Memorial Plate in St. Gallenkirch "Help and Risk"

Across Montafon, countless persecuted individuals attempted to flee to Switzerland from the National Socialists. Many escape attempts failed—either due to the dangerous and exhausting escape routes over the mountains or because escapees were captured by the national socialist border guards. Involved were smugglers as well as helpers of escapees, who took on a great risk. For example, Meinrad Juen, who before 1938 smuggled goods across the Swiss border and after the "Anschluss" enabled many Jewish women and Jews to successfully flee over the mountains. In 1942, Juen was arrested for "smuggling Jews into Switzerland." He escaped and remained hidden until the end of the war. Since 2022, in St. Gallenkirch, a memorial plaque dedicated to Meinrad Juen and the escape assistance in Montafon has been erected as part of the project "15 Orte – 15 Geschichten."