Hans Oehler
Encyclopedia
Hans Oehler was a Swiss
journalist
, leading supporter of Nazism
.
Initially a journalist, Oehler turned his attention towards producing vehemently pro-German
material, founding the Schweizerische Monatshefte für Politik und Kultur (SM) in 1921. This very quickly became the mouthpiece for the Popular League for the Independence of Switzerland, a group he had helped to found around the same time which opposed the League of Nations
and advocated anti-Semitism
. He briefly met Adolf Hitler
when he visited Switzerland in 1923 and became an admirer of both Fascist Italy
and Othmar Spann
.
Although the Popular League proved to be short-lived, Oehler continued to publish SM as an outlet for his political ideas until, in 1932, he joined the New Front
and converted it into a journal for the increasingly fascist
movement. With the launch of the National Front in 1933 Oehler took charge of editing the new party's paper Front, as well as being appointed foreign affairs spokesman. Ousted from SM by the Front he founded a new paper, Nationale Hefte and by 1938 had split from the Front altogether. After the split he joined with Rolf Henne
in forming the hardline Nazi Bund Treuer Eidgenossen Nationalsozialistischer Weltanschauung, another minor group which was absorbed by the Nationale Bewegung der Schweiz in 1940.
Oehler's profile fell as World War II
neared its conclusion and he became very much a marginal figure in post-war Switzerland. Having attended a meeting in Munich
in 1940 organised to bring together pro-Nazi Swiss leaders, Oehler was tried for treason
by a federal court in 1957 and sentenced to two years in prison. Upon his release Oehler became a leading member of the Volkspartei der Schweiz
and headed up the Swiss branch of Nation Europa
, an international neo-Nazi journal. He also adopted the pseudonym Hans Rudolf to translate works into German
, notably Nuremberg ou la Terre Promise of Maurice Bardèche
, as well as writing for the far right
journal Turmwart. Oehler continued his political activity up until his death at Dielsdorf
.
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
, leading supporter of Nazism
Nazism
Nazism, the common short form name of National Socialism was the ideology and practice of the Nazi Party and of Nazi Germany...
.
Initially a journalist, Oehler turned his attention towards producing vehemently pro-German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
material, founding the Schweizerische Monatshefte für Politik und Kultur (SM) in 1921. This very quickly became the mouthpiece for the Popular League for the Independence of Switzerland, a group he had helped to found around the same time which opposed the League of Nations
League of Nations
The League of Nations was an intergovernmental organization founded as a result of the Paris Peace Conference that ended the First World War. It was the first permanent international organization whose principal mission was to maintain world peace...
and advocated anti-Semitism
Anti-Semitism
Antisemitism is suspicion of, hatred toward, or discrimination against Jews for reasons connected to their Jewish heritage. According to a 2005 U.S...
. He briefly met Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
when he visited Switzerland in 1923 and became an admirer of both Fascist Italy
Italian Fascism
Italian Fascism also known as Fascism with a capital "F" refers to the original fascist ideology in Italy. This ideology is associated with the National Fascist Party which under Benito Mussolini ruled the Kingdom of Italy from 1922 until 1943, the Republican Fascist Party which ruled the Italian...
and Othmar Spann
Othmar Spann
Othmar Spann was a conservative Austrian philosopher, sociologist and economist whose radical anti-liberal and anti-Socialist views, based on early 19th century Romantic ideas expressed by Adam Müller et al...
.
Although the Popular League proved to be short-lived, Oehler continued to publish SM as an outlet for his political ideas until, in 1932, he joined the New Front
National Front (Switzerland)
The National Front was a far right political party in Switzerland that flourished during the 1930s.The party began life amongst a number of debating clubs at the University of Zurich, where anti-Semitism, Swiss nationalism and support for ideas similar to those later adopted in the racial policy of...
and converted it into a journal for the increasingly fascist
Fascism
Fascism is a radical authoritarian nationalist political ideology. Fascists seek to rejuvenate their nation based on commitment to the national community as an organic entity, in which individuals are bound together in national identity by suprapersonal connections of ancestry, culture, and blood...
movement. With the launch of the National Front in 1933 Oehler took charge of editing the new party's paper Front, as well as being appointed foreign affairs spokesman. Ousted from SM by the Front he founded a new paper, Nationale Hefte and by 1938 had split from the Front altogether. After the split he joined with Rolf Henne
Rolf Henne
Rolf Henne was a Swiss politician who supported a form of Nazism.Born in Schaffhausen, Henne was a distant relative of Carl Jung on his father's side. Educated at Zurich and Heidelberg, Henne worked as a lawyer. He joined the New Front in 1932, serving as Gaufuehrer for his hometown...
in forming the hardline Nazi Bund Treuer Eidgenossen Nationalsozialistischer Weltanschauung, another minor group which was absorbed by the Nationale Bewegung der Schweiz in 1940.
Oehler's profile fell as World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
neared its conclusion and he became very much a marginal figure in post-war Switzerland. Having attended a meeting in Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
in 1940 organised to bring together pro-Nazi Swiss leaders, Oehler was tried for treason
Treason
In law, treason is the crime that covers some of the more extreme acts against one's sovereign or nation. Historically, treason also covered the murder of specific social superiors, such as the murder of a husband by his wife. Treason against the king was known as high treason and treason against a...
by a federal court in 1957 and sentenced to two years in prison. Upon his release Oehler became a leading member of the Volkspartei der Schweiz
Volkspartei der Schweiz
Volkspartei der Schweiz was a Swiss neo-Nazi political party founded in 1951 by Gaston-Armand Amaudruz and Erwin Vollenweider.The party was one of the driving forces behind the foundation of the New European Order and boasted Hans Oehler amongst its leading members. It published its own paper...
and headed up the Swiss branch of Nation Europa
Nation Europa
Nation Europa is a monthly magazine, published in Germany, that was originally established in support of Pan-European nationalism...
, an international neo-Nazi journal. He also adopted the pseudonym Hans Rudolf to translate works into German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
, notably Nuremberg ou la Terre Promise of Maurice Bardèche
Maurice Bardèche
Maurice Bardèche was a French essayist, literary and art critic, journalist, and one of the leading exponents of Neo-Fascism in post-World War II Europe...
, as well as writing for the far right
Far right
Far-right, extreme right, hard right, radical right, and ultra-right are terms used to discuss the qualitative or quantitative position a group or person occupies within right-wing politics. Far-right politics may involve anti-immigration and anti-integration stances towards groups that are...
journal Turmwart. Oehler continued his political activity up until his death at Dielsdorf
Dielsdorf (district)
Dielsdorf District is a district in the northwestern part of the Swiss canton of Zürich.Since 1871 the administrative center of the district is located in Dielsdorf. Previously the district was named Bezirk Regensberg, and its capital was Regensdorf, the only city in the district....
.