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93-499: Wauwilermoos, a bog respectively drained lake in the canton of Luzern in Switzerland. [REDACTED] Wauwil arkeologia lernopado Wauwilermoos internment camp , an internment respectively a Prisoner-of-war camp during World War II in Switzerland, situated in the municipalities of Wauwil and Egolzwil. Wauwilermoos pile dwelling settlement , also known as Egolzwil 3 , one of

186-582: A German refugee, reached Switzerland in November 1943. He and other internees in camp Lindenhof-Witzwil had refused to work. He was "punished with twenty days sharp arrest and transfer to the prison camp Wauwilermoos for three months" on the grounds that the detainees had wanted to force an investigation of the camp's "undemocratic and inhumane conditions". On 30   April 1944 Gamperl asked the Swiss Commissariat for Internment by letter to "review

279-437: A Swiss captain asked why they had travelled so far from their camp at Adelboden, and in response, "one of the airmen defiantly informed the juror that 'we were chasing butterflies'". According to Ellington, the response to this lack of candour was: "You have served thirty days at the detention camp and you will now return there and serve forty five more!" Ellington was returned to Wauwilermoos until 1   December. The verdict of

372-538: A bad reputation. The camp was guarded day and night by soldiers with dogs. In all 47 men formed the guard as of 13   February 1945. The camp was additionally secured by several rows of barbed wire. Within the camp sector "Santenberg" was considered a military prison, sector "Egolzwil" housed alcoholics, while the department for "difficult elements" and for repeat offenders was in the sector "Wauwilermoos". In Wauwilermoos prison camp there were both military internees and male civilian internees who had been convicted under

465-575: A barrack. We told them at the same time, that they only would get food when they were working. During 14 days we left these 115 men without any food. On the 14th day, they told us to die. Our answer was: Since man can live 24 days without food and drink, we'll order the doctor to day 23. Some hours later, they demanded to eat. We said: There are 57 shovels and 58 pickaxes. If you'll have worked for an hour, you'll get food. An hour later, after 60 minutes of work, 114 men were eating. The 115th [man] endured 17 days. Then he ate. A US military memo of 1944 mentioned

558-619: A chronic gastrointestinal disease he was "cramped and incapacitated". He asked, supported by further justifications and medical certificates, to be transferred to a nursing home. His letters were never answered; similarly unanswered were three letters sent in August and September 1944 by Josef Dudkowiak, an officer of the German Air Force. Dudkowiak had deserted after four and a half years, after he had denounced his superior officer for corruption. Dudkowiak also said that he had been sent to

651-620: A civilian employee of the Swiss Federal Commissioner of Internment and Hospitalization (FCIH) There he translated artillery manuals, which led to his second commission in the Swiss Army as an orderly officer. This ill-advised appointment was almost certainly due to the national state of emergency and manpower shortage in the Swiss Army, although this does not explain the decision to place Béguin in charge of soldiers of other nationalities. Adelboden Adelboden

744-896: A gunner on a B-17 bomber based in England, was shot at by German anti-aircraft fire in April 1944. The aeroplane was shot at again by Swiss fighters and anti-aircraft batteries after crossing the Swiss border and then landed at Dübendorf airfield . Initially interned in Adelboden, Ellington remained there until September when the American forces were approaching the France–Switzerland border. On 17 September 1944 Ellington slipped out by using his passable German to purchase train tickets for himself and three other internees. Dressed in civilian clothes,

837-809: A half years in prison. Captain André Béguin was a member of the National Union . He had previously lived in Munich, Germany. "He was known to wear the Nazi uniform and to sign his correspondence with 'Heil Hitler ' ". He was investigated by the Swiss counter-intelligence service for his pro-Nazi political views. Nevertheless, he was retained in command at Wauwilermoos. While in command Béguin "publicly berated Americans, sentenced them to solitary confinement, and denied them Red Cross parcels and mail". Despite his tarnished record, in 1940 Béguin obtained work as

930-482: A minimum sentence and even permitted disciplinary punishment in "mild cases". "This subjectivity gave military tribunals wide latitude to treat escape attempts as minor infractions, or instead to classify them as criminal felonies". Once a tribunal convened, the burden of proof was normally substantiated by escape reports from the internment camp commanders, arrest reports from police, and interrogations carried out by an official investigator. This preliminary investigation

1023-483: A total of 2,084 people employed in the municipality. Of these, there were 366 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 133 businesses involved in this sector. 617 people were employed in the secondary sector and there were 57 businesses in this sector. 1,101 people were employed in the tertiary sector , with 150 businesses in this sector. There were 1,833 residents of the municipality who were employed in some capacity, of which females made up 40.5% of

