Berlin, Germany: Anti-Nazi Exhibition in Humboldt University Reopened / Discussion about an Antisemitic Motivation of the Destruction
The exhibition “Betrayed and Sold. Jewish Companies in Berlin 1933-1945” was formally reopened with a panel discussion session after pupils destroyed the exhibition during a demonstration for increased educational resources. The president of the Humboldt University, Christoph Markschies said that he was appalled at the “systematic destruction” of the exhibition.
Media reports have suggested an explicit antisemitic motivation behind the incident. According to Markschies, one of the protestors in the lobby said “Damn Israel”. Since then, a debate broke out in Germany regarding the specifically antisemitic character of the incident. According to Bild, the biggest daily newspaper in Germany, the chief of the Office of Criminal Investigation in Berlin Peter-Michael Haeberer said that his office “assumes that the exhibition was attacked specifically – for antisemitic reasons”. He added that even “dyslexics” would be able to realize that the exhibition deals with the persecution of Jews.
Lala Suesskind, chairwoman of the Jewish Community in Berlin, argued that the perpetrators have to apologize for their “abominable action”. Stephan Kramer of the Central Council of Jews in Germany, however, advised the authorities to refrain from rashly classifying the incident as antisemitic as long as it is not proved to be such. .
According to the Jerusalem Post Lee Hirscher, a spokesman for a pupil association that participated in the demonstration, said that the statement “Damn Israel” highlights the “problems of the State of Israel”. Niklas Wuchenauer, a spokesperson for another group of pupils which took part in the demonstration, said the statement “Damn Israel” is not antisemitic and simply means it “would it have been more meaningful if the UN had not created two states in 1947 and had integrated the Jews into one state.” He also said that “we regret that the exhibit was damaged or destroyed”.
Sources: Berliner Morgenpost, 11-18-2008; Bild.de 11-14-2008; Jerusalem Post, 11-13-2008; Spiegel Online 11-13-2008
