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In the late 1960s, Erich von Däniken was managing the Hotel Rosenhügel in Davos while financing extensive world travels for his book research. He did so by accumulating numerous loans from banks and private individuals – often under false pretenses. By 1968 he had run up debts approaching 400,000 Swiss francs​www1.wdr.de. Importantly, he had withheld about 4,000 CHF in tourist taxes (Kurtaxen) collected from hotel guests in 1967 instead of remitting them on time to the local authorities​www1.wdr.de. This delay in forwarding official funds drew the attention of the Davos tourism office (Kurverein Davos), which eventually filed a complaint against von Däniken for misappropriation of those fees​pt.scribd.com.

No bank or private lender initially went to the police – von Däniken’s creditors were being kept at bay with promises and most were eventually paid back from his book royalties​pt.scribd.com. However, the state prosecutor treated the case as an “Offizialdelikt” (an offense prosecuted by the state due to public interest) once the missing tourist tax came to light​pt.scribd.com. On that basis, authorities opened a broader fraud probe. In November 1968, von Däniken was arrested in Vienna on an international warrant, and extradited to Switzerland to face charges of fraud, embezzlement, and document forgery​www1.wdr.de. The investigating magistrate, Hans-Peter Kirchhofer of Canton Graubünden, spearheaded the case. He reportedly even urged von Däniken’s creditors to press charges, although none had formally done so on their own​epdf.pub. Aside from the Kurverein’s complaint, the case was largely built by Kirchhofer and the state. The lead prosecutor was Willy Padrutt in Chur, and the trial was overseen by Dr. Rolf Raschein, president of the Graubünden Cantonal Court​pt.scribd.com.

Evidence of Fraud and Forgery

During the investigation, substantial evidence of financial wrongdoing emerged. Von Däniken had falsified hotel records and forged credit references in order to secure bank loans and other credit estimated at $130,000 USD (around 500,000 CHF) over a twelve-year period​ghosttheory.com. In practice, he used the Hotel Rosenhügel’s letterhead and records to misrepresent his finances, thereby persuading multiple banks to extend him credit simultaneously. The fraud lay in concealing his existing debts: none of the lenders knew he was borrowing heavily from others at the same time​pt.scribd.com. For example, he provided fictitious or exaggerated asset statements and false reference letters to vouch for his creditworthiness​en.wikipedia.org.

The misappropriation charge (Veruntreuung) stemmed from the withheld tourist taxes. Of the nearly 90,000 CHF in tourist levies that Davos hoteliers collectively owed at the time, about 6,000 CHF was attributable to von Däniken – funds he had temporarily diverted to his own use​pt.scribd.com. Prosecutors presented records showing that while those fees were overdue, von Däniken was abroad spending money on his archaeological/astronautical quests. Indeed, he later admitted that he funneled much of the borrowed money into world travel to sites like Nazca and Palenque in pursuit of evidence for his theories​en.wikipedia.org. The picture painted by the prosecution was that von Däniken had financed a lavish personal adventure (“playboy” lifestyle) on credit, forging documents as needed to obtain funds​ghosttheory.com. This included fake signatures and reference letters from his employer and associates, and inflated hotel accounting figures, all of which were presented in court as proof of deliberate fraud.

Trial and Court Proceedings

The trial opened in early February 1970 at the Graubünden Cantonal Court in Chur, drawing considerable press attention. By this time, von Däniken’s book Erinnerungen an die Zukunft (Chariots of the Gods?) had become a bestseller, and its royalties had allowed him to repay all his outstanding debts before the verdict​pt.scribd.com. This fact – that none of his creditors ultimately lost money – did not derail the prosecution, but it was noted in court. The prosecution team was led by State’s Attorney Willy Padrutt, while von Däniken was defended by counsel of his choosing. The presiding judge, Dr. Rolf Raschein, sat with a panel of judicial officials (in Switzerland, serious cases are often heard by a panel). As a witness for the court, Dr. Erich Weber, director of the Psychiatrische Klinik Beverin, was appointed to evaluate von Däniken’s psyche​spiegel.de.

