The Swiss Federal Intelligence Service has announced it will open long-sealed files on Josef Mengele, the notorious Nazi war criminal known as the "Angel of Death" for his role at Auschwitz. Historians have long suspected Mengele spent time in Switzerland, despite an international arrest warrant issued in 1959. The files may reveal new details about his movements and potential connections to the country.
Mengele, a doctor in the Waffen SS, was stationed at Auschwitz, where he selected prisoners for the gas chambers and conducted brutal medical experiments, primarily on children and twins. An estimated 1.1 million people, including about a million Jews, died at the camp. After the war, Mengele fled Europe using Red Cross travel documents obtained under a false identity. He eventually settled in South America, where he died in 1979.
Historians have long sought access to the Swiss files, which may provide insight into Mengele's activities in Switzerland. It is known that he took a skiing holiday in the Swiss Alps with his son Rolf in 1956. Swiss historian Regula Bochsler discovered evidence suggesting Mengele may have returned to Switzerland in June 1961, after the international arrest warrant was issued. The files could clarify whether Swiss authorities were aware of his presence and whether he received assistance in evading capture.
The Red Cross has previously apologized for issuing travel documents to Nazis, including Mengele, under its post-war aid program for displaced persons. The opening of the Swiss files is expected to shed light on Switzerland's role in the aftermath of World War II and the fate of fleeing war criminals.