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1116-541: A translator, were present at the tribunals. The authority to try military internees under the Military Penal Code (MPC) meant that "the intent to apply internal Swiss law to internees predated World War II". Internees on trial for escaping normally faced charges of "disregard of regulations", an MPC article that allowed punishment of up to six months of imprisonment in times of war. However, the MPC did not specify

1209-595: A window and over wire fences and walked for miles". A US Legation officer then drove them to Genève at the border to France, and on 15   November they reached the Allied lines. Most of the Wauwilermoos prisoners had never shared their stories until Mears's grandson contacted them. Survivors reported filthy living quarters, skin rashes and boils, all reported that they were underfed. Some reported being held in solitary for trying to escape. Some went in weighing in

1302-528: A workshop, and wind and landing opportunities. In the winter, Adelboden has ski runs of all degrees of difficulty, including the World Cup giant slalom run on the Chuenisbärgli , and cross-country ski trails. There are 40 km (25 mi) of winter hiking trails. For snowboarders there are freeride and freestyle runs. Adelboden's giant slalom and slalom races are considered classic events on

1395-726: Is a mountain village and a municipality in Switzerland , located in the Frutigen-Niedersimmental administrative district in the Bernese Highlands . Adelboden lies in the west of the Bernese Highlands , at the end of the valley of the river Entschlige (High German: Engstlige ), which flows in Frutigen into the Kander . Adelboden is a traditional Swiss mountain village on a terrace looking south to

1488-454: Is a scandal, rushed with dogs") the Swiss newspaper Berner Tagwacht reported on 7   January 1944 the fate of the Soviet internee Dobrolyubov in late November 1943. After a failed escape from Wauwilermoos, Dobrolyubov was condemned to the punishment cell. Because he was sick, Dobrolyubov asked to be sent to the camp's sickroom, but this was denied by Béguin. When Dobrolyubov argued, a dog

1581-408: Is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages Wauwilermoos internment camp Established in 1940, Wauwilermoos was a penal camp for internees, particularly for Allied soldiers during World War II. Unlike civilians , for instance Jewish refugees, who were usually sent back to the territories occupied by the Nazi regime, the Swiss government

1674-410: Is followed by three years of obligatory lower Secondary school where the students are separated according to ability and aptitude. Following the lower Secondary students may attend additional schooling or they may enter an apprenticeship . During the 2010–11 school year, there were a total of 447 students attending classes in Adelboden. There were 4 kindergarten classes with a total of 56 students in

1767-463: Is used for agricultural purposes, while 16.07 km (6.20 sq mi) or 18.2% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 2.18 km (0.84 sq mi) or 2.5% is settled (buildings or roads), 1.53 km (0.59 sq mi) or 1.7% is either rivers or lakes and 31.93 km (12.33 sq mi) or 36.2% is unproductive land. Of the built up area, housing and buildings made up 1.5% and transportation infrastructure made up 0.8%. Out of

1860-510: Is very cloudy year round, especially during winter. Adelboden has only one incoming road connecting from Frutigen which connects via Spiez to the A6 and Bern. There is no transit traffic. Frutigen is a train station of the Lötschberg line, connecting to Bern and Brig ; it is connected to Adelboden by regular post bus services. The Bunderchrinde Pass connects Adelboden to Kandersteg to

1953-544: The Christian Catholic Church , and there were 1,173 individuals (or about 32.28% of the population) who belonged to another Christian church. There was 1 individual who was Jewish , and 69 (or about 1.90% of the population) who were Islamic . There was 1 person who was Buddhist and 4 individuals who belonged to another church. 72 (or about 1.98% of the population) belonged to no church, are agnostic or atheist , and 234 individuals (or about 6.44% of

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2046-999: The Federal Democratic Union of Switzerland (EDU) (20%), the Conservative Democratic Party (BDP) (10.4%) and the Evangelical People's Party (EVP) (9%). In the federal election, a total of 1,673 votes were cast, and the voter turnout was 61.4%. Adelboden has a mixture of agriculture, local industry (wood building companies, mineral water source) and tourism. People work in tourism, (approximately 490 persons), other services (approx. 500 persons), construction industry (approx. 310 persons), automobile industry (approx. 30 persons), mineral water source (approx. 45 persons) and agriculture (full-time approx. 45 persons), taxidermy (full-time approx. 16 persons). As of  2011 , Adelboden had an unemployment rate of 1.29%. As of 2008 , there were

2139-501: The secondary sector and there are 57 businesses in this sector. 1098 people are employed in the tertiary sector , with 153 businesses in this sector. From the 2000 census , 221 or 6.1% were Roman Catholic , while 2,406 or 66.2% belonged to the Swiss Reformed Church . Of the rest of the population, there were 37 members of an Orthodox church (or about 1.02% of the population), there was 1 individual who belongs to

