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Sweeping Accusations and Prejudgments in the Burgenland District after the Theft of Stolpersteine in ZeitzIn Zeitz, ten Stolpersteine were torn out of the sidewalks during the night of October 6 to 7, 2024. While such an act is unquestionably condemnable, the reflexive reactions have been equally intense.  Photo: City of Zeitz Many immediately suspect perpetrators from right-wing extremist circles, since Zeitz is notorious among some as being "brown" (right-wing extremist). Some are convinced that this could only have been a right-wing act. However, there is no evidence for this so far. It is quite conceivable that metal thieves broke out the Stolpersteine. Each Stolperstein made of brass is said to weigh about 2 kilograms. On October 8, 2024, the city of Zeitz issued a press release (see below), featuring statements from District Administrator Ulrich, Mayor Weber, and others. However, there are some critical points: Context of casualty figures: The press release refers to the victim numbers from the Hamas attack to emphasize the context of the Stolpersteine destruction. While the reference to more than 1,200 killed is factually correct, it does not mention the current situation in the Gaza conflict, where the number of victims—especially civilians—exceeds 40,000. This could be seen as a one-sided portrayal of violence that fails to acknowledge the complexity of the situation. One-sided blame assignment: The statements portraying the destruction of the Stolpersteine as an act of terror and an attack on democracy may be seen as overly simplistic. A nuanced view of the various actors in the conflict could help improve understanding of the spiral of violence. It is important to consider the backgrounds and motivations of all involved rather than blaming only one side. Downplaying violence: It is emphasized that violence is never the solution and only fuels the cycle of violence. This is an important and correct message, but it risks losing impact if the current violence in the Gaza conflict and its related humanitarian crises are not also mentioned, especially given the one-sided focus on the destruction of the Stolpersteine and references to the Holocaust. Culture of remembrance vs. current events: Linking historical commemorations to current political events can be problematic, especially if the reality of ongoing violence and humanitarian crisis in Gaza is not treated equally. It may give the impression that remembrance of National Socialist victims is being instrumentalized for current political purposes without addressing the root causes of violence. District Administrator of Burgenlandkreis, Götz Ulrich, is also quoted: "The greatest crime against humanity of all time must always remind us what humans are capable of and what Germans were capable of." However, he was the very official who, during the pandemic years, imposed so-called "containment measures" on the Burgenland district, which meant massive restrictions of fundamental rights, exclusion, and discrimination. The vaccination campaign was also important to him, which led to deaths. So far, no reckoning has taken place. For critics, the "pandemic" is also a crime against humanity, for which no responsible party has yet taken accountability. It is preferably kept silent. In this respect, District Administrator Ulrich's statement can certainly be regarded as hypocrisy. There was a call for donations to replace the Stolpersteine (see below). There is basically nothing wrong with that, but a sour aftertaste arises because unused donations are supposed to be given to the Simon-Rau-Center in Weißenfels. Enrico Kabisch, chairman of the Simon-Rau-Center, is currently facing charges of defamation / insult and disturbing the peace of the cemetery, among other things, due to his "demonstration" on September 1, 2024, at the Weißenfels cemetery. For me, the Simon-Rau-Center on Facebook does not exist. When logged in with my account, the Facebook profile of the Simon-Rau-Center is completely hidden/inexistent to me. I suspect I was too critical during the pandemic years regarding the measures and the associations with fascism in the Third Reich, which simply suggested themselves, and was blocked by the profile administrator of the Simon-Rau-Center. Dialogue, freedom of speech, and tolerance would be desirable, especially from those who so vehemently demand tolerance. Attack Number Two – Continuation of the Sweeping AccusationsOn the night of October 9, 2024, the Simon-Rau-Center reportedly became a target. At least, that is what the Mitteldeutsche Zeitung reports. A resident reportedly heard anti-Israel slogans and called the police. Stones were allegedly thrown towards the Simon-Rau-Center. No damage occurred. A 17-year-old Syrian who was detained by the police is now under investigation. It remains to be seen what the investigation will reveal. There is some attempt to somehow link this to the Halle terror attack that took place on October 9, 2019, in this confusing mix of unclear facts.Enrico Kabisch was interviewed, and the MZ writes: "He can only speculate about possible motives. In recent years, the association and its members have repeatedly encountered anti-Semitism. As an example, he cites anti-Semitic conspiracy theories at various demonstrations in the Burgenland district. He observes this development with concern. 'What is sometimes said at demos is frightening.'" So, a sweeping generalization of prejudgments is made—even by the District Administrator who is quoted—ranging from right-wing extremists, to Syrians, to those who demonstrate for peace, fundamental rights, and democracy. This is worrying when one does not know who the real perpetrators and their actual motives are. Here, events and alleged perpetrators or entire groups are lumped together in one context, despite there being no verifiable connection. Such an undifferentiated view should not be supported. StatementTo everyone who now immediately wants to throw the Nazi or racism label at me: I am neither a Nazi nor a racist, and I do not belong to any religion. My credo is to meet all people at eye level—whether they are a cleaning lady or the Federal Chancellor. I judge people by what they say and do. I reserve the right to criticize people and politicians. And I call things as I see them. The principle of proportionality is important to me. If one names the victims of Hamas, one must also include the victims of the Israeli government in this war on the Palestinian side in the consideration. And one must not forget that this conflict has existed for many decades. Such conflicts can only be resolved through dialogue and a willingness for peace. Usually, it is not the people who oppose this, but politics because of power and other interests.Politicians who have actively participated in crimes against humanity, in my opinion, are not in a position to present themselves as admonishers of "what humans are capable of and what Germans were capable of." The pandemic years showed everyone what this "admonisher" and many others were capable of. I would even argue that if the general vaccination mandate had passed through the Bundestag and the madness had escalated further to the point where vaccination refusers were to be put into camps or even forcibly vaccinated, the district administrator would have supported or enforced this at the district level, if it fell within his jurisdiction. He would have uncritically followed and enforced the directives, just as he did with all other directives. Tour to the Stolpersteine LocationsThe Stolpersteine Zeitz initiative and the city of Zeitz invite you on Saturday, October 19, 2024, at 10 AM to a city tour to the locations where the Stolpersteine were torn out. Meeting point for the tour is Roßmarkt.The City of Zeitz Press ReleaseRemembrance of Jewish victims deliberately destroyed – 10 Stolpersteine torn out and stolen. The Stolperstein project by artist Gunter Demnig began in the 1990s, who traced a colored path through the city in memory of the deportation of Jews as well as Sinti and Roma, marking the route of the deportees. The color faded, so he embossed inscriptions in brass at some places. This was the birth of Stolpersteine, which today take the form of paving stones with a brass plate embedded, commemorating the expulsion and extermination of Jews, Sinti and Roma, politically persecuted persons, homosexuals, and all other euthanasia victims of National Socialism, so that these people do not vanish from memory but remain alive. In 1,265 municipalities in Germany and twenty-one European countries, Stolpersteine have already been laid. In Zeitz, the victims of National Socialism are commemorated with 10 embedded Stolpersteine. These remember Siegfried Fürst, Bertha Mendelsohn née Bachmann, Emma Esther Mendelsohn née Bachmann, Siegfried Mendelsohn, Dr. Gustav Flörs Author: AI-Translation - Michael Thurm | 10.10.2024 |
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