Swiss Archives Block Access to Mengele Documents Until 2071, Historian Challenges Secrecy

Swiss historian Gérard Wettstein is pursuing legal action to access classified documents about Nazi war criminal Josef Mengele held in the Swiss Federal Archives in Bern. The files, sealed until 2071 by the Swiss intelligence service, cite national security and privacy protections for third parties as justification. Wettstein argues that public interest in understanding Mengele's crimes outweighs these concerns, suggesting authorities could redact sensitive portions. Mengele, known for brutal medical experiments at Auschwitz-Birkenau, spent time in Switzerland after World War II, including a 1956 ski holiday in Engelberg and a possible 1961 stay in Zurich before his disappearance. Wettstein filed a complaint with the Federal Administrative Court in St. Gallen last week, facing approximately 6,000 Swiss francs in legal costs and launching a crowdfunding campaign supported by the Swiss Historical Society. Historian Regula Bochsler previously encountered similar restrictions while researching her book on Nazi scientists' connections to Swiss industry, finding only a copied report suggesting Mengele traveled Switzerland under an alias. Sacha Zala, president of the Swiss Historical Society, criticizes the decision as censorship that obstructs historical research, noting a trend of arbitrarily extended protection periods. The case has gained political attention, with SP National Councilor Cédric Wermuth planning to submit an interpellation in June urging the government to release the files.