Swiss support for partisans in the Ossola region 1943–1945

26 August 2026

Towards the end of the Second World War, the fighting drew ever closer to the Swiss border and sometimes even crossed it. This was particularly evident in the region around the town of Domodossola (Italy).

There, in the autumn of 1944, a short-lived free partisan republic emerged, which maintained close ties with Switzerland. Although it is only a few kilometres from the border, this story is virtually unknown in German-speaking Switzerland. The book fills this gap and sheds light on an often-forgotten chapter of the Second World War.

It unravels the complex web of relationships between Italian partisans, German and Fascist occupiers, and the increasingly involved Swiss authorities and citizens between 1943 and 1945.

The book (in German) contributes to a current debate. The Swiss Federal Government is examining the case of Swiss citizens who supported foreign armies, such as the French Résistance or the Italian Resistenza, or who fought in their ranks. This also included the assistance provided from Ticino to the partisans in the Ossola region.

Raphael Rues and Andrej Abplanalp, Kampfzone Ossola. Der Widerstand an der Schweizer Südgrenze 1943-1945, Zurich 2026