2232-693: The 111 serial sites of the UNESCO World Heritage Site Prehistoric pile dwellings around the Alps. Topics referred to by the same term [REDACTED] This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the title Wauwilermoos . If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wauwilermoos&oldid=1034116417 " Category : Disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Short description

2325-646: The 13th century. The inhabitants of Engstligental are referred to as forest people . In the 15th century, Adelboden established its own church and there were over 50 house fathers vouching for the salary of the minister. In the 16th century, when Adelboden joined the Reformation , the Catholic priest fled over the Hahnenmoospass to the Catholic Canton of Fribourg . Prior to the 19th century,

2418-619: The 180s and 190s and came out 50 pounds lighter". In early December 1944 USAAF First Lieutenant Wally Northfelt was nearing his second month of imprisonment at Wauwilermoos. Northfelt attempted to escape from Switzerland near Geneva in September 1944, but he was apprehended by border guards and confined at Wauwilermoos. After his arrival at the punishment camp, Northfelt quickly tired of the "meager rations of coffee, bread, and thin soup" which he blamed in part for his weight loss of forty pounds during his time in Switzerland. Northfelt said that "he

2511-470: The 1930s the aerial ropeway to the Engstligenalp was built with further ropeways following. The Silleren area was up into the 1980s accessible by buses. During World War Two , Adelboden was an internment camp with converted chalets and hotels used to house internees. Adelboden was chosen because it was isolated, surrounded by mountains and so relatively hard to escape from. The US Government paid

2604-644: The American airman Sergeant Daniel L. Culler, B-24 top turret gunner, was one of the first USAAF airmen sent to Wauwilermoos, in June 1944. On 12   May of that year Culler, the B-24's tail gunner, Howard Melson, and the British soldier Matthew Thirlaway had slipped away from Adelboden , where they were interned. They hoped to escape via Zürich and Bellinzona to Italy, rejoining the Allies near Rome. After three days in

2697-454: The American internees were eventually charged in the Swiss military justice system, "an experience that forever changed their perceptions of Swiss neutrality ". The majority of Americans held in Wauwilermoos in autumn 1944 were in "pre-trial confinement, awaiting a military tribunal by the Swiss Army for the crime of attempting escape". The Swiss military tribunals were convened by territorial courts (German: Divisionsgericht ), operating under

2790-559: The Engstligen waterfalls. Also part of the village are the inhabited valleys of Gilbach, Stigelschwand, Boden, Hirzboden, and Ausserschwand. The church and main street are at 1,350 m (4,430 ft), the highest point of the area is the Grossstrubel with 3,242 m (10,636 ft), and the lowest point is at 1,045 m (3,428 ft) in the Engstligen valley. The vegetation is alpine and sub-alpine, partially wooded,

2883-664: The Swiss Military Court Regulations of 1889 ( Militärstrafgerichtsordnung ) and the Swiss Military Penal Code of 1927 ( Militärstrafgesetz Bundesgesetz vom 13. Juni 1927 ). The jurisdiction was established by decree of the Swiss Federal Council in 1939. Presided over by a judge or chief justice , the tribunal panels consisted of six officers and non-commissioned officers under a judge. The Federal Council selected

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2976-602: The Swiss Military Criminal Code. On the 4 hectares (10 acres) site a total of 25 barracks were situated: eleven barracks with a capacity of about 550 inmates; the remaining 14 barracks were used by the Swiss camp staff. The prisoner barracks could each accommodate up to 50 people and were built from wood; they were neither insulated nor were they heated in winter. The barracks were equipped with simple beds stuffed with straw, and only officers slept on straw-filled mattresses. Sanitary facilities were basic;

3069-556: The Swiss officials. For instance Major Humbert, army doctor ( Militärarzt ) and head physician in the Seeland district of the Swiss Federal Commissioner of Internment and Hospitalization (FCIH), mentioned in three reports in January and February 1942, the "enormous morbidity" in the penal camp: "The moral atmosphere in the camp is absolutely untenable". Major Humbert also noted the despotic punishment catalogue and psychological deficits of

3162-535: The Ticino mountains Culler became ill, and he decided to go back to the Adelboden camp. Culler was condemned, still ill, and placed on rations of bread and water for ten days in Frutigen . When he returned to Adelboden he was sent to Wauwilermoos without any explanation; later he was informed that a judge had deemed his punishment as too light. Culler's good clothes were confiscated by camp commandant André Béguin in return for "old dirty rags." Sent to barracks 9, Culler

