Issue no. 62, May 2010
5,656 subscribers from civil society, politics and the media in German and 252 in English

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,

This year, the month of May is dominated by the end of World War II in 1945. Sixty-five years ago, Germany, following war and crimes, was forced to capitulate – is that the right word? Or was it in fact liberated? In the German Democratic Republic, May 8 was celebrated as "Liberation Day". I always liked this choice because it reflected the perspective of the victims of persecution and murder. So, I found it rather strange that this term was not widespread in the Federal Republic of Germany until Richard von Weizsäcker’s famous speech in 1985. Before then, speaking about liberation had been considered either courageous or suspicious, depending on one’s standpoint. The official language always avoided a clear-cut designation of this day. Sometimes it was described as "Hour Zero" as though nothing worth remembering had happened before, or it was called "capitulation" as though Germany had been forced to accept its destiny of having lost the war. Both implied anger at the victory of the Allied forces. This was not the case in the GDR, where the Soviets were welcomed as liberators, and that was that. Or was it different after all?

Indeed, the people in the GDR, in other words the Germans living in the eastern part of the country which was to blame for the war and holocaust, liked to identify themselves with the term liberation. This was based on the thought that if the people had not been victims or members of the resistance during the time of National Socialism, then they could become such quickly in retrospect. After all, they were liberated. From „Hitler’s fascism“. The people, as such, had been seduced by the „evidently terrorist dictatorship of the most reactionary, most chauvinistic, most imperialistic elements of finance capital“ – as was stated in the definition of Fascism. And the liberation proper? That, according to the comrades, had to be attributed to the heroic Red Army, which suffered innumerable losses on its way to Berlin. The role of the western Allies was insignificant in comparison and, as in the case of Dresden, was transformed to „Anglo-American bombing terror“, to a senseless act of revenge against the civilian population and the gem of German national culture.

The Federal Republic had another problem, too. For many decades, large associations of expellees and their conservative as well as right-wing partners in politics and industry, not seldom former Nazis, had a fundamental problem with the outcome of the war and the capitulation, and they expressed this at many an occasion. Several decades had to pass before it was possible to overcome this attitude, and it still seems to prevail in some groups and regions. Here the term capitulation seems to be correct. And these people, too, consider themselves victims – victims of destruction and expulsion.

Commemorative events are being held at many places these days. Speeches held at former concentration camps find no alternative to the term “liberation” – it is and sounds right at these places. However, the speeches held in cities that were rebuilt after the war reverberate with both variants, that of liberation and capitulation, and sometimes discordant feelings as well. Whenever this happens, you can be sure that far-right extremists and neo-Nazis get wind of it and try to put it on their agenda. They have a feeling for vagueness, they feed on attitudes of relativation, they live from the indecisiveness to deal with that time. Wherever the society of a city or region does not take a clear stand with respect to history, it will also be indefinite towards them. That is the way with traditions. Today’s unemployment cannot be blamed for that.

Yet, the joint actions organized in many cities prevented marches and disruptions by far-right extremists or, at least, stole the show from them and showed that they are not welcome. That is what happened in Dresden, in Torgau and other places this year. Remembering the consequences and victims of National Socialism is no shallow ritual today; it has significance for the present, which goes far beyond mere symbolism. It is up-to-date – actually it always has been, but this year we see it everywhere. The best way to remember is to leave insinuations behind and demand clarity. Not only against the Nazis of that time, although that in itself could be a challenge if there were some in one’s own family, but also against today’s Nazis. Go to the events commemorating liberation or capitulation, and speak about it.
And, together with us, think about what can be done today.

Sincerely,
Anetta Kahane

Against the background of the latest statistics on politically motivated crimes in 2009, Federal Minister of the Interior, Thomas de Maizière declared: „One person was killed as a result of politically motivated violence in Germany”. According to the report, 19,468 right-wing crimes were recorded last year. Although that is 4.7 percent less than in 2008, it is still a high number. Most far-right crimes are bodily injuries. Altogether 366 violent crimes with racist motivation were recorded. „That is one attack every day of the year. One single attack in the statistics means years of trauma for the victim of far-right violence. In 2009, the death of Marwa El-Sherbini added one more victim to the list of fatalities of right-wing violence: since the reunification of Germany there have been altogether 149 victims,“ says Anetta Kahane, Chairperson of the Amadeu Antonio Foundation. „Ten years after the »Aufstand der Anständigen« (i.e. protest of the decent people), the Federal government still does not have a conclusive concept for fighting right-wing extremism. The debate on extremism initiated by the Black-Yellow Coalition government is not helpful either. We have to face the actual situation prevalent in the towns,“ adds Kahane.

