Issue no. 56, February 2010
5,349 subscribers from civil society, politics and the media

This is the new newsletter of the Amadeu Antonio Foundation with current news from the foundation, the CURA Victims' Support Fund and the websites www.mut-gegen-rechte-gewalt.de ("Stand Up Against Neo-Nazi Violence") and www.netz-gegen-nazis.de.

Dear Readers,

Sixty-five years have passed since Germany lost the Second World War. This anniversary will accompany us throughout the year. The crime Germany committed by starting this horrible war was the worse thing that had happened in the history of mankind up until then. Never before had the world seen such mass murders – be they industrially organized or caused by simple bloodlust. It was inconceivable. The war, the conquests, the massacres among civilians by Wehrmacht soldiers and special task forces, the military and moral devastation the world over, destroyed people and human morals in a manner unknown until then: this was not a violent thunderstorm or earthquake, this was intentional, and it was carried out by National Socialists and the German people because one would not have been possible without the other.

Sixty-five years is not a long time span to overcome the destruction. Not for the victims and not for the perpetrators, even if no eye-witness were alive anymore. Even if – over the course of generations – victims wanted to forgive and perpetrators wanted to forget, the immense shock at the terrible deeds humans and individuals in particular are capable of would not be diminished. Still, the crimes have not been dealt with adequately yet. If the Germans had come to terms with them sufficiently, they could take a more sovereign stand than they do and evaluate this period in history, which stretches into their own biographies. In one way or another.

Then there would be no doubts: of course persons or nations have to strike back when they are attacked; of course it was right to defend themselves and to go to war against modern barbarism. There was no other choice and, yes, there are justified wars. The persons or nations attacked or threatened by extinction would never think of disputing this. And one would say: Let’s be glad that this monstrosity was defeated. However, this seems to be a controversial question in Germany. Unclear. Unwanted. Unpleasant. Somehow „un–something“. The fact that the Chairperson of the Council of the Evangelical Church in Germany, Bischop Margot Käßmann, – most likely in view of the terrible outcome of the Second World War, the Holocaust and the destruction – now believes there is no justification for war as such, not even in cases of defense, illustrates to what extent the crimes still affect the judgement of many Germans. Any attempt to cheat one’s way out of this evident situation by minimizing the significance of defending fundamental human rights, e.g. in connection with the war in Afghanistan, can, at best, be deemed unempathetic, unreflected, insecure but definitely not innocent.

The same is true for the discussion about Dresden. When Nazis and neo-Nazis from all over Europe come to the city to distort the cause and effect of the destruction of Dresden and to demonstrate their new power, the city and a majority of its citizens are undecided with whom they want to identify in the innermost depths of their lamentation for the victims of the bombing. There is no other explanation for their inability to take an unequivocal stand towards the new Nazis, thousands of whom will gather in Dresden on 13 February 2010, the 65th anniversary of the destruction of Dresden by Allied bombers, to march through the city. Perhaps it can be attributed to the belief that today’s racists, anti-Semites and neo-Nazis have absolutely nothing to do with that time, the Third Reich, the Second World War and the unparalleled mass murders. It seems as though only the place and time of today existed, in other words only the Dresden of 2010, without any biographic or historical background, implying that these groupings have simply come into being, in a vacuum so to speak.

It is frequently maintained that neo-Nazis pursue their ideology because of the prevalent unemployment and that there is definitely no connection to „those days“. Many share this opinion for different reasons. The 65th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz can be celebrated in many different ways, also with a memorial celebration in the German parliament. Dresden, however, mourns. This act of mourning should not disturb anyone; in particular not the neo-Nazis. Nonetheless, their presence alone is disruptive because it calls the anti-Fascists to action and attracts the media. All of this ruins the atmosphere.

Receding before the neo-Nazis, diminishing their significance in chatty features is as much a sign of undigested history as the fear of Islamists and radical fundamentalists as well as other anti-Semites, who try to restrict the freedom of the arts, literature or equality with the argument of cultural diversity. Protecting precisely these freedoms against everyone, any type of ideology of inequality, irrespective of whether it is against women or minorities, would be the most sovereign response to the barbarism that was ended 65 years ago – ended by the Allied forces and those few people who made up the resistance in Germany.

Come to Dresden. Show that both is possible and both is necessary: mourning and courageous action.

