When the war in Ukraine erupted on February 24 2022, it looked as if Europe might be drawn into the conflict. Switzerland, despite its long-cherished neutrality, imposed sanctions on Russia and almost immediately prepared to receive Ukrainian refugees. In Wengen, we all watched events unfold daily on our TV screens, expecting the refugees to settle in the big towns or cities. We were surprised to hear in mid-March that they had suddenly arrived in the Lauterbrunnen valley.
I spoke to Franziska Gertsch, a freelance journalist and guesthouse owner from Gimmelwald, who runs the administration and collection centre at the Schulhaus (Old Schoolhouse) in Lauterbrunnen. Surrounded by local volunteers and Ukrainian women who were sorting donations, Franziska told me how the whole Lauterbrunnen community had swung into action. “The war in Ukraine has been such a tragic event, but all our local villages have been marvellous at stepping in to help the refugees.” she stated.
She recalled how this local project had all started from scratch, several weeks ago. “When we became aware of the refugee crisis in Ukraine, some of us felt we had to help straightaway, but what could we do?
“Nathalie Sugnaux, a friend in Mürren, was already helping with collections for supplies for babies near the Polish/Ukraine border and there was talk of more support vans going from Switzerland.
“Social media started buzzing with suggestions and then we learnt that two local hostels in the Lauterbrunnen valley, Alpine Base and Schützenbach Camping, had both generously offered accommodation via Facebook.
“Bär und Leu, the Swiss/Ukraine welfare organisation, had been in contact with the hostels and had arranged to bring coaches of refugees direct from Lviv in western Ukraine to Lauterbrunnen.
“Then, suddenly on the Tuesday, Natalie and I received a ‘help’ call from Alpine Base that the first coach would shortly be arriving and could we organise a warm welcome for the refugees? We needed warm clothes, food and bedding – fast. A sanctuary in the Alps had become a reality.”
Franziska and her growing band of local volunteers appealed to anyone in the Lauterbrunnen Gemeinde (municipality) to donate adults’ or childrens’ warm clothing, shoes, bedding, toys, push chairs, sanitary products and toiletries. Using social media and flyers, Franzyska was amazed at the response. “One day, we put out a call out for suitcases on WhatsApp and the next day we had nearly 50!
Items poured into the Old Schoolhouse from Gimmelwald, Mürren and Stechelberg across to Isenfluh, Lauterbrunnen and Wengen, and soon extra rooms had to be acquired. The word travelled wider and people came from Interlaken with more supplies.
Up in Wengen, the DHO also got behind the project – at a recent social evening in the clubhouse, Mark Hughes and James Wilson organised a fundraising effort which raised nearly CHF900 for the local refugees. Individual members of the DHO have also generously supplied bedding and other essentials.
When the first coach of refugees arrived, the local priest in Lauterbrunnen, Rev Markus Tschanz organised a hot meal for the weary travellers. The women and children were still stunned, but relieved to be safe, and were offered showers and fresh clothes and a warm welcome.
The refugees are a very diverse group. Some are fluent in German and English, while others speak very little. They come from both cities and the deep countryside and while some are financially secure, others are poor or have lost everything. But they have all left behind family and their menfolk, who, if aged between 18 and 60, are not allowed to leave Ukraine.”
As many elderly have refused to leave their homes in Ukraine, the refugees comprise overwhelmingly women and small children and such vulnerable people are targets for human traffickers operating around the Polish/Ukranian borders. Stories abound of these traffickers promising women trips to sanctuary in Switzerland, only for the women to disappear.
While I am talking with Franziska, another coachload of 30 refugees arrives. After a 50-hour journey, they are subdued, still shocked by what has happened and need time to adjust to their new circumstances. Some have small suitcases, but many carry their possessions in just a plastic bag. A child may conceal a pet kitten in their jacket, or, as recently happened, a pet hedgehog – reminders of a more gentle world.
The Ukranian women busy themselves with plenty of domestic duties at the hostels. Local restaurants and hotels have provided all the cooking equipment they need, so teams are set up to cook familiar meals. Others help in the Old School House, sorting bedding, clothing and shoes. One large room is set aside as the ‘shop’, where the refugees and their children can select clothes and shoes they might need. Their health is also important and close by is the doctors’ surgery, where medicines and clinical help are also available.
At the time of writing (March 31 2022), it is estimated that there are over 25,000 Ukrainian refugees registered in Switzerland, and for the next 90 days they will not require the bureaucracy of a visa. Once the 150 refugees in the Lauterbrunnen valley are registered, they too will be eligible for basic Swiss benefits. But what comes next?
Sadly, it appears that this war will not end soon and the refugees may have to stay for some time. Many mothers and children have already been allocated accommodation with families in some of the Gemeinde villages, as well as in Grindelwald.
The initial generosity of the two hosts in providing the hostels has been warmly welcomed, but other agencies must now assist. Franziska stresses that she and her volunteers have done all they can to help, and will continue to provide a resource for clothes and supplies for the refugees in the region. But these mothers and children will soon need a whole host of professional services that the volunteers cannot provide.
While the local Lauterbrunnen Gemeinde have helped the volunteers in many ways, the wider responsibilty will be taken up by the Canton of Berne. The villages of the Lauterbrunnen valley have already shown how they can rise to a humanitarian challenge. Truly, a community in action.
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