3255-589: The US embassy was informed of conditions by three American soldiers who had escaped from Wauwilermoos. Delegates of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) who visited Wauwilermoos "failed to notice much amiss", and ICRC member Frédéric Hefty wrote: "If iron discipline is the norm, there is also a certain sense of justice and understanding that helps with the re-education and improvement of

3348-647: The US military in Bern , military attaché Barnwell R. Legge , instructed the soldiers not to flee so as to allow the US Legation to co-ordinate their escape attempts, but the majority of the soldiers thought it was a diplomatic ruse or did not receive the instruction directly. Soldiers who were caught after their escape from the internment camps were often detained in the Wauwilermoos prison camp near Luzern. On 1   October 1944 Switzerland housed 39,670 internees in all: 20,650 from Italy, 10,082 from Poland, 2,643 from

3441-690: The USA. Swiss military-run prisons like Wauwilermoos were established earlier in the war, after cantonal prisons became "overcrowded with prisoners convicted in military court." According to a decree of the Swiss Federal Council in 1941, military prisoners would be confined according to whether their offences qualified them for "custodia honesta," or honourable confinement. Special military-run prisons would offer confinement for "certain offenses of purely military character" since honourable crimes such as "escape and escape attempts... [were] usually not

3534-708: The United States, 1,121 from the United Kingdom (including five Australians), 822 from the Soviet Union, and 245 from France. In September the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) was commissioned by the US Supreme Command to organise the escapes of 1,000 American internees, but this did not happen until late in the winter of 1944–45. The site was located on the former Wauwilersee lake in

3627-583: The Wauwilermoos camp in July 1945. Starting in 1943 Switzerland attempted to shoot down American and British aircraft, mainly bombers, overflying Switzerland. Six aircraft were downed by Swiss Air Force fighters and nine by anti-aircraft cannons ; 36 airmen were killed. In addition there were 137 emergency landings during the war. Officers were interned in Davos , enlisted men in Adelboden . The representative of

3720-408: The Wauwilermoos penal camp without any explanations. On the occasion of a lecture in front of Swiss officers Béguin explained his "art of bulk handling" (German: Kunst der Massenbehandlung ) on 26   June 1944: 115 internees refused to work. Three times we gave the command to work. It was refused. We examined all 115 men's pockets, left nothing therein as the handkerchiefs, and we locked all in

3813-671: The World Cup circuit and were scheduled for 7–8 January in 2017 . In recent years, the story of a mythical medicine woman named Vogellisi has increasingly been adopted as the symbol or mascot for a variety of touristic activities and souvenirs. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Adelboden has a Marine West Coast Climate , abbreviated "Cfb" on climate maps with mild, rainy summers with cool nights and long, moderately cold and very snowy winters. Sunshine peaks during summertime though Adelboden

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3906-400: The area. The population has experienced a slight decrease of -0.2% between the years 2000–2010. This change can be attributed to a decrease in migration of −1.2%, while births and deaths accounted for 2.2%. According to data from the year 2000, the majority of the population (3,453 individuals, making up 95.0% of the population) speak German as their first language. Serbo-Croatian ranks as

3999-401: The camp on several occasions, headed by Swiss Army Colonel Auguste Rilliet. The inspection team simply noted that sanitary conditions could be improved, and that prisoners were not aware of the length of their sentences or why they were in the camp in the first place. Immediately prior to the removal of the commandant in September 1945 Rilliet rated the camp conditions unsatisfactory. Wauwilermoos

4092-471: The camp, his report came to the chief of the legal department of the Swiss federal internment department, Major Florian Imer. After an inspection of the camp, Imer noted that "in particular the allegations of Major Humbert were exaggerated for the most part". Another report in January 1943 noted the camp's poor sanitary condition. At the end of 1944, Ruggero Dollfus, interim Swiss Federal commissioner for internment ( Internierungskommissär ), complained again about

4185-567: The camp. Béguin also claimed that "the barracks were built according to regulations, and despite their shortcomings, were 'of the same type as those used in the Army ' ". Officials at the US Legation in Switzerland disagreed with Béguin's "tempered description of conditions" at the penal camp. According to military attaché General Legge, the camp was: of the stockade type... surrounded by barbed wire, constantly patrolled by dogs and guards with sub-machine guns... [Conditions are] unreasonably severe, at

4278-597: The commandant of the prison camp, Captain André Béguin . His complaints resulted in no action by the authorities, and in February 1942 Humbert was dismissed. In the same year an investigation of Béguin was conducted because of possible espionage in favour of Nazi Germany. Although Colonel Robert Jaquillard, chief of the counterintelligence service of the army, spoke against the retention of Captain Béguin as commander of

4371-430: The conditions in Wauwilermoos as "worse than in enemy prison camps" and confirmed the first-hand impressions. The "meals consisted of watered-down soups and scorched stale bread". The sanitary circumstances were subpar: for instance, the latrines were just trenches, very unsanitary, and to clean them the trenches were hosed down every few weeks. Reportedly, "lice and rats were everywhere and the men got sick with boils due to