Sincerely,
Anetta Kahane

„Guilt and responsibility must not be distorted,“ warns Grit Hanneforth from Kulturbüro Sachsen. Every year thousands of Nazis march through Dresden in February to commemorate the victims of the Allied bombing in 1945. And they remove the Allied attack from its true historical context: „The objective of the Allies was to liberate Europe from National Socialism, and the bombing of Dresden was undertaken to end this murderous regime,“ states Hanneforth. „We believe a protest within range of sight and hearing of the neo-Nazis is urgently needed,“ emphasizes the speaker of the working group including „Kirche für Demokratie gegen Rechtsextremismus“, Aktion Sühnezeichen Friedensdienste, the Amadeu Antonio Foundation and Kulturbüro Sachsen e.V., which is calling for an interreligious prayer for peace in Dresden on 13 February. Furthermore, the alliance „Nazifrei! Dresden stellt sich quer“ wants to block the march of Nazis. However, in view of raids and the blocking of the dresden-nazifrei.de website, the alliance feels it is being treated like a criminal even though it is important to let the neo-Nazis know that their distorted presentation of history won’t be tolerated. A new website already has been set up: www.dresden-nazifrei.com

Remembering and acting on 13 February: www.mut-gegen-rechte-gewalt.de/news/meldungen/erinnern-und-handeln

„We are frightened and sad about the complete destruction of the House of Democracy in Zossen,“ says Jörg Wanke from the community initiative „Zossen zeigt Gesicht“. In the night of 22-23 January, their „House of Democracy“ burned down completely. A 16-year-old right-wing extremist confessed the arson attack. Since the opening of the „House of Demoracy“, which is used by the civic initiative against right-wing extremism „Zossen zeigt Gesicht“ and the association „Bildung und Aufklärung Zossen“ (BAZ e.V.), the house and the community initiatives had been targets of attacks. Just two weeks after it was opened, windows were smashed and the offices were ravaged. The „House of Democracy“ was a meeting place for many persons and initiatives. That makes the courage and activity shown by the staff in the face of animosity and threats even more impressive. They are exemplary and courageous. „We want to start again as quickly as possible,“ promises Wanke. „Zossen urgently needs a House of Democracy“.

Information about the arson attack: www.mut-gegen-rechte-gewalt.de/news/meldungen/beispielhaft-mutig/

„The arson attack is sad confirmation of the warnings given by the community initiative 'Zossen zeigt Gesicht', which has been warning of the danger of the local neo-Nazis for many years," was the response of the Amadeu Antonio Foundation in a press release published after the attack. The foundation immediately donated Euro 1,000 to the community initiative, so that it can continue its important work.

In addition, the foundation is requesting donations to the account of the CURA Victim Support Fund of the Amadeu Antonio Foundation, designated use: „Zossen", bank code (BLZ): 50970004, account number: 030331331.

Mr B. is desperate. Just three weeks after he opened his office in Dresden, it was destroyed by a racist arson attack in the night of 7-8 November 2009. Mr B. knows the reason for the arson attack: the notice advertising his services in the office window is in German and Arabic. That is enough to provoke neo-Nazis in Saxony. Now Mr B. is worryied about his professional existence: although he cannot work under the given circumstances, he still needs to pay the rent. „The office is my livelihood and that of my family,“ he says. Besides RAA Opferberatung Sachsen, the Victim Support Fund CURA helped Mr B. We still need donations, however, to be able to continue helping quickly and unbureaucratically in cases like these.

For more information about the Victim Support Fund, go to: www.opferfonds-cura.de

A somewhat different guidebook invites visitors to discover and reflect about Dresden. With the help of the Amadeu Antonio Foundation and others, an audiovisual city tour was produced, which takes the listeners to many places of Nazi crimes in Dresden. Thirteen contributions inform the guests about the history of Dresden. The audio guide was produced by young people for young people. Its artistic and diverse concept, including autobiographical material of Jewish survivors, is a real alternative to the usual city guides. Moreover, the guide also notes the current discussion about the time of National Socialism. The audioscript can be obtained on mp3 players in (downtown) Dresden (e.g. Stadtmuseum Dresden, Gemeindezentrum der Jüdischen Gemeinde), or it can be downloaded together with a city map.

If you want to download the guide, please go to: www.audioscript.net

Neo-Nazis are increasingly using for their purposes the mourning caused by the sexual abuse. Just recently, followers of the NPD and DVU parties took advantage of the fear prevailing in a neighborhood after the round-the-clock surveillance of a discharged sexual offender was withdrawn. For this reason, the Amadeu Antonio Foundation, with the support of Shukura – a mobile team for the prevention of sexual abuse of girls and boys – and the Kulturbüro Sachsen, published the information pamphlet „Was Sie über sexuellen Missbrauch wissen sollten – Gedankenanstöße für einen wirksamen Kinderschutz jenseits polemischer Scheinlösungen“ (i.e. Everything you should know about sexual abuse – Effective protection of children without polemic solutions). The publication was specifically designed to describe the situation and strategies of right-wing extremists in Brandenburg. The publication of the brochure is supported by Lokaler Aktionsplan Barnim, and the District Administrator Bodo Ihrke wrote the foreword.

