During the darkest period of World War II, a single voice reached the population over the airwaves, radiating confidence: that of British Prime Minister Winston Churchill (born November 30, 1874). After the end of the war, his war-weary people removed him from office, but his voice nevertheless retained its meaning for all those to whom the concept of freedom was not an empty word. Winston Churchill stayed in Switzerland from August 23 to September 20, 1946. His vision of a new, united Europe attracted worldwide attention. His visit provided the impetus for the founding of the "Switzerland-Great Britain Association", which set itself the goal of fostering friendly relations between the two countries. On September 19, 1965, the monument, a ten-ton block of gray granite, was inaugurated to the public. The simplicity of the monument on the Wichterheer promenade by the lake is based on the following concrete considerations: First, an Alpine granite was used to represent the spirit of Churchill's wartime leadership, and second, to commemorate the Reduit fortified by Switzerland for protection against the Axis powers. Finally, the stone was to become a symbol of the fight for freedom as Churchill led it.
Film Churchill-Denkmal Einweihung
Churchill-Denkmal Oberhofen
