ZGram - 11/3/2002 - "Berliners protest attempt to bring back 'Jew Street'"

irimland@zundelsite.org irimland@zundelsite.org
Sun, 3 Nov 2002 11:10:18 -0800


ZGram - Where Truth is Destiny

November 3, 2002

Good Morning from the Zundelsite:

What can I say?  "As the Worm Turns"?  Please notice that we aren't 
told what the street was called during the Third Reich?  I, for one, 
would like to know!

[START]

Berliners Protest Effort To Rename Road 'Jewish Street'

DPA  Friday, November 1, 2002

BERLIN--Crowds of angry residents in Berlin Friday protested
attempts to return a road to its pre-Nazi-era name of Jewish Street,
with several shouting, "The Jews have made us suffer enough.''

The protest began peacefully enough Friday afternoon when about
40 people turned out to protest the changing of Kinkel Strasse to
Judenstrasse, which had been approved by the Berlin city council.

Local residents, particularly several retailers, said they had not been
adequately informed about the name change and they resented the
inconvenience of changing business cards and advertisements.

The protest turned ugly, however, when representatives of Berlin's
Jewish community arrived for the formal name-changing ceremonies.
Then there were chants of "You Jews have had enough say'' and
"The Jews have made us suffer enough.''

Jewish Community Chairman Alexander Brenner attempted to fend
off the attacks as TV camera crews filmed the scene, but as the
vehemence rose, he responded, "You people are siding yourselves
with the Nazis with such remarks,'' and turned and left.

Afterward, several retailers said the confrontation had been taken
over by neo-Nazis.

"I heard someone shout terrible things at him,'' one retailer told SFB
television.  "I heard someone say, 'You Jews are to blame for the
German plight,' and that is a horrible thing to hear. I was absolutely
appalled.''

Other businesspeople said they had come to protest the fact that
the street name was being changed at all and were not concerned
that it involved a Jewish name.

"I've had a business on this street for 39 years and object to having
to change all my business cards and make new advertisements
now,'' one business owner said.  "I don't care what the city council
has decided the new name should be; I just want it to remain as it
has been.''

Judenstrasse was the name of the road until the Nazis changed it
in the 1930s to an Aryan name.  After World War II, it was changed
to Kinkel Strasse in honor of a resistance fighter.

The move to return the street its historical name came after the
Social Democrats gained control of the Berlin city government.

[END]