The former Solothurn arms factory had links to the Nazis. A local museum showcases the dark chapter in the region's history. The Altes Zeughaus museum in Solothurn is presenting the history of the former arms factory, which became embroiled in Germany’s covert rearmament efforts after the First World War. The cartridge factory passed into German ownership and produced weapons, making it part of the clandestine German armaments programme. This controversial chapter in Solothurn’s past sparked opposition at the time and has now been partially re-examined by museum researchers. Arms production in Switzerland The First World War ended in 1918 with Germany and Austria defeated. The victorious Allied powers imposed strict limits on their military and arms industries. Germany responded by shifting part of its weapons production to neutral states, building what historians call a shadow armoury. Switzerland became one of these locations, including in canton Solothurn. In 1929, the cartridge ...