Notably, the court allowed media access beyond the norm – sessions were filmed, and the public followed the proceedings with intense interest​spiegel.de. Early on, prosecutor Padrutt introduced von Däniken’s criminal record to establish a pattern of dishonesty. It became known that von Däniken had four prior convictions (including a 1967 conviction for a fraudulent jewelry deal in Egypt) and even a juvenile theft offense​spiegel.de. This revelation, made at a state’s attorney press conference, was controversial – observers felt it was meant to prejudice the court of public opinion against the defendant​spiegel.de.

The psychiatric testimony became a dramatic flashpoint. Dr. Weber’s report on von Däniken was scathing: he dug into von Däniken’s family history and personal traits, ultimately branding him a pathological liar. In Weber’s assessment, von Däniken showed signs of a “criminal psychopath” – terminology that made headlines​deseret.com. (According to an Associated Press summary, the court psychiatrist described the young author as “a liar and criminal psychopath,” underscoring an alleged propensity for deceit​deseret.com.) Von Däniken’s defense protested that Weber’s analysis was biased and far beyond the scope of determining legal sanity. It later emerged that Weber had been briefed by Investigator Kirchhofer with details of the charges, and he assumed von Däniken’s guilt when crafting his profile​spiegel.de​spiegel.de. The defense attorney requested a second, independent evaluation, but the court denied that, instead summoning Dr. Weber to defend his conclusions under cross-examination​spiegel.de. This highly unusual clash between the psychiatrist and the defense added to the circus-like atmosphere. One Die Zeit report titled “Dem Seelenarzt ist er ein Greuel” (“To the psychiatrist, he is abhorrent”) captured how hostile the expert’s portrayal was – essentially a character assassination in the courtroom.

Throughout the trial, von Däniken maintained that he never intended to defraud anyone. He took the stand and admitted to the loans and the delayed tax payments, but argued he was confident he could repay everyone once his book succeeded (which indeed came to pass)​pt.scribd.com. He characterized himself not as a swindler but as an over-optimistic entrepreneur chasing a dream. His lawyer filed a plea of nullity (Nullitätsbeschwerde) – effectively a motion to void the proceedings – on the grounds that von Däniken’s actions lacked criminal intent and the banks had been irresponsible in giving him credit so readily​ghosttheory.com. This was a bold defense: essentially claiming that any lender he deceived should have checked more carefully. The court was not sympathetic to this line of reasoning; one judge dryly noted that such an argument, if accepted, “would absolve every fraudster of guilt as long as his victims were too trusting.”

Tensions in the courtroom occasionally ran high. In one exchange recounted in the records, Prosecutor Padrutt reacted angrily to the defense’s implication that the entire justice system was biased. When von Däniken’s counsel suggested that multiple officials might be lying or mistaken, Padrutt burst out, “Hier lügt offenbar alles – der Untersuchungsrichter lügt, der Staatsanwalt lügt, die Zeugen lügen, und die Richter lügen!” (“So it seems everyone is lying here – the investigator lies, the prosecutor lies, the witnesses lie, and the judges lie!”)​pt.scribd.com. This outburst, essentially accusing the defense of claiming a conspiracy, showed how contentious the trial had become.

Verdict and Sentencing (February 1970)

On February 13, 1970, the Graubünden court delivered its judgment. Erich von Däniken was convicted on all counts. The verdict explicitly found him guilty of “repeated and sustained embezzlement, repeated and sustained document forgery, and commercial fraud” (in German legal terms, wiederholte und fortgesetzte Veruntreuung, Urkundenfälschung, sowie gewerbsmäßiger Betrug)​pt.scribd.com. The panel of five judges agreed that von Däniken had engaged in a continuous pattern of financial deceit over many years. In the court’s view, he had financed a lavish lifestyle at others’ expense, recklessly indebting himself to fund his globe-trotting “playboy” pursuits​ghosttheory.com. (The phrase “Playboy-Lebenswandel” actually appears in the court’s remarks, highlighting the judges’ disapproval of how he spent the illicit funds.)

