Bergier commission

The Bergier commission in Bern was formed by the Swiss government on 12 December 1996. It is also known as the ICE (Independent Commission of Experts). Founded in a decade when Switzerland had come under recurring criticism for its behaviour during World War II, particularly with respect to its relations with the Nazi government in Germany, the commission was established by the Swiss Parliament and headed by Jean-François Bergier, an economic historian. Made up of Polish, American, Israeli and Swiss historians, the commission's mandate was to investigate the volume and fate of assets moved to Switzerland before, during, and immediately after the Second World War. The investigation was to be made from a historical and legal point of view, with a particular emphasis on the links between the Nazi regime and Swiss banks. The mandate covers almost every type of asset, including gold, currency and cultural assets. The content of the research program was broadened by the government to include economic relations, arms production, "Aryanisation measures", the monetary system, and refugee policy. The commission did not set out to write a general history of Switzerland during the Nazi era; rather, it took as its task "to shed light upon certain controversial or insufficiently analyzed aspects of this history, aspects in which it appeared that Switzerland, that is to say its political authorities and economic decision-makers, had perhaps been derelict in assuming their responsibilities." The commission was given unprecedented powers and resources by the Swiss Parliament: it was to have unimpeded access to the archives held by Swiss private companies including banks, insurance companies, and enterprises; the companies were prohibited from destroying any files relating to the period being examined by the commission; the initial budget of 5 million Swiss Francs was increased to a total of 22 million francs. In the course of its work, the commission identified three areas where the government failed to carry out its responsibilities: that of the Swiss government and its cantons' policy with respect to the refugees.