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bureaucratic schemes and calculations. Sure, I intentionally exceeded the limits of my authority and often with my own hands falsified documents and certificates, but it was done solely in order to afford persecuted people access into the country. My personal well-being, measured against the cruel fate of these thousands, was so insignificant and unimportant that I never even took it into consideration.
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After his death, Grüninger's fate was brought back partially into the public memory by some publications beginning in 1984, and steps to rehabilitate him were set into motion. The first attempt was rejected by the Swiss
Council, and only as late as 1995, the Swiss federal Government finally annulled
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The Swiss federal government initiated an investigation, whereupon Grüninger was dismissed by the government without notice in March 1939. Grüninger's trial at the district court of St. Gallen opened in
January 1939 and dragged over two years. In March 1941 the court found him guilty
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As the number of refugees who tried to enter
Switzerland illegally increased, Grüninger decided in the summer of 1938 to not send them back, facing the consequence of breaching explicit government instructions. To legalize the refugees' status, he falsified visas so that their passports showed that
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I am not ashamed of the court's verdict. On the contrary, I am proud to have saved the lives of hundreds of oppressed people. My assistance to Jews was rooted in my
Christian world outlook… It was basically a question of saving human lives threatened with death. How could I then seriously consider
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In
December 1970 as a result of protest in the media, the Swiss government sent Grüninger "a somewhat reserved letter of apology, but refrained from reopening his case and reinstating his pension". Ostracized and accused and slandered as a womanizer and corrupt fraudster, even as a Nazi by some
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people in the 2000s, the former chief of police for the rest of his life was no longer fixed point: Grüninger died in 1972, nearly forgotten in
Switzerland, without rehabilitation by the Swiss authorities. Two months before his death, West German President
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Whoever had the opportunity, like me, to witness those heartbreaking scenes, the victims' collapse, the cries of mothers and children, the suicide threats as well as suicide attempts – that person could no longer
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Ostracized and forgotten, Grüninger lived for the rest of his life in difficult circumstances. Despite the difficulties, he never regretted his action on behalf of the Jews. In 1954 he explained his motives:
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to await permits for a temporary stay. Grüninger falsified reports about the number of arrivals and status of refugees in his canton. He also used his own funds to provide some of them with winter clothing.
295:, Switzerland had closed its border to Jewish people arriving without proper entry permits, and in October 1938 negotiations between Switzerland and Germany led to the stamping of a 'J' in
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and falsifying other documents to indicate that they had entered
Switzerland at a time when legal entry of refugees was still possible. He was dismissed from the police force, convicted of
316:, fined and had to pay the trial costs. The court recognized his altruistic motivations, but found that nevertheless, as a state employee, it was his duty to follow his instructions.
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they had arrived in
Switzerland before March 1938, when immigration to Switzerland had been restricted. This enabled newly arrived Jewish refugees to be taken to
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860:, 52 pages. Leo Baeck Institute Archives. Irma C. Erman Collection, 1939-1992. Folder 3. Identifier: AR 4106. Retrieved 30 May 2022.
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525:'s report took part in Grüninger's rehabilitation, as well to rehabilitate the surviving people who had been convicted during the
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Grüninger attended a teacher preparatory school from 1907 to 1911. He also played football semi-professionally. In 1913 he joined
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The Rhine bridge between
Diepoldsau (Switzerland) and Hohenems in Austria, which was one of the locations in the film
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period in
Switzerland for their assistance to refugees – 137 women and men received public rehabilitation up to 2009.
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of "breach of duty", "official misconduct and forgery to a fine". His retirement benefits were forfeited, and he was
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275:. Following completion of the military service, in 1919 he joined the police corps of the canton of St. Gallen.
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Gerechtigkeit für Paul Grüninger. Verurteilung und Rehabilitierung eines Schweizer Fluchthelfers (1938–1998).
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against him and cleared him of all charges. Three years later the government of the
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Yad Vashem The Holocaust Martyrs' and Heroes' Remembrance Authority: Paul Grüninger
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of the association football club Brühl St. Gallen is named in his honour.
