61340 Vorabseiten_e - Unabhängige Expertenkommission Schweiz

Solidarity Foundation (Stiftung solidarische Schweiz) on 5 March 1997, although
at the time of this report’s publication, it is still unclear when this Foundation
is likely to begin its work.
The recognition that Switzerland needed to take a number of courageous steps
to face up to the problems of its past and develop innovative ideas for the present
and future was reflected, above all, in the framing of the Federal Decree to
establish the ICE. This parliamentary decree constituted a significant breakthrough
in that it facilitated access to private company archives – held by banks,
insurance companies and industrial enterprises as well as natural persons –
which had so far as a rule not been made available to historians. There had been
no comparable public law intervention in private law since 1945/46, when
Switzerland – under pressure from the Allies – was compelled to freeze and
register German assets and make restitution for looted assets. Neither banking
secrecy nor other legal provisions governing access to archives were allowed to
impede the work of the Commission and its staff. All Swiss companies which
had operated during the period in question were banned from destroying any
files of relevance to the ICE. In return, all persons involved in the research
project were bound by official secrecy and were thus required to treat all information
with professional discretion. To guarantee transparency, the Swiss
Government pledged to publish the Commission’s research findings in full. 2
This provision made it easier for the ICE to withstand political pressure and
carry out research freely and at its own discretion.
With the Federal Council Decree of 19 December 1996, the nine members of
the Commission were appointed. Wladislaw Bartoszewski, Saul Friedländer,
Harold James, Georg Kreis, Sybil Milton, Jacques Picard, Jakob Tanner and
Joseph Voyame were assigned to assemble themselves under the chairmanship
of Jean-François Bergier, to devise a research programme to implement the
mandate, and to carry out the historical and legal research. 3Linus von Castelmur
took on the role of Secretary General. In spring 2000, Joseph Voyame was
succeeded by Daniel Thürer, who specialises in constitutional and international
law. In June 2000, Wladislaw Bartoszewski was appointed Polish Foreign
Minister and – while remaining a member of the ICE – could no longer play an
active part in coordinating the research work. With Sybil Milton’s death in
autumn 2000, the Commission lost a highly competent scholar and a stimulating
and charming personality. In February 2001, the Federal Council
appointed the economist Helen B. Junz as her successor. In April 2001, Myrtha
Welti succeeded Linus von Castelmur as Secretary General.
As regards the research programme’s content, the Swiss Government broadened
the parameters set by Parliament as early as 1996 and identified other sensitive
issues such as economic relations, arms production, «Aryanisation measures»,