For more information about the victims, please go to: http://www.mut-gegen-rechte-gewalt.de/news/chronik-der-gewalt/149-todesopfer/

"Neue Stimme", the NPD party newspaper, is encouraging its followers to join social networks. They are to present themselves in the so-called "World network" with "interesting, detailed and sympathetic profiles" describing themselves as "open people" with "humor, professions, hobbies" and "serious interests". Hence, the “comarades” must be facing an evidently unsolvable problem. Nonetheless, the problem should not be taken lightly: "In the anonymity of the net, neo-Nazis become even more aggressive and unconcerned," says Simone Rafael from "Netz gegen Nazis". Web 2.0 is a networking medium, and the organization and mobilization potential is enormous. Even though the problems with anti-Semitic and racist statements in social networks has been known for quite some time, the situation has not improved noticeably up until today. Thus, Dirk Hensen, the speaker of the VZ-Gruppe, explained that "no-one can control everything" in a network comprising 16 million users. "We are depending on a combination of clear-cut rules, projects against right-wing extremism and will look into every tip immediately," underscores Hensen. The point is: neo-Nazis are a problem in our society and Web 2.0 is no exception.

For more information, go to: http://www.mut-gegen-rechte-gewalt.de/news/meldungen/social-networking-nazis/

The Youth Club of the Magdeburger Theater and the "Artists United gegen Rechts" will be presenting a theater and concert day – "mitbeSTIMMEN" – on May 9. The proceeds will be donated to the Amadeu Antonio Foundation. Thank you very much! The donation will be used to support promising initiatives and associations working against neo-Nazis and for a democratic culture.

"Many people in Germany believe that being German means being white and Christian. That is not true today and it wasn’t true in the past either," says Andrés Nader from the Amadeu Antonio Foundation at the opening of the exhibition "Home story Deutschland – Black biographies in the past and present". "The existence of and contributions made by people with African origins in Germany have not been given sufficient attention up to now," explains "Initiative Schwarze Menschen in Deutschland" (ISD e.V.), co-organizer of the exhibition together with the Diversity Committee of the Nelson Mandela School. "Home story Deutschland" shows the lives and work of different Black persons. The exhibition will be rounded off by a framework program supported by the Amadeu Antonio Foundation. "Black Germans are part of society," maintains Saidou Cissé Schleicher from ISD. Besides the opening of the exhibition with literary and musical presentations, there have been lectures and a film. A commemorative event for May Ayim on Sunday, May 2 with literary contributions and a film, and a theater performance on Thursday, May 6, will follow.

For more information, go to: http://www.amadeu-antonio-stiftung.de/aktuelles/ich-werde-trotzdem-afrikanisch-sein/

The witnesses to history Ilse Heinrich and Charlotte Kroll are making a special contribution to an active culture of remembrance by speaking with young people in Westhavelland. Under the Nazis, both women suffered forced labor and deportation to the women’s concentration camp Ravensbrück. Within the scope of an initiative promoted by the Amadeu Antonio Foundation, they are visiting schools to talk to students in small groups for about 90 minutes at a time. They answer questions about National Socialism and provide insight into the circumstances of living during that time. In this way, the women give a face to the statistics in history books and remind the students that figures always stand for the stories of individual and special people.

For more information, go to: https://www.amadeu-antonio-stiftung.de/aktuelles/zeitzeuginnen-berichten-im-westhavelland/

Stating that a conscious discussion of Nazi history also means looking at present-day history is nothing new. Yet, it is somewhat more unusual to ask oneself: How was this period of time dealt with in my hometown? And how is the Nazi past viewed today? Since the fall of 2007, the Amadeu Antonio Foundation has been looking into these questions and many more within the framework of a model project being implemented in Saxony-Anhalt and Lower Saxony together with partner organizations and interested individuals. In the course of looking into this period, stories have been disclosed, which were never made public before: for example, the story of a group of Sinti in Roßlau, who were expelled and later murdered in Birkenau. Two new films, which were made on the basis of this research, tell about the people who were persecuted and murdered. The foundation cordially invites you to the premiere of the documentaries in Berlin: on Wednesday, 19 May, at 7.00 p.m. in the offices of the foundation "Topographie des Terrors". The filmmaker Jana Müller as well as Siegfried Franz, a descendant of one of the families shown, will be there.

