▁to ▁facil itate ▁expansion ▁and ▁growth ▁of ▁the ▁business . ▁Last ly , ▁he ▁had ▁to ▁create ▁an ▁infrastr ucture ▁which ▁supported ▁the ▁growth ▁of ▁the ▁business . ▁ ▁As ▁the ▁wine ▁business ▁began ▁to ▁prosper , ▁Sch n au fer ▁also ▁gave ▁thought ▁to ▁alternative ▁employ ment ▁possibilities ▁in ▁pe ac etime ▁av iation . ▁With ▁his ▁w art ime ▁friend ▁Hermann ▁Gre iner , ▁he ▁tra ve led ▁from ▁We il ▁am ▁Rhein ▁to ▁Bern ▁in ▁Switzerland ▁to ▁meet ▁South ▁American ▁diplom ats ; ▁the ▁two ▁hoped ▁to ▁find ▁employ ment ▁as ▁pil ots ▁in ▁South ▁America . ▁To ▁get ▁to ▁Bern , ▁they ▁crossed ▁the ▁Swiss - G erman ▁border ▁il leg ally . ▁The ▁meeting ▁was ▁a ▁failure . ▁As ▁they ▁attempted ▁to ▁make ▁a ▁second ▁illegal ▁border ▁crossing ▁to ▁return ▁to ▁Germany ▁they ▁were ▁caught ▁by ▁Swiss ▁border ▁gu ards . ▁The ▁Swiss ▁handed ▁them ▁over ▁to ▁the ▁French ▁occupation ▁authorities ▁and ▁they ▁were ▁imprison ed ▁in ▁L ör rach , ▁where ▁they ▁remained ▁until ▁Sch n au fer ▁managed ▁to ▁make ▁contact ▁with ▁a ▁French ▁general , ▁who ▁was ▁a ▁customer ▁of ▁the ▁Sch n au fer ▁win ery ▁and ▁had ▁them ▁released . ▁This ▁mis ad vent ure ▁kept ▁him ▁away ▁from ▁his ▁business ▁for ▁about ▁half ▁a ▁year . ▁ ▁In ▁July ▁ 1 9 5 0 , ▁Sch n au fer ▁was ▁on ▁a ▁wine ▁bu ying ▁visit ▁to ▁France . ▁On ▁the ▁afternoon ▁of ▁ 1 3 ▁July , ▁he ▁was ▁heading ▁south