Honour To Hitler`s Undestined Assassin Bavaud

Maurice Bavaud travelled to Germany in 1938 to kill Hitler during a National Socialists` march. He was sentenced to death.

Swiss President Pascal Couchepin has paid tribute to Swiss Maurice Bavaud on Friday, who tried to assassinate Adolf Hitler 70 years ago, and paid with his life.

From today`s perspective, the Swiss authorities did too little for Bavaud, Couchepin said.

Bavaud deserves out remembrance and recognition, the president pointed out in a statement concerning the failed assassination. Couchepon believes that Bavaud clearly anticipated what Hitler was going to do to the world. This minister candidate travelled to Germany in 1938, at the age of 22, with the intention to shoot Hitler.

“A despicable act”

The official remembrance anent the 70 th anniversary of the failed assassination was requested by Social Democrat MP Paul Rechsteiner, who said Bavaud was never rehabilitated.

The Swiss Ambassador in Berlin at the time called the assassination attempt a despicable act and refused to visit him in prison or to stand up for him in any way, Rechsteiner said.

The Swiss Defence Ministry refused the proposition for Bavaud to be exchanged for a German spy.

Maurice Bavaud tried to kill Adolf Hitler on November 8, 1938 in Munich with a gun, during a National Socialists` march.

Beheaded him

Several weeks later, on December 18, 1938, he was sentenced to death by a German court and he was beheaded at the Berlin-Plietzensee prison.

Documents which were published later show that not only did the Swiss authorities refuse to help Bavaud, but they even opened an investigation on his colleagues at the seminary, after Gestapo orders.

The German jurisdiction annulled the verdict against him in 1956.

Authors Rolf Hochhuth and Niklas Meinberg immortalised the Bavaud case in the 80s with the book “Tell38” and film “It Is Cold In Brandenburg – Kill Hitler”.

The Maurice Bavaud committee has been requesting an official apology from the Swiss government for Switzerland`s part in the case.