4464-548: The construction rate of new housing units was 5.3 new units per 1000 residents. The vacancy rate for the municipality, in 2011 , was 0.06%. The historical population is given in the following chart: The language is Adelbodnertütsch , which belongs to the Berner Oberland dialects with some influences from Valais dialects. It is also classified as part of the Highest Alemannic language group. Most of

4557-625: The crimes of common criminals". Regardless of the intent of the Federal Council, for most of 1944 the Swiss authorities did not follow the custodia honesta model, but rather "grouped American internees with common criminals in Wauwilermoos". From July 1941 to September 1945 Wauwilermoos was under the command of Swiss Army captain Andre Béguin. The harsh detention conditions were later described by numerous former inmates and by various contemporary reports and studies. For instance,

4650-797: The difficult elements sent there". The reports contained statements from internees that the camp was "a relaxing place that they would happily return to". However, "the internees provided their statements in return for favours from Béguin". The conditions in the camp were not reported correctly. "Switzerland's wartime general, Henri Guisan , demanded that all Red Cross reports about the internment camps be submitted to army censors first if delegates wanted access" notes historian Dwight S. Mears. The American military attaché in Bern warned Marcel Pilet-Golaz , Swiss foreign minister in 1944, that "the mistreatment inflicted on US aviators could lead to 'navigation errors' during bombing raids over Germany". The ICRC inspected

4743-797: The east, whilst the Hahnenmoos Pass provides a connection into the valley of Lenk to the west. There is an old mountain pass route via Engstligenalp and Chindbetti Pass to the Gemmi Pass and into the Valais . None of these passes carries roads, although they were used as trade routes in the past. Today, the Bunderchrinde and Hahnenmoos passes form part of the Alpine Pass Route , a long-distance hiking trail across Switzerland between Sargans and Montreux that passes through

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4836-446: The forested land, 14.4% of the total land area is heavily forested and 3.0% is covered with orchards or small clusters of trees. Of the agricultural land, 8.5% is pastures and 32.9% is used for alpine pastures. All the water in the municipality is flowing water. Of the unproductive areas, 9.6% is unproductive vegetation, 25.6% is too rocky for vegetation and 1.1% of the land is covered by glaciers. On 31 December 2009 Amtsbezirk Frutigen,

4929-542: The group travelled unaccosted to a city near the French border where they were arrested by an observant Swiss soldier. They were first confined in the Basel city jail for three days and then transferred to Wauwilermoos where Ellington recalled "barbed wire, straw bunks, and guard dogs". After nearly a month in Wauwilermoos, Ellington and his companions were transported to Bern to appear at the Swiss military tribunal. Each defendant

5022-417: The judges and panel members for three-year terms. They retained their regular military positions while serving the court. The military court regulations specified that the chairmen must "hold at least a major degree", but the judges were not required to be trained in law, despite their position as "chairman of the court". Also a prosecutor, defence attorney, court clerk, and in the case of foreign defendants,

5115-498: The latrines were simple trenches in the earth. The diet was meagre and poor. The detainees were widely lacking medical care. Even access to auxiliary packets from the Red Cross and communication by letter were denied. The officer barracks were designed for only 20 occupants, but had 86 by autumn 1944. As a result André Béguin explained that "he could no longer provide amenities such as sheets and shaving mirrors for officers below

5208-418: The lieutenant, in an "arrest local beside the pigsty". Dziedic had to take off his uniform and put on rags, and was paraded through the camp. In the second half of December 1943, the then 26 Soviet internees were sent, along with other detainees, to fetch wood from the forest. They were accompanied by several guards with dogs who ordered the soldiers to collect significantly more wood than normal and take it to

5301-413: The local hotels for the internees' room and board. Internees included British, German, Polish, Russian, Czech, and French combatants. American internees named the area “Camp Maloney” after the first American internee to die. Cultural events include: Adelboden has a population of 3,343 (as of December 2020 ). According to a 2010 census, 6.9% of the population consists of foreign nationals residing in

5394-422: The local teachers. Over time, it evolved into a hotel, which remains under the ownership of the same family (known as Hotel Hari im Schlegeli). This was accompanied by a significant increase in the town's population, thanks to the influx of tourists around the turn of the century. Adelboden was the destination of the first packaged winter sports holidays ( vacations ), organised by Sir Henry Lunn in 1903. Into

