In a Europe devastated by the Second World War, a handful of Swiss, convinced of the possibilities of action of Initiatives of Change, set out to find a meeting place where they could begin the rapprochement and reconciliation of peoples from the continent. In 1946, the Swiss Trudi Trüssel is 28 years old and works in Bern, in the family of Philippe and Hélène Mottu, a couple linked to Initiatives of Change. Later she writes:
While looking for a conference center, we discovered the former Caux Palace Hotel above Montreux. He was abandoned. One day, some managers met in our house to make a final decision for the purchase of this hotel. I had prepared lunch for the guests and was washing the dishes. One of the guests came into the kitchen and told me that they would like me to be present when they decided on this purchase. I replied that he shouldn't expect anything from me and that it was time for the rich to finally do something worthwhile. I didn't want to know anything about this purchase. Deep down inside, I blamed the rich and held them responsible for the misfortune of so many people. I couldn't accept that some could have whatever they wanted without even lifting a finger, while others had to work themselves to death. This injustice filled me with bitterness.
Trudi was one of 100 Swiss individuals and families who decided to buy the Caux Palace in 1946. She never became a nurse, but devoted her life to the work of Initiatives of Change. She lived in Caux for many years. She worked there in the kitchen and later in the Palace's internal post office, and on the switchboard, connecting people inside and outside Caux.
For something of her story, please visit: https://www.iofc.ch/stories/1946-trudi-trussel, accessed on 2024-10-09.
