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July 1945 - Excerpts based on a report written by Dr. Jean-Marie Musy
Delivered to: "The Union of Orthodox Rabbis of the United States and Canada"
Represented by: Mr. Sternbuch - Swiss Committee in Montreux, Switzerland
Matters relating to: the endeavors taken by Jean-Marie Musy and Benoît Musy to rescue the Israelites (Jews), held prisoners in the
German concentration camps (1944-45)
(Original text in French - direct translation into English)
Copyright 1945-2000
All rights to translations, reproductions, and adaptions reserved for all countries.
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During the month of April 1944, Mr. and Mrs. Lob came to appeal to Dr. Jean-Marie Musy to intervene to the German authorities, in order
to obtain the release of their sister and brother-in-law, Mr. and Mrs. Bloch. The Blochs, of Jewish religious faith, had been arrested in France by the Germans. Mr. Musy knew the family Lob for a long time, as he
had been Mr. Lob Sr. attorney in Bulle (Gruyèère-Switzerland). The Lob sons had all done their military service in the Swiss cavalry with Jean-Marie Musy's sons: Pierre and Luigi Musy.
Jean Musy accepted the pleas of the Lob family and he left for Paris, although having little hope that he would be successful in his delicate mission. When
he arrived in Paris, General Hoberg, chief of the German Police in France, immediately said that "an Israelite (Jew) who has entered a concentration camp has never come out of it." Mr. Musy did not loose
hope and insisted on the fact that Mrs. Bloch was of Swiss origin. After multiple steps, the liberation of the Bloch couple was obtained thanks to J-M Musy. This was a success which was almost not expected and this
liberation was without precedent.
It was probably because of this liberation that Mrs. Bolomey visited Mr. Musy in October 1944. She came in the name of a Committee
which had been recently formed in Montreux (Switzerland). This Committee was headed by Rabbi Isaac Sternbuch, which acted on behalf of the "Union of Orthodox Rabbis of the United States and Canada." Mr.
Sternbuch and his wife Recha Sternbuch, asked Mr. Musy to intervene in Germany with the aim to obtain the release of Jews who were prisoners in concentration camps. Dr. Musy knew that it would not only be very
difficult to be successful in this mission, but also that it would be significantly dangerous. The Allies were keeping a watch over the roads and were constantly machine gunning the roads, which had to be inevitably
traveled upon to reach Berlin.
Nevertheless, for Jean-Marie Musy, the danger which he would encounter did not play an important role in his decision to accept the mission. It is with a
deep sentiment of humanity and Christian concern that drove Mr. Musy and his son Benoîît to intervene on behalf of the prisoners of the concentration camps. They never asked or received personal monetary
compensation for their frequent trips to Germany.
Afterwards he wrote to Himmler, the commander of the S.S. to ask for a meeting. As J.-M. Musy was an ex-President of Switzerland, he knew Himmler from the
days when "Anti-Communist Committees" had been formed in almost every country. Fifteen days later, the reply from General Himmler was positive, and a few weeks later, Jean-Marie and his son Benoît Musy
arrived in Berlin by automobile (a distance of approximately 560 miles/900 km. from Switzerland).
They traveled in Germany during 1944-45 as private individuals without diplomatic passports. As he had retired in 1934, J.-M. Musy was no
longer representing the government of Switzerland. They were simply two Swiss citizens who were trying to help the Jewish prisoners in Germany.
The meeting with Himmler took place in a German military train which was traveling to Vienna. During the first meeting, General Himmler expressed the
following comments about the ex-Swiss Statesman: "He was a man totally unselfish, extremely intelligent and educated, who only had one goal: to save as many human lives as possible amongst the hundreds of thousands of prisoners of the concentration camps."
Mr. Musy articulated to Himmler the humanitarian consideration of his mission and that Germany had a major interest in liberating all of the concentration
camps. A document was presented to General Himmler, attesting to the fact that the Americans were ready to take at their cost all transport and support for all of the Jews which were released.
The conference lasted two hours. The outcome of the meeting was positive between General Himmler and Mr. Musy, who represented the
"Union of Orthodox Rabbis of the United States and Canada." An agreement was reached with the following clauses:
I) The Germans would agree to liberate all Jews, approximately 600,000, held in the concentration camps that were located in territory under the control
of the Germans. These releases could be done without Hitler's authorization.
II) This liberation of the camps, would start immediately and be in exchange for compensations, to be determined later, as soon as the Union of Orthodox
Rabbis had accepted the offer in principle. Himmler wanted trucks, tractors, automobiles, etc. Jean-Marie Musy immediately made the observation to the SS General that it would be very difficult to supply Germany
with compensations of this nature. Mr. Musy did his best to make him understand that, the transaction would be easier if the Germans would accept money, to which a supply of medicine could possibly be included.
Himmler maintained his position concerning the compensation in automotive hardware.
The next day, Mr. Musy returned with his son to Switzerland in order to attempt to resolve the serious problems which stemmed from Himmler's compensation
demands. As soon as he arrived in Switzerland he contacted the Ciba Pharmaceutical Company, with the notion of obtaining an important stock of Cibazol to offer to the Germans as partial compensation. With regard to
the negotiations to deliver a certain quantity of vehicles to the Germans, these would last months, before achieving a partial outcome. However, this was insufficient to satisfy the Germans.
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