As a neutral nation during the Second World War, Switzerland was obliged under the terms of the Geneva Convention to detain belligerent military personnel until the end of hostilities.



Established in 1940, Wauwilermoos was one of three penal internment camps in Switzerland which detained belligerent personnel. By 1944, the camp population largely consisted of American personnel who were awaiting tribunial hearings, for attempted escapes from internment, or other offenses.



Conditions at Wauwilermoos were poor, lacking in sanitation, medical care, and widely considered worse than enemy Prisoner of War camps. A number of detainees also reported human rights violations and were subjected to both physical and sexual abuse during their incarceration.



While the prison internment camp closed in 1945, the facilities at Wauwilermoos have been used for penal purposes since the end of the Second World War, and the site is today used as a correctional facility.