![The Polish soldiers worked on various sections of pathways and roads in the Safien Valley.](https://blog.nationalmuseum.ch/app/uploads/Safintal-Titel-300x225.jpg)
Safien Valley’s roads: built by Polish soldiers
Polish and French internees built pathways and roads in many parts of Switzerland during the Second World War. They were especially busy in the Safien Valley – living under the most basic conditions.
French and Polish troops crossing the border. From the army film archives, June 1940. YouTube / Swiss Federal Archives
![Roadworks at the end of the Safien Valley.](https://blog.nationalmuseum.ch/app/uploads/strassenarbeit-270x300.jpg)
![](https://blog.nationalmuseum.ch/app/uploads/appell-214x300.jpg)
![](https://blog.nationalmuseum.ch/app/uploads/arbeit-214x300.jpg)
Working in the mountains was hard and required discipline. The Polish Museum, Rapperswil
Lodging in a barn
![The Polish soldiers on Grossalp lived in very basic conditions without sanitary facilities.](https://blog.nationalmuseum.ch/app/uploads/stall-205x300.jpg)
![A common room for the Polish internees attending the tertiary education institution for Poles in Winterthur. The mural depicts a scene from the Safien Valley. The mural has not been preserved.](https://blog.nationalmuseum.ch/app/uploads/wandgemalde-300x222.jpg)