The article is available under: https://www.amadeu-antonio-stiftung.de/aktuelles/sexueller-missbrauch-1/

Right-wing extremism, in clichés, seems to be a youth-related problem, and racist attitudes are more frequently attributed to adults than children. Yet, what can teachers and educators do when they are confronted with right-wing parents or their pupils utter racist statements? The project "Lola für Lulu" is developing model solutions for this problem in the Ludwigslust district. Within the scope of the training program for multiplicators "AUGEN-BLICK MAL!", for which Manuela Schwesig (Minister for Social Affairs and Health in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern) has assumed the patronage, educators from youth homes, elementary school and kindergarten teachers met in three workshops to learn about right-wing extremism and to strengthen their own pedagogical strategies. Since the concept has become widely known and other institutions have shown an interest, additional training sessions for kindergarten teachers and staff members of churches will be held. The training program is being promoted, amongst others, by Lokaler Aktionsplan Ludwigslust of the Federal program „Vielfalt tut gut“.

For more information on the training program, go to: www.lola-fuer-lulu.de

For the fourth time, the children’s university "KinderUni Barnim Uckermark" will take place at the college Fachhochschule Eberswalde from 17-20 March 2010. The event is being organized by the Community Foundation Barnim Uckermark. On 17 March 2010, Marianne Birthler, the Federal Commissioner for Stasi Records of the former GDR, will hold the opening lecture. It has the title „When a friend turns traitor!“ On Saturday, Prof. Dr. Marianne Vater, University of Potsdam, will hold a lecture entitled „Why do bats sleep upside-down?“ On Saturday, the children can be accompanied by their parents and grandparents. All lectures will be held on the city campus of the Fachhochschule Eberswalde, Haus 2, Hörsaal 1.

The website of the community foundation: http://www.barnim-uckermark-stiftung.de/

The competency center Aktive Bürgerschaft is awarding its Prize for Active Citizenship for the twelfth time this year. As in the past, the focus is on helping families. The first prize will be given to the Community Foundation Bad Essen in Lower Saxony for its work for families with an immigrant background in rural districts. The Community Foundation Hamburg will be awarded the second prize for its innovative fund „Hamburger Anker“, which supports aid projects for young families. On 8 March 2010, Federal Chancellor Angela Merkel will award the prizes to the community foundations in the Forum of DZ BANK at the Brandenburger Tor in Berlin. Besides many prominent guests, the volunteers of both foundations will be present as well to report about their work.

More information about the prize: www.foerderpreis-aktive-buergerschaft.de

The Saxon state parliament passed a new law on assemblies and processions that makes it more difficult for Nazis to organize marches on critical days or at critical places; however, the same is true for counter-marches. netz-gegen-nazis.de spoke about this new law with Christian Pestalozza, a legal scientist. His opinion is: „Why should a town provide far-right extremists with a large platform at a prominent location?“ He regrets that Saxony missed the opportunity of designating right-wing events and, consequently, being definitive as regards their topics. The state should make use of all legal means available – even if the truth remains: „Prohibiting demonstrations only fights the symptoms, not the roots of evil.“

The interview: www.netz-gegen-nazis.de/artikel/rechtwissenschaftler-christian-pestalozza-rechtsextreme-haben-kein-recht-auf-kulisse-3887

Under the motto: „Acting Together. Berlin Districts for Democracy and against Right-Wing Extremism“, the districts of Berlin will now carry out actions against right-wing extremism together. In the past, uncoordinated district policies allowed far-right groups to move from one district to another when they were forbidden to rent public offices in a district. Now a clause will be added to all rental agreements that will make it much more difficult to publish racist or anti-Semitic opinions at public locations. Furthermore, preventive measures are planned as well. In future, similar provisions are to be incorporated in commercial rental agreements, too.

The example Berlin: www.mut-gegen-rechte-gewalt.de/news/meldungen/berliner-bezirke/

Copyright (c) 2009
Copy deadline: 30.09.2009

Amadeu Antonio Foundation
Patron: Vice-President of the German Bundestag Wolfgang Thierse

info@amadeu-antonio-stiftung.de
www.amadeu-antonio-stiftung.de
Linienstrasse 139
10115 Berlin
Tel.: 030. 240 886 10
Fax: 030. 240 886 22

Account of Amadeu Antonio Stiftung:
Deutsche Bank Bensheim
Account number: 030 331 300
BIC: DEUTDEFF 509
IBAN: DE 91 509 700 04

Should you have any questions about the utilization of donations, please don’t hesitate to contact us at any time.

Editorial team: Verena Haßler, Nora Winter, Martin Hünemann and Jan Schwab. Contributions: Berit Lusebrink, Sebastian Brux, Anetta Kahane, Holger Kulick, Andrés Nader, Heike Radvan, Simone Rafael and Timo Reinfrank (responsible). Many thanks to Virgina Schildhauer for the English translation.

You want to make a change by supporting young and committed initiatives to stand against racism and neo-Nazism? Why not make a donation to the Amadeu Antonio Foundation?