Safe Haven Switzerland? Flight in the Rhine Valley—Exhibition at Prestegg Museum, Altstätten

Thousands of people—Jewish women and men, political opponents, forced labourers, and deserters—tried to flee to Switzerland between 1933 and 1945. Where they hoped to find refuge, they were often met with rejection or faced a years-long struggle for asylum. A current exhibition at Prestegg Museum in Altstätten (SG) is dedicated to this topic.

In August 1938 and again in August 1942, Switzerland closed its borders to refugees. Jewish people in particular were not to be admitted, regardless of whether they were trying to escape annihilation by the Nazis and their collaborators from the German Reich, occupied France, or later from Italy. With a focus on the Rhine Valley, the exhibition tells the stories of these people and of the families they left behind, placing them in the context of Swiss refugee policy. It also describes the reactions of the population, the authorities, border police officers, aid organizations, and those who helped people escape.

Remembering Together in the Rhine Valley, 1938–1945

The project “Remembering Together in the Rhine Valley, 1938–1945” consists of three exhibitions. While the exhibition “Close to the War: Liechtenstein 1939–1945” at the National Museum in Vaduz has already been dismantled, the Prestegg Museum is showing “In the Shadow of the War: Everyday Life in the Rhine Valley” alongside the exhibition “Safe Haven Switzerland? Escape in the Rhine Valley”. The latter explores how, although the population in the St. Gallen Rhine Valley was spared, the war across the border was a constant presence and had direct effects on people’s lives. Contemporary witnesses are given ample space to tell their stories.

The exhibition can be seen until January 27, 2027.

More information on the special exhibitions at Prestegg Museum can be found here: https://www.prestegg.ch/sonderausstellung.html
As part of both exhibitions, various accompanying events are being held. The current programme can be found at: www.gemeinsam-erinnern.ch