Project Timeline
2025
November
During the pre-qualification phase of the competition for the design of the memorial site in Bern, the jury selects 11 teams to develop project proposals by spring 2026.
https://www.simap.ch/de/project-detail/057c4521-7ebf-4c3e-bdce-6af45c9bd2f7
July
The Federal Department of Foreign Affairs launches an international competition for the design of the memorial site in Bern. A total of 55 teams apply to participate in the competition.
July
The Swiss Memorial Network Association commissions the Jewish Museum Hohenems to support the development of the Diepoldsau Education Center.
June
The Archives of Contemporary History at ETH Zurich, the Swiss Federation of Jewish Communities, and the Society for Minorities in Switzerland establish the Supporting Association for the Swiss Memorial.
2024
November
The Canton of St. Gallen, the City of Bern, the Swiss Federation of Jewish Communities, the Center for Jewish Studies at the University of Basel, and the Archives of Contemporary History at ETH Zurich establish the Swiss Memorial Network Association.
June
Academic conference and networking event at the University of Teacher Education in St. Gallen entitled “Swiss Memorial for the victims of National Socialism – Remembering, Mediating, Networking.”
Conference proceedings: https://www.jm-hohenems.at/static/uploads/2024/09/Tagungsdokumentation-St.Gallen-Juni-2024-doppel.pdf
2023
November
The Federal Department of Foreign Affairs organizes an international conference in Bern entitled “Memorial sites for the victims of National Socialism: challenges, experiences, and new initiatives in Switzerland”.
September
The Canton of St. Gallen commissions the Jewish Museum Hohenems to begin developing the concept for the Education Center.
April
The Federal Council decides to establish a memorial site for the victims of National Socialism in Bern and approves 2.5 million francs for this purpose. In addition, the Federal Council supports the planning and realization of a national cross-border education and networking site in the Rhine Valley of St. Gallen as a pillar of the Swiss Memorial and examines co-financing.
Federal press release: https://www.news.admin.ch/de/nsb?id=94582
Canton of St. Gallen press release: https://www.sg.ch/news/sgch_allgemein/2023/04/regierung-unterstuetzt-holocaust-memorial-im-rheintal.html
City of Bern press release: https://www.bern.ch/mediencenter/medienmitteilungen/aktuell_ptk/stadt-bern-begruesst-schaffung-eines-ortes-der-erinnerung
2022
March
Two identical parliamentary motions “Swiss memorial site for the victims of National Socialism” are unanimously adopted by Parliament and submitted to the Federal Council for implementation.
2021
May
Representatives of the Organization of the Swiss Abroad, the Christian-Jewish Working Group in Switzerland, the Center for Jewish Studies at the University of Basel, the Archives of Contemporary History at ETH Zurich, and the Swiss Federation of Jewish Communities present a concept for a Swiss Memorial to the Federal Council. The initiative is supported by numerous institutions and individuals.
List of supporters: https://swissmemorial.ch/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/01_Liste_Unterstu%CC%88tzer_Innen_25052021.pdf
March
Two identical parliamentary motions “Swiss memorial site for the victims of National Socialism” are submitted to the National Council and the Council of States, supported by a broad party alliance.
https://www.parlament.ch/de/ratsbetrieb/suche-curia-vista/geschaeft?AffairId=20213181
2020
March–June
Representatives of the Organization of the Swiss Abroad, the Christian-Jewish Working Group in Switzerland, the Center for Jewish Studies at the University of Basel, the Archives of Contemporary History at ETH Zurich, and the Swiss Federation of Jewish Communities develop a concept for a Swiss Memorial. Experts and institutions from academia, politics, and society are invited to provide feedback.
2019
March
The Organization of the Swiss Abroad and the Archives of Contemporary History at ETH Zurich organize a conference entitled “A memorial for the Swiss victims of National Socialism?”
Subsequently, representatives of the Organization of the Swiss Abroad, the Christian-Jewish Working Group in Switzerland, the Center for Jewish Studies at the University of Basel, the Archives of Contemporary History at ETH Zurich, and the Swiss Federation of Jewish Communities develop a concept for a Swiss Memorial.
February
National Council member Angelo Barrile submits an interpellation asking the Federal Council about its position on official commemoration of the Swiss victims of National Socialism. In its response, the Federal Council indicates that the responsible offices of the Federal Administration would be receptive to the proposal to establish a memorial.
https://www.parlament.ch/de/ratsbetrieb/suche-curia-vista/geschaeft?AffairId=20184270