61340 Vorabseiten_e - Unabhängige Expertenkommission Schweiz

their shareholders; according to a directive from the Third Reich‘s Ministry of
Economic Affairs (Reichswirtschaftsministerium), the German authorities were not
allowed, at least temporarily, to investigate whether any of the capital of foreign
firms was in Jewish possession. 18 The Basler Feuer insurance company declared
to the Swiss Federation of Insurance Companies (SFIC) in July 1938, however,
that it might be detrimental to the interests of most of the insurance companies
to «conceal the fact that all the members of their board of directors and their
company management were Aryan and Swiss citizens». Basler Feuer then
supplied all the information requested on a questionnaire issued by the Berlin
Chamber of Trade and Industry. Regarding the names and addresses of known
shareholders, however, the company pointed out that, according to Swiss law, it
could not demand any proof of racial origin from its shareholders, but solemnly
declared that «Jewish capital is not put to use in our company, even if the odd
non-Aryan might hold a very small number of shares». 19 The Committee of the
Board of Directors of the Schweiz Allgemeine insurance company was guided
by the same line of thought, i.e., that restraint should be exercised in the future
when transferring shares to «non-Aryan shareholders». 20
It appears that the practice of certifying «Aryan origin» in the form of so-called
«Aryan certification» («Ariernachweis») was widespread among owners and
senior managers of Swiss companies operating within Nazi-controlled territory.
This has been shown not only by the ICE’s investigations, but also e.g., by
research carried out by Daniel Bourgeois concerning Nestlé. 21 As a precondition
for being allowed to fly to Munich, Swissair agreed to prove that its crews were
«Aryan». 22 «Aryan certification» would also seem to have been an advantage
when applying for permission to cross the border to work. In 1941, the tobacco
manufacturers Hans and Max Villiger wrote on their forms, perhaps with a
touch of irony, that they had been «Aryan» «for the past 400 years». 23 «Aryan
certification» was issued not only for the business sector but also in connection
with civil matters, such as for marriages.
While during the early years of National Socialist government it was in no way
necessary to declare one’s company «Aryan», from 1937 on foreign firms that
wanted to maintain business relations with Germany felt a growing pressure to
do so. There were more frequent requests from the German authorities, for
information about the «racial» origins of firms’ managers, board of directors,
and shareholders, for example in the case of Swiss insurance companies. 24 The
Federal Insurance Company (Eidgenössische Versicherungs-AG, EVAG) was of the
opinion that Austrian and German company representatives could be forced by
the authorities to provide information about themselves; a Swiss firm, however,
should not provide any personal details about people living outside Germany.
The EVAG proposed that all Swiss insurance companies join forces and refuse
326