Swiss Aid Groups Assisted Dozen Nazis in Brazil

Swiss aid organizations helped at least a dozen members of the Waffen-SS rebuild their lives in Brazil, according to a new book by historian Peter Hug. Hug researched the establishment of a German settlement in Brazil after World War II, a project funded by the Swiss Confederation and aid groups. He discovered these former SS members were among the roughly 2500 German settlers given land and support.

The project began with the Catholic Church assisting displaced Germans, known as Danube Swabians, after the war. Later, organizations like Caritas and the Swiss European Aid joined, providing funds and arranging transport in 1951. The Swiss government also contributed loans, framing the effort as development aid and potentially a way to deflect from its own wartime connections to Nazi Germany.

Hug notes there was awareness of problematic ideologies among some settlers, but no investigation into their political backgrounds. The book, commissioned by successor organizations of the aid groups involved, is set to launch Monday with a public discussion.

Historians acknowledge the aid may have been motivated by Swiss interests as much as humanitarian concerns. The work of uncovering these connections continues.