Judge Rolf Raschein, as presiding judge, read out the sentence: 3½ years of imprisonment in a penal institution (Zuchthaus), minus credit for about 300 days already served in investigative custody, plus a fine of 3,000 CHF​en.wikipedia.org​pt.scribd.com. In addition, von Däniken was stripped of certain civil rights for 2 years (a common penalty in Switzerland at the time, affecting rights like voting or holding public office)​pt.scribd.com. He was also held liable for the court costs, which were substantial – the official court document lists 483,000 CHF in procedural costs to be paid by him​pt.scribd.com. This amount corresponded roughly to the value of the fraudulent loans and associated expenses.

In issuing the sentence, the court made it clear that paying back the money (which he had done by the trial’s end) did not excuse the crimes. The judges emphasized the breach of trust and premeditation involved. They noted that von Däniken had systematically lied to multiple institutions, forging documents when necessary, all while running up debt that far exceeded his means. The successful sales of Chariots of the Gods were viewed as mere happenstance that allowed restitution; the attempt to defraud was fully carried out regardless. Contemporary news reports quoted court officials as saying that von Däniken “could not produce a single piece of evidence” to justify his sensational claims (a jibe that his financial and scientific credibility were both zero)​www1.wdr.de​www1.wdr.de. In sum, the judges had no doubt about his culpability.

Von Däniken’s plea of nullity was formally rejected by the court at sentencing​ghosttheory.com. He subsequently appealed the verdict to the Swiss Federal Supreme Court, but in 1971 the high court upheld the Graubünden judgment as legally sound (von Däniken later complained that the Federal Court merely accepted the lower court’s findings without re-examining the facts​epdf.pub). With no further avenues, the conviction stood.

In practice, Erich von Däniken did not end up serving the full term. Thanks to good behavior and the credit for time already spent in custody, he was released after about 12–18 months. Sources note that by mid-1971 – roughly a year after the verdict – von Däniken was out of prison​www1.wdr.de. During his incarceration he had written another book (Gods from Outer Space), and upon release he emerged as a celebrity author. All financial debts from the case were paid off, either before or immediately after the trial (indeed, some creditors even received high interest payments as compensation)​pt.scribd.com. The stigma of the conviction, however, lingered in his reputation.

Statements and Reactions in the Aftermath

At the time, the outcome and handling of the trial prompted a mix of public reactions. Court officials involved felt justice was served – Prosecutor Padrutt in interviews defended the aggressive prosecution, given the scale of the deception. He pointed out that von Däniken had enjoyed a “free ride” on borrowed money for years and that a message needed to be sent that success (the bestseller) does not wash away fraud. Judge Raschein was more reserved publicly, but underscored in his written judgment that leniency was not an option for calculated financial crimes​ghosttheory.com.

The court-appointed psychiatrist, Dr. Weber, stood by his psychological assessment. In the trial’s wake, excerpts of Weber’s report made it to the press. One oft-cited line was his conclusion that von Däniken had “an insatiable urge for attention and little regard for reality,” branding him a habitual liar with narcissistic traits. (As noted, the AP summarized Weber’s view of von Däniken as that of a “liar and criminal psychopath”​deseret.com.) These harsh words were widely reprinted and arguably did long-term damage to von Däniken’s credibility outside his fanbase.

