Hikers dressed in Nazis in Switzerland: we know why

Dressed in Wehrmacht uniforms, 25 men from various countries recently surveyed the Swiss Alps. Saying “apolitical”, they say they simply want to replay scenes from history.

Francesco Benini / CH Media

Last weekend, a group of 25 hikers was spotted in the Simmental, in the Western region of the Bernese Oberland. All wore uniforms from the German Wehrmacht. Troubled by this scene, walkers alerted the police.

Symbols not prohibited in Switzerland

Bernese cantonal police have confirmed an investigation by SRF radio. She indicated:

The authorities carried out an identity check and ordered the participants to remove the jackets with Nazi symbols, in order to avoid any confrontation with third parties. No criminal penalty has been taken, national-socialist symbols not currently not prohibited in Switzerland.

A historical reconstruction

But who are these men in Nazi uniform who bivouacked in the Swiss Alps? The survey refers to a collective baptized Project Edelweiss. On its website, a hike in Switzerland is announced for the month of July, and the registrations to participate were open until 1^is December 2024.

The group’s website of the group evokes a “reenactively” activity, that is to say a most authentic historical reconstruction possible. This type of reconstruction is notably popular in the United States, where battles of the Civil War (1861–1865) are replayed.

Founded in 2009, the Project Edelweiss Indicates that he wants to reconstruct “a high mountain formation of Austrian and German Alpine hunters”. The latter were specialized infantry units of the Wehrmacht, trained for the combat in mountainous fields. Several of these units have been involved in war crimes and massacres of civilians.

The first mountain division of Adolf Hitler was also known as Division Edelweissand a Nazi military operation carried out in the Caucasus in 1942 also had the code name Edelweiss. The group specifies that participants must be in good physical condition and adopt an “apolitical” approach. To date, a hundred people from 18 countries have already taken part in the rallies.

An apolitical group

In other words, we hike in Nazi uniform in the Alps, we simulate the training of mountain troops of the Third Reich, while claiming political neutrality. A posture that seems to aim to avoid legal proceedings.

For Hans Stutz, a recognized observer of the far right in Switzerland, the case deserves to be nuanced. He explains:

According to him, the simple wearing of the Wehrmacht uniform is not enough to qualify the participants as neonazis.

The latter recognizes, however, that “for hikers crossing men dressed as well, the experience can obviously be very disturbing”.

Towards a ban on Nazi symbols in Switzerland

If Switzerland has been chosen as land for the operation, it is undoubtedly because the use of Nazi symbols is still legal. Some of the uniforms also wore visible swastikas.

This tolerance is however on the way to being abolished. The Federal Council, although he was relieved three years ago to ban these symbols in public space, was contradicted by Parliament. The National Council and the Council of States both supported a legislative modification in this direction.

A bill has been presented, and provides for the ban on Nazi signs, gestures or greetings, except in a school, scientific, artistic or journalistic framework. In the event of an offense, a fine of 200 francs is planned.

At the origin of this initiative, the Centrist Argovian States Councilor Marianne Binder. Asked about the case of hikers, she reacts without detour:

And to add that:

Translated from German by Joel Espi