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Holocaust memorial foundation in Israel honoured Grüninger as one of the
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728:""Akte Grüninger": Der Flüchtlingshelfer und die Rückkehr der Beamten"
219:; 27 October 1891 – 22 February 1972) was a Swiss police commander in
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paid compensation to his descendants, and in 1999 also the so-called
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596:, a 1997 Swiss documentary film based on Stefan Keller's book
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Author Eyal Press discusses Paul Grüninger's heroism on
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821:"Naming of Street in Jerusalem after Paul Grüninger"
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613:Grüningers Fall. Geschichten von Flucht und Hilfe
598:Grüningers Fall. Geschichten von Flucht und Hilfe
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568:, was in summer 2012 named after Paul Grüninger.
287:that borders Germany and Austria. Following the
509:Grüninger's conviction: the district court of
504:Rehabilitation and Righteous Among the Nations
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682:"The Policeman who Lifted the Border Barrier"
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175:Police commander, teacher and football player
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834:""Akte Grüninger": Filmpremiere in Hohenems"
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234:memorial foundation in 1971. Following the
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926:Webpage of the Paul Grüninger foundation
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897:""Akte Grüninger" – Fiktion und Fakten"
271:and was part of the squad that won the
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283:Grüninger was police commander of the
895:Jörg Krummenacher (23 January 2014).
588:, a 1976 unpublished play in English.
243:, Grüninger saved about 3,600 Jewish
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72:1 January 1925 – 12 May 1939
974:Police officers convicted of crimes
706:Who was Paul Grüninger? (in German)
653:Rescue of Jews during the Holocaust
540:. A street located in the northern
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579:In literature, film and television
223:. He was recognized as one of the
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999:Swiss Righteous Among the Nations
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832:Ingrid Bertel (29 January 2014).
726:Stefan Keller (23 January 2014).
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969:People from St. Gallen (city)
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500:gave him a color television.
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608:, a 2013 Swiss-Austrian film
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871:"WOZ Shop: Grüningers Fall"
795:(in German). 26 June 1994.
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586:A Dream Drama with Justitia
538:Righteous Among the Nations
225:Righteous Among the Nations
184:Righteous Among the Nations
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18:Paul Grüninger Foundation
936:The Example of Grüninger
208:[paʊ̯lˈɡʁyːnɪŋɐ]
984:Swiss men's footballers
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27:Swiss police commander
989:Swiss police officers
875:WOZ Die Wochenzeitung
771:"The Courage to Defy"
753:"The Courage to Defy"
732:Die Wochenzeitung WOZ
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289:annexation of Austria
204:German pronunciation:
901:Neue Zürcher Zeitung
519:Canton of St. Gallen
285:Canton of St. Gallen
247:by backdating their
58:Police Commander of
634:Böhlau, Köln 2009,
253:official misconduct
630:Wulff Bickenbach:
574:in Zürich-Oerlikon
572:Paul-Grüninger-Weg
527:National Socialist
523:Bergier Commission
363:Seven Laws of Noah
48:Grüninger, c. 1939
994:Swiss Protestants
838:ORF (broadcaster)
640:978-3-412-20334-4
544:neighbourhood of
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122:(1972-02-22)
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964:1972 deaths
959:1891 births
903:(in German)
793:Der Spiegel
135:Switzerland
111:Switzerland
953:Categories
858:Manuscript
806:4 December
686:Yad Vashem
659:References
534:Yad Vashem
511:St. Gallen
411:Lithuanian
377:By country
368:Yad Vashem
320:Later life
263:Early life
229:Yad Vashem
221:St. Gallen
188:Yad Vashem
172:Occupation
131:St. Gallen
127:St. Gallen
107:St. Gallen
103:St. Gallen
96:1891-10-27
60:St. Gallen
801:2195-1349
542:Jerusalem
441:Ukrainian
416:Norwegian
406:Hungarian
328:Righteous
314:cashiered
297:passports
240:Anschluss
232:Holocaust
68:In office
647:See also
515:judgment
431:Romanian
391:Croatian
386:Austrian
269:SC Brühl
245:refugees
236:Austrian
164:Children
907:30 July
880:30 July
843:30 July
737:30 July
691:30 July
559:stadium
485:comply.
436:Serbian
227:by the
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552:Legacy
421:Polish
401:German
180:Awards
141:Spouse
396:Czech
249:visas
152:(
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909:2015
882:2015
845:2015
808:2023
797:ISSN
739:2015
693:2015
636:ISBN
621:ISBN
557:The
425:list
117:Died
86:Born
291:by
186:by
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154:m.
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