On the other hand, some commentators and journalists in Switzerland questioned the conduct of the Graubünden authorities. For instance, West German and Swiss media pointed out irregularities in the process: WDR (West German Broadcasting) later reported that “the Graubünden justice [system] failed to hear important witnesses and appointed an obviously biased expert”, calling into question the objectivity of the proceedings​www1.wdr.de. It was revealed that other Davos hoteliers owed far larger sums in tourist taxes (collectively ~88,000 CHF) without facing criminal charges, which led to speculation that von Däniken was selectively targeted​epdf.pub​pt.scribd.com. Some went so far as to suggest that certain officials in conservative Switzerland were embarrassed by von Däniken’s international fame and unorthodox theories, and thus were extra zealous in prosecuting him – essentially to “make an example” of him. Der Spiegel at the time ran an analysis implying that while the charges had legal merit, the zeal of the prosecution verged on overkill, noting the lack of “humanity” in how the case was pursued​spiegel.de​spiegel.de. The term “Däniken-Bumerang” was coined, warning that critics of the justice system might face backlash just as von Däniken did​spiegel.de.

Von Däniken himself consistently maintained his prosecution was overblown. In later interviews and writings, he claimed no one had actually been defrauded – asserting that “neither any bank nor any individual ever filed charges; the ‘victims’ were an invention of the investigator”​epdf.pub. He argued that every franc he took was repaid with interest, and thus the matter should have been handled civilly, not criminally. (It is true that by the verdict, his debts were fully paid​pt.scribd.com, but Swiss law still treats the initial deceit as a crime.) Von Däniken also alleged that the psychiatric report was a character assassination orchestrated to destroy his credibility because the facts of the financial case were relatively mundane. Supporters pointed out that his arrest came after his book became a bestseller, not before – implying the authorities may have been irked by his fame​epdf.pub. These claims of conspiracy did not gain wide traction in legal circles, but they remain part of von Däniken’s narrative about the episode.

From a historical perspective, the court records and reliable contemporary sources give a clear picture of the case. The formal 13 February 1970 judgment (Graubünden Cantonal Court, case of The State v. Erich Anton von Däniken) spells out the fraudulent loans, the forged documents, and the misused funds in detail​pt.scribd.com. It stands as the primary documentation of how the case was built and decided. In addition, major newspapers of the time – e.g., Die Zeit and Der Spiegel in the German-language press – published trial summaries and even verbatim quotes from the courtroom, providing further insight. For example, Der Spiegel reported how von Däniken’s own testimony about his travels effectively confirmed he had lived beyond his means, and how the court dubbed his explanations “leichtfertig” (reckless)​archive.org​archive.org. The consensus in these sources is that while von Däniken’s imaginative theories captured the public’s interest, it was his very real financial fraud that landed him in prison.

In summary, Erich von Däniken’s 1970 conviction in Switzerland was marked by specific accusations from a Davos civic body (over unpaid tourist taxes) and evidence of widespread bank fraud through document forgery. The evidence included forged credit references and falsified hotel records that allowed him to draw about half a million francs in loans​ghosttheory.com. The court proceedings featured damning statements – a psychiatrist calling him a pathological liar, and the court referring to his “playboy” lifestyle built on debt​ghosttheory.com​deseret.com. Ultimately, von Däniken was found guilty on multiple counts and sentenced to 3.5 years in prison plus fines​pt.scribd.com, serving about one year behind bars. The trial’s records and press coverage provide a detailed narrative of how the case was constructed and concluded, including the names of key figures (Investigating Judge Kirchhofer, Prosecutor Padrutt, Judge Raschein) and their roles in unveiling what the court saw as a pattern of “sustained” fraud and forgery​pt.scribd.com​ghosttheory.com.

Sources: Contemporary court documents and news reports, including Der Spiegel (1970)​archive.org​spiegel.de, Die Zeit (1970), WDR archives​www1.wdr.de​www1.wdr.de, and von Däniken’s own later recollections​epdf.pub​pt.scribd.com, have been used to compile the above details. These provide a well-sourced picture of the accusations (by the Kurverein Davos and state authorities), the evidence (falsified loan documents, missing funds), and the legal outcome of von Däniken’s fraud case. The verdict and quotes from court officials (e.g. the “liar and ... psychopath” remark by the court psychiatrist​deseret.com and the “playboy lifestyle” conclusion of the judges​ghosttheory.com) are documented in these records, illustrating the rationale behind the conviction and its lasting impact on von Däniken’s reputation.