschvig participated in several other high-profile criminal cases. From 1943 on, he was counsel to David FrankfurterDavid Frankfurter
David Frankfurter was a Croatian Jew known for assassinating Swiss branch leader of the German NSDAP Wilhelm Gustloff in 1936 in Davos, Switzerland.-Background, family and education:...
, the assassin of Swiss Nazi leader Wilhelm Gustloff
Wilhelm Gustloff
Wilhelm Gustloff was the German leader of the NSDAP party in Switzerland; he founded the Swiss branch of the party at Davos in 1932., which grouped Nazi party members who lived outside the German Reich....
, and he was instrumental in achieving Frankfurter's pardon in 1945. He also represented the defence in the trials of Maria Popesco
Maria Popesco
Maria Popesco, born Maria Popescu , was a Romanian-born socialite, convicted murderer and memoirist, whose case was at the center of one of the few judicial scandals in Switzerland....
(1946–55), Max Ulrich (1957) and Ben Gal (1963). In 1969, he successfully defended Mordechai Rachamim, an El Al
El Al
El Al Israel Airlines Ltd , trading as El Al , is the flag carrier of Israel. It operates scheduled domestic and international services and cargo flights to Europe, North America, Africa and the Far East from its main base in Ben Gurion International Airport...
sky marshal
Sky marshal
A sky marshal is an undercover law enforcement or counter terrorist agent on board a commercial aircraft to counter aircraft hijackings...
who had shot and killed a Palestinian
Palestinian people
The Palestinian people, also referred to as Palestinians or Palestinian Arabs , are an Arabic-speaking people with origins in Palestine. Despite various wars and exoduses, roughly one third of the world's Palestinian population continues to reside in the area encompassing the West Bank, the Gaza...
terrorist after the man had opened fire on passengers in Zürich Airport. Rachamim was acquitted on account of self-defence.
Lobbying for Israel
In 1946, Brunschvig was elected president of the SIG, an office he held until his death. In that capacity he became the leading representative of Jewish and, later, Israeli interests in Switzerland. Together with government and bank representatives, he drafted a law intended to address the issue of dormant assets left with Swiss banks after the war; this did not, however, prevent the dormant assets from become a major political issueWorld Jewish Congress lawsuit against Swiss banks
The World Jewish Congress lawsuit against Swiss banks was launched to retrieve deposits made by victims of Nazi persecution during and prior to World War II.-Negotiations:...
some 50 years later.
After the founding of Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
in 1948, Brunschvig arranged what public support he could for the new state. In 1967, he and his friend Reynold Tschäppät, by then mayor of Berne, convinced Bernese commercial leaders to launch a Bratwurst
Bratwurst
A bratwurst is a sausage usually composed of veal, pork or beef. The plural in German is Bratwürste....
campaign in support of Israel, with one franc
Swiss franc
The franc is the currency and legal tender of Switzerland and Liechtenstein; it is also legal tender in the Italian exclave Campione d'Italia. Although not formally legal tender in the German exclave Büsingen , it is in wide daily use there...
per sausage sold going to the Jewish state.
Brunschvig died on October 14, 1973 at a Jewish rally during the Yom Kippur war
Yom Kippur War
The Yom Kippur War, Ramadan War or October War , also known as the 1973 Arab-Israeli War and the Fourth Arab-Israeli War, was fought from October 6 to 25, 1973, between Israel and a coalition of Arab states led by Egypt and Syria...
. He succumbed to a heart attack while delivering an emotional speech in support of Israel.
External links
- An interview with Odette Brunschvig-Wyler (in German) in: "Der Bund", Berner Tageszeitung, Friday May 13, 2005 (Brunschvig as a lawyer at the Berne Trial)