Cyber activist Matt Giwer's comment to an article titled "Outrage at Third Reich Museum" (Oct. 24, 99) by Michael Leidig was this:
"Maybe all of this will break soon. Barely a year ago the suggestion of even a tourist attraction there, much less a museum, was prohibited."
I quote from this article selectively:
* "THE world's first museum dedicated to the history of the Third Reich opened in Bavaria last week on the site of Hitler's former southern headquarters and Alpine holiday home - despite protests from local people that it could become a shrine for neo-Nazis."
* "The innocuously-named Obersalzberg Documentation Centre opened its doors after four years of heated debate. More than 1,000 visitors turned up on the first two days to tour the controversial museum on the site of the former Nazi guesthouse "Hoher Göll", where Hitler personally entertained prominent guests."
* "The exhibition, which cost more than £1 million to set up, shows the rise and fall of the Third Reich - starting with the role of Obersalzberg in the Nazi propaganda machine. Photographs of Hitler were taken here, depicting him as a lover of nature, children and animals. The exhibition covers how military leaders commanded their forces from the mountain retreat, the resistance, foreign policy, the Holocaust and Hitler's hold over the German population."
* Wolfgang Illner, a spokesman for the Bavarian state authorities, said: "After years we were suddenly handed a political hot potato, and it was very difficult to decide what to do with it."
* "The Simon Wiesenthal Centre is opposed to the idea, and described the plans for the museum in such a sensitive location as "scandalous". The centre also said that experts from the United States and Israel should have been involved in making sure that such a sensitive subject was approached with the utmost care."
* "German war veterans and neo-Nazis still flock to Obersalzberg where - although the local council has long since removed all traces of the Berghof - a memorial to Hitler regularly appears in the unmarked location, complete with candles and flowers, on the anniversary of his birthday. The area attracts 350,000 visitors a year."
* "Hartmut Mehringer, from the institute, said: "The Right-wing radical tourism only counts for a very small part. Most visitors are simply curious."
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In an 18 October 1999 Electronic Telegraph article titled "Britons pay defiant tribute to Rommel" by Robert Tilley in Munich, we read this:
* ". . . FOUR hundred British and Commonwealth veterans of the Second World War North Africa campaign defied the German government yesterday to take part in a tribute at Field Marshal Erwin Rommel's grave. The ceremony in Herrlingen, southern Germany, was part of a weekend of events marking the fighting and honouring Rommel, called the Desert Fox by respectful Allied troops, who committed suicide on Oct 14, 1944."
* "Press sources said the German defence ministry had told the commander of the Rommel barracks, at Dornstadt, near Ulm, where most of the ceremonies were held, that they would be a 'bad example' to young Bundeswehr soldiers."
* "The ceremonies went ahead as planned, however."
* "The Süddeutsche Zeitung said the ceremonies and accompanying programme of social events 'gave veterans from both sides opportunity to reminisce about Bir Hacheim and Mursa Matruh as well as the supposed chivalry and fairness of the war in the desert'".
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And from The Guardian - 19/10/99 - an article titled "Delay on Holocaust denial law: Government desire to create specific offence may infringe freedom of speech" by Alan Travis, Home Affairs Editor:
* "Plans to make denial of the Holocaust a specific criminal offence which had the backing of Tony Blair have been shelved at least until after the next election, it emerged yesterday."
* "The lack of any action over Holocaust denial at a time when the first race relations bill for 23 years is being drafted emerged yesterday as the home office announced plans to name January 27, 2001 as the first British Holocaust remembrance day."
* "The home office said it was aware of the strength of feeling over the issue, especially in the Jewish community but it was a very difficult area in which to legislate. "It is not easy to strike a balance between outlawing offensive statements whilst ensuring that freedom of speech is not unduly restricted. The government is therefore listening to all the arguments."
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Thought for the Day:
"Just who are these goddamn reds, anyway?"
"A goddamn red is anyone who wants 30 cents when I am paying 25."
(-John Steinbeck, 'The Grapes of Wrath'.)
Back to Table of Contents of the Nov. 1999 ZGrams