Franz Burri
Franz Burri | |
|---|---|
Entlebuch, Switzerland | |
| Citizenship | Swiss, German |
| Known for | Nazi propagandist |
| Political party | Bund der Schweizer in Grossdeutschland, National Movement of Switzerland, Nationalsozialistischer Schweizerbund |
Franz Burri (26 October 1901 – 24 July 1987) was a
Background and career
Born in
Burri operated in Austria until 1934, when he was deported for pro-Nazi activities. He returned to Switzerland, where he remained until 1938. He came back to Austria after the Anschluss.[2]
After moving to Germany, Burri took up his role as the leading producer of Nazi propaganda for the Swiss market. From his base in
Starting in 1942, Burri started a leaflet agitation campaign against Switzerland. Helpers smuggled the leaflets into the country and distributed them. In 1943, he was sentenced to six months in prison in absentia for "attacks on the independence of Switzerland". In 1944, leaflets by Burri described General Henri Guisan, who'd mobilized Swiss forces for a potential invasion by Germany, as a "traitor", "mercenary of Jews and liar", and "miserable idiot". He called for the establishment for a "Swiss Legion" within the Waffen-SS, as well as a Germany invasion of Switzerland. In response, a Swiss court sentenced Burri to 7 years in prison in absentia.[2]
On 11 December 1945, Burri was arrested by American occupation authorities in Allied-occupied Austria. In 1946, he was extradited to Switzerland, where he was put on trial for treason. Witnesses testified that he aspired to serve as Gauleiter of Switzerland following its incorporation into Nazi Germany. The prosecution presented German files about Burri which showed that in 1941, he'd sent a letter to Heinrich Himmler discussing the importance of a Nazi coup in Switzerland. He said he and his colleagues were "ready for action at any time" and had a paramilitary of 1,800 men prepared for deployment in all German-speaking Swiss cantons. The documents were found by a Swiss expatriate working as an archivist for the Americans in the Nuremberg trials, who'd heard about Burri's trial in the newspaper. Burri himself used the proceedings as an opportunity to justify his actions to the court. He claimed his arrest and extradition by the Americans constituted a kidnapping in violation of international law and that he was being punished for his political beliefs. In his closing speech, Burri insisted that he'd merely lost his way in his "fight for a nationally strengthened and socialist Europe." In 1949, he was found guilty and sentenced to 20 years in prison. Following the verdict, Burri made a statement affirming his beliefs.[5]
"My fight was not an end in itself. It served an idea that I still think is correct today. You cannot divide the sons of a people into villains and saints. They only divide based on opinions. Part is truth and part is error."[2]
Burri was released from prison in 1959, after which he moved to Germany. He continued to support Nazism for the rest of his life and wrote for far-right publications. In one letter, he wrote that, "One day, I, too, will be rehabilitated by history." In his memoirs, Burri said he viewed other right-wing extremists who'd moderated their views after World War II to increase their public appeal as cowards.
"I refused to convert in 1945 in a cowardly and characterless manner in order to have possible advantages... I only knew and know two cards: attitude and the courage to make sacrifices."[5]
Burri returned to Switzerland before his death in 1987.[4]
References
- ^ a b c d e Alan Morris Schom, 'A Survey of Nazi and Pro-Nazi Groups in Switzerland: 1930-1945' Archived 2012-05-10 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ a b c "Burri-Scherrer Franz (1901–1987)". Chamapedia (in German). Retrieved 2023-11-24.
- ^ Philip Rees, Biographical Dictionary of the Extreme Right Since 1890, p. 229
- ^ a b Hitler speaks. What is the significance of his speech?
- ^ ISSN 0376-6829. Retrieved 2024-02-12.
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