Das Boot ist voll

"The boat is full!" This phrase was often uttered by many Swiss during World War II. Rhetorically embellished, it expressed the fear of the Swiss population regarding an influx of Jewish refugees. The vital asylum in Switzerland was denied to the majority of them. Journalist and writer Alfred A. Häsler was one of the first to critically address Swiss refugee policy in 1967, thereby opening the eyes of a broad public to this dark chapter of Swiss history. For this edition, Roger de Weck has written a detailed foreword. Three aspects are highlighted: the person and work of Alfred A. Häsler, the significance of "The boat is full" in the Swiss confrontation with their past, and the contemporary relevance of the book, whether in relation to asylum legislation in Switzerland, African refugees off the coasts of Mediterranean countries, or migration movements in the context of globalization.