Leonhard Riedmuller: Swiss public enemy or pawn sacrifice?

摘要

On June 9, 1945 the Zurich cantonal government issued the lifetime deportation from Switzerland for Prof. Dr. med. vet. Leonhard Riedmuller (1898-1976) and his spouse Helena, nee Eltze (1910-1990), both German citizens on grounds of Riedmullers' membership in the NSDAP, Landesgruppe Schweiz". Riedmullers' several attempts to appeal at court were not successful. Riedmullers biography shows that he served in the German Army at the Western front during WW I. Following the war he studied Veterinary Medicine at the University of Munich where he received the degree of Dr. med. vet. Moving to Zurich in 1926, Riedmuller took a position as veterinary bacteriologist at the University of Zurich. In 1941 he was promoted and became head of the Institute of Veterinary Bacteriology. He left Europe in 1947 for Brazil and took a position as a veterinary bacteriologist at a government laboratory. After retiring from his position in Brazil he returned to Germany where he passed away in 1976. Based on available documents from several Swiss archives the question is discussed whether Riedmullers' deportation as public enemy in 1945 was appropriate or if Swiss authorities might have been tempted to sacrifice Riedmuller as a pawn in consideration of Switzerlands international political position immediately after the end of WW II.