For more information on the film project in Dessau-Roßlau: http://www.amadeu-antonio-stiftung.de/aktuelles/rosslau-magdeburg-auschwitz/

"Never again would anyone control my life in such an unjustified manner," Claudia Rusch proclaims as she reads from her book "Meine freie deutsche Jugend". On 22 April she came to the political salon of the project "Lola für Lulu" in Ludwigslust. Claudia Rusch was 18 years old when the Berlin wall fell: this marked the end of the GDR and the end of her childhood. Characterized by the human rights movement and observation through the state secret service, Rusch tells stories from her childhood and adolescence in the GDR – about the death of her grandfather in a state prison and the ferry that would bring her to Sweden one day. "Order, discipline and staying in step had the highest priority in the GDR," she writes in "Aufbau Ost". The question asked at the end of the reading in Ludwigslust was: What does democracy mean on a local level in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern against the background of the history of the GDR? It cannot be denied that some things have remained the same, explained one participant. "Democracy is an attitude," says Anne-Rose Wergin from the Amadeu Antonio Stiftung. There is still much that needs to be discussed.

More information: https://www.amadeu-antonio-stiftung.de/aktuelles/ordnung-disziplin-und-gleichschritt/

Community foundations are established to allow citizens to assume joint responsibility for their community. Since 2005, the work of the community foundation of Neukölln has become a fixed part of the cultural life in Neukölln, a district of Berlin. On 12 April, the community foundation donated funds to initiatives in Neukölln for the seventh time. Numerous projects presented their ideas and work in and for their district in the Leuchtturm in Neukölln. Altogether twelve initiatives received support: e.g. the Neuköllner Kulturverein e.V. for its work in organizing the street festival "Kiez International", or "Nachbarschaftsheim Neukölln" for its Polish-German project with senior citizens and the intercultural theater group for senior citizens.

For more information about community foundations, please go to: http://www.community-foundations.de/

The community foundation "Zwischenraum" from Jena has set up a volunteer agency with the intention of improving the coordination of volunteer work and sending help wherever it is urgently needed. The agency places helpers with projects that need support. It is a point of contact between local administrative offices, associations, initiatives and volunteers. Following more than five years of experience in placing volunteers on a regional level in Jena and the surrounding Saale-Holzland district, the team of the community foundation "Zwischenraum" now would like to expand the program. Within the scope of the program initiated by the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs – "Freiwilligendienste aller Generationen" – they will add mobile teams to their staff and develop further their concept. The nonsectarian public welfare association Paritätischer Wohlfahrtsverband in Thuringia will be responsible for coordinating the efforts. One mobile team already has set up its offices in the community foundation in Jena. "The creativity and energy of volunteers particularly contribute to the enrichment of associations and institutions," says the community foundation.

For more information on civic participation, go to: http://www.community-foundations.de/

"Far-right extremism is being underestimated – that is quite evident when you visit the website of “Netz gegen Nazis”. The middle strata of society, too, is susceptible," says Prof. Dr. Andreas Zick at the presentation of the CIVIS Media Prize. This year the website "Netz gegen Nazis" was honored in the category “Online Media”. One of the reasons stated for awarding the prize is that “(…) through its continuous reports about neo-Nazis and their activities, ‘Netz gegen Nazis’ exposes their right-wing extremist, racist and anti-Semitic fragments of ideology as well as their reasoning”. Moreover, the website, besides providing networking opportunities, is an outstanding interactive forum, where users can ask and discuss questions. Thus, the platform also contributes to a democratic culture of debate. "We would like to also thank all readers, all discussion participants, everyone who draws our attention to aspects of the issue – in the Internet and in the real world – and thereby contribute to our work, all projects that share their professional experiences with us,” writes the editorial team. "Congratulations!" exclaims the Amadeu Antonio Foundation.

More information: http://www.netz-gegen-nazis.de/artikel/netz-gegen-nazis-de-wird-mit-dem-civis-online-medienpreis-ausgezeichnet-4578

"Claudia Dantschke is thorough. One of her main characteristics is that she is resolute," says Cem Özdemir, Federal Chairman of the Green Party, in his laudatio for Claudia Dantschke. On 20 April she was honored with the Ingeborg Drewitz