5487-779: The lowest subsistence level, and mud ankle deep. General Legge considered them worse than those in POW camps in Nazi Germany. Prior to the escape attempts of summer 1944, only a few American internees were condemned to Wauwilermoos, usually for "drunkenness and disorderly conduct" and with the tacit approval of the US legation. Once the escapes of American POWs increased, the "Swiss government sent every offender to Wauwilermoos, normally for two or three months without trial". By autumn 1944, over 100 American internees were incarcerated in Wauwilermoos, and "the Swiss government threatened to keep them there without trial for six to seven months". Many of

5580-524: The municipalities of Egolzwil , Wauwil and Schötz in the Canton of Luzern in Switzerland. Peat at the former Wauwilersee lake had been mined since 1820, and the area was drained in the mid-19th century. Due to the fact that the camp was built on a former lake, the internees often sank to their ankles in mud. The camp was under the supervision of the Swiss Army . From the beginning, Wauwilermoos had

5673-480: The municipality and 211 workers who commuted away. The municipality is a net importer of workers, with about 1.1 workers entering the municipality for every one leaving. Of the working population, 9.7% used public transportation to get to work, and 38.1% used a private car. Adelboden has an unemployment rate of 1.8%. As of 2005 , there were 366 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 143 businesses involved in this sector. 601 people are employed in

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5766-541: The municipality's former district, was dissolved. On the following day, 1 January 2010, it joined the newly created Verwaltungskreis Frutigen-Niedersimmental. The blazon of the municipal coat of arms is Argent on a Mount Vert an Eagle displayed Sable beaked, langued and membered Gules. Adelboden is first mentioned 615 years ago in 1409 as in valle Adelboden . In 1453, it was mentioned as Adelboden alias silva . The alps Engstligenalp and Silleren belonging to Adelboden first appeared in historical records in

5859-430: The municipality. Of the kindergarten students, 7.1% were permanent or temporary residents of Switzerland (not citizens) and 12.5% have a different mother language than the classroom language. The municipality had 13 primary classes and 245 students. Of the primary students, 4.9% were permanent or temporary residents of Switzerland (not citizens) and 4.5% have a different mother language than the classroom language. During

5952-431: The municipality. There were 1,771 married individuals, 204 widows or widowers and 59 individuals who are divorced. As of 2000 , there were 478 households that consist of only one person and 152 households with five or more people. In 2000 , a total of 1,347 apartments (41.8% of the total) were permanently occupied, while 1,722 apartments (53.4%) were seasonally occupied and 154 apartments (4.8%) were empty. As of 2010 ,

6045-412: The poor sanitation. Among others Dollfus noted that the Red Cross auxiliary packets were confiscated by Béguin, and nearly 500 letters from and to the airmen had been withheld by the commandant. Béguin, was suspended and banned from entering the camp effective 5   September 1945. On 24   September he was taken into custody. On 20   February 1946, a military court sentenced Béguin to three and

6138-503: The population (as of 2000 ) speaks German (95.0%), with Serbo-Croat the second most common ( 1.0%), and Portuguese third ( 0.9%). Legislation is adopted by the biannual general assembly . Executive is the local council with nine members, all of whom are honorary. In the 2011 federal election the most popular party was the Swiss People's Party (SVP) which received 41.7% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were

6231-531: The population in the municipality, 2,124 or about 58.4% were born in Adelboden and lived there in 2000. There were 666 or 18.3% who were born in the same canton, while 365 or 10.0% were born somewhere else in Switzerland, and 290 or 8.0% were born outside of Switzerland. As of 2010 , children and teenagers (0–19 years old) make up 23.6% of the population, while adults (20–64 years old) make up 56.6% and seniors (over 64 years old) make up 19.8%. As of 2000 , there were 1,600 people who were single and never married in

6324-526: The population) did not answer the question. Tourism in Adelboden is family-oriented and accommodations include 24 hotels (1,291 beds), 3,800 vacation homes (15,200 beds), 28 group accommodations (1,830 beds), three camp sites, and 40 restaurants. There are 200 km (125 mi) of summer hiking trails, from sedate walks to alpine climbing routes. Numerous mountain railways lead up to the mountains. Additional activities are: numerous mountain bike routes; and model aircraft construction on Hahnenmoospass with

6417-487: The primary method of reaching Frutigen was by travelling along the steep southern south slope of the Engstligen Valley, a journey that was often rendered impassable in winter months. However, in the late 19th century, a road was constructed along the river Entschlige , improving accessibility and connecting the town of Adelboden to the rest of the world. In the 1870s the first boarding house was opened by one of

6510-469: The prison camp, 1.5 kilometres (0.9 mi) from the forest. The Soviet internees refused to comply with this, and a guard fired his gun into the air and set the dogs on his prisoners. For this alleged resistance, soldier Malfejw was detained for ten days in the punishment cell. In a fight among inmates of barrack 29 on 28   September 1944, a 27-year-old Soviet internee was shot by the guards and another wounded by two bullets. Robert Gamperl, probably

6603-505: The rank of captain". Firewood to heat the stoves was also in short supply. In response to the Americans "who [threatened to cut] up tables and benches to keep warm", Béguin claimed surprise, and resolved that "if they behaved churlishly we could no longer treat them like officers". The commandant claimed that the allocation of firewood was greater than the quantity rationed to Swiss soldiers, a comparison used to justify many conditions around

6696-717: The real reasons, a hearing by the legal officer and reprieve to the clarification of the matter". His letter was never forwarded from Wauwilermoos; neither were letters from Alfred Friedrich and Josef Haslinger. Jules Keller, a medical student, had deserted from the German Army. From Wauwilermoos he sent at least five requests between 23   August and 2   November 1944 to the Federal Commissioner for Internment. Keller asked for health reasons to spend internment near his aunts in Zürich. He argued that because of

6789-401: The repair of motor vehicles, 123 or 13.6% were in the movement and storage of goods, 370 or 41.0% were in a hotel or restaurant, 12 or 1.3% were in the information industry, 12 or 1.3% were the insurance or financial industry, 24 or 2.7% were technical professionals or scientists, 40 or 4.4% were in education and 42 or 4.7% were in health care. In 2000 , there were 224 workers who commuted into

6882-485: The second most prevalent language spoken, with 36 speakers (1.0%), followed by Portuguese with 34 speakers (0.9%). In addition, 29 people reported speaking French, while Italian and Romansh were cited by 17 and 6 individuals, respectively. As of 2008 , the population was 49.1% male and 50.9% female. The population was made up of 1,618 Swiss men (45.4% of the population) and 133 (3.7%) non-Swiss men. There were 1,699 Swiss women (47.7%) and 113 (3.2%) non-Swiss women. Of

6975-547: The slopes, the plateaus, and terraces usually alp meadows. The most salient mountains are Lohner (3,049 m (10,003 ft)), Steghorn (3,146 m (10,322 ft)), Wildstrubel (3,243 m (10,640 ft)), Fitzer (2,458 m (8,064 ft)), Tschenten (2,025 m (6,644 ft)) (mountain railway), Albristhorn (2,762 m (9,062 ft)) and Gsür (2,708 m (8,885 ft)). Adelboden has an area of 87.61 km (33.83 sq mi). Of this area, 36.52 km (14.10 sq mi) or 41.4%

7068-470: The tribunal continued after his departure, and was never informed of the actual verdict. This "demonstrates that internees had difficulty comprehending their experience with Swiss military justice due to both language and cultural differences, and the fact that they were effectively serving their sentences in advance of the tribunal verdicts". Under the title "Das ist ein Skandal, Mit Hunden gehetzt" ("This

7161-410: The tribunal was not delivered for another 20 days, by a slightly altered panel on which one of the Swiss captains had been replaced by another officer of the same rank. The verdict was 75 days confinement for each of the four defendants, with 45 days deducted for pre-trial confinement. In addition, they were each fined their pro-rated share of the trial cost of 17.5 Swiss francs. Ellington was unaware that

7254-482: The unsanitary conditions". They "also lost weight, mostly about 40 pounds". Béguin castigated American internees by "subjecting them to cruel punishments and solitary confinements for minor infractions". The soldiers also were "imprisoned a total of 7 months"; the Hague Convention allowed only 30 days confinement. In addition, the internees did not know the length of their sentences. 2nd Lt. Paul Gambaiana

7347-518: The village. In Adelboden about 1,452 or (40.0%) of the population have completed non-mandatory upper secondary education , and 240 or (6.6%) have completed additional higher education (either university or a Fachhochschule ). Of the 240 who completed tertiary schooling, 71.3% were Swiss men, 21.3% were Swiss women, 4.2% were non-Swiss men and 3.3% were non-Swiss women. The Canton of Bern school system provides one year of non-obligatory Kindergarten , followed by six years of Primary school. This

7440-409: The whole thing. James Misuraca spoke about the compound of single-storey buildings surrounded by barbed wire, the armed Swiss guards with dogs, and the commandant, "a hater of Americans, a martinet who seemed quite pleased with our predicament". Arriving on 10   October 1944, Misuraca and two other US officers made an escape on 1   November. They had "timed the rounds of the guards, climbed out

7533-429: The workforce. In 2008 there were a total of 1,675 full-time equivalent jobs. The number of jobs in the primary sector was 192, all of which were in agriculture. The number of jobs in the secondary sector was 580 of which 88 or (15.2%) were in manufacturing and 450 (77.6%) were in construction. The number of jobs in the tertiary sector was 903. In the tertiary sector; 214 or 23.7% were in wholesale or retail sales or

7626-427: Was a laborious process and did not facilitate the swift execution of justice. The Swiss military justice system was overwhelmed by the rash of escape attempts in the summer of 1944. For the minority of indicted internees who eventually received verdicts the average sentence was 74 days in prison, but the average time to complete the investigations and military tribunals was 82 days. For instance, Sgt. Dale Ellington,

7719-548: Was another USAAF airman sent to the camp. Just before D-Day his aircraft went down. In a telephone interview from his home in Iowa in 2013 Gambaiana said: [the crew] wanted to get back to our base so we attempted to leave Switzerland, and they got us and put us there. It was a Swiss concentration camp. About the only thing I can remember ... we had cabbage soup which was hot water and two leaves of cabbage floating around...The rest I have put away and forgotten. I'm trying to forget

7812-417: Was appointed at his own request as the commander of the camp. The sanitary facilities were dysfunctional, and Béguin stole the food packages and harassed the Allied internees. "He was a Nazi, not only a Nazi sympathizer," Robert Cardenas told CBS 8 News in a 2013 interview. Cardenas, a retired US Air Force brigadier general, was a captain in the 44th Bomb Group interned in Switzerland in 1944. While Cardenas

7905-407: Was given a copy of the poorly translated charges, and had "methodically listed the identities of the defendants, the charges against them, a catalog of evidence, and the names of their tribunal jurors", in fact the only trial record they received. The tribunal panel consisted of three Swiss officers, of which the highest ranking were two captains, and three enlisted soldiers. During the interrogation,

7998-524: Was horrible. Between 149 and 161 Americans who were caught attempting to escape in 1944 were sent to Wauwilermoos, "where their confinement would eventually test the limits of international law." The American internees remained in Wauwilermoos until November 1944, when the US State Department lodged protests against the Swiss government and secured their release. The agreement did not impact all nationalities, as Soviet internees were still at

8091-491: Was not himself sent to Wauwilermoos, he did visit it and witnessed the camp's abysmal conditions firsthand. In his recollection: the beds were wooden planks or some of them were only straw on the floor ... American prisoners were subjected to physical and sexual abuse, starvation, freezing, disease-ridden conditions and virtually no hygiene facilities ... [the camp] was exactly like, if not worse than, any POW camp in Germany, it

8184-431: Was one of three Swiss penal camps for internees that were established in Switzerland during World War II. In Wauwilermoos prison camp both military internees and male civilian internees who had been convicted under the Swiss Military Criminal Code were detained. Wauwilermoos housed military internees of various nations, including the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Poland, the Soviet Union, Yugoslavia, and

8277-483: Was only able to get enough food to survive by purchasing it off the black market". Northfelt was also ill; sleeping on dirty straw had caused sores all over his body, and he had problems with his prostate gland . Medical care was given by a doctor, Northfelt said, who "specialized in women's cases". Northfelt said Béguin was a "pro-Nazi" who "only cleaned up the camp when inspections by high ranking officers or American dignitaries were announced". On 3   November 1944

8370-433: Was repeatedly raped by internees from Soviet Union. He reported this to Béguin and some of the guards who laughed and sent him back. The next days they even closed Culler's barrack at night. The torture did not end until new internees became Culler's roommates: "I was bleeding everywhere", Culler said later. Culler fell seriously ill and was transferred to hospital. Béguin, who has been labelled "a disgrace to Switzerland",

8463-688: Was required by the Geneva Convention of 1929 to keep these soldiers interned until the end of hostilities. The soldiers were held in barracks, and they were used as workers for agriculture and industry, except for officers who were not compelled to work and stayed in unoccupied mountain hotels, mainly in Davos . Among the Swiss prisoners were members of the United States Army Air Forces , who were sentenced for attempting to escape from other Swiss camps for interned soldiers, or other offences. The internment prison camp

8556-404: Was sent in, pulling him to the ground and tearing his clothes. A guard kicked the internee lying on the ground before Dobroliubov was sent to the punishment cell. Symforian Dziedic, a Polish lieutenant, was voluntarily returned to Switzerland after fleeing to France. After a second attempt to escape at the end of 1943, he was imprisoned in Wauwilermoos again. Béguin locked Dziedic, as described by

8649-534: Was the subject of official protests by the United States, Great Britain, Poland, and Italy, as well as a barrier to the normalisation of diplomatic relations with the USSR. Numerous Swiss citizens reported that the conditions at Wauwilermoos were in violation of the 1929 Geneva Conventions, including a Swiss Army medical officer, an officer on the Swiss Army's General Staff, and the editors of two Swiss newspapers. Starting in 1942 on-site inspections had been carried out by

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