Hidden archives may reveal how Nazi butcher Mengele evaded justice while Jewish families demanded truth.
Switzerland’s intelligence service has announced plans to declassify secret files on Josef Mengele, the Nazi doctor infamous for conducting brutal experiments on Jewish prisoners at Auschwitz-Birkenau. The move could finally shed light on unanswered questions surrounding his postwar movements and possible connections to Switzerland.
Mengele escaped justice after World War II, moving through Europe before fleeing to Argentina, where he lived for many years. Although he was once captured by American forces, he was released after authorities failed to conclusively identify him.
For decades, historians questioned whether Switzerland served as a quiet refuge or transit point for the Auschwitz criminal. Reports already indicate that Mengele visited the Swiss Alps in 1956, while his wife later rented an apartment in Zurich and sought permanent residency.
Swiss historian Regula Bochsler said Austrian intelligence warned Switzerland in 1961 that Mengele may have entered the country under an alias. The newly released archive may now expose what Swiss authorities knew, when they knew it, and why the truth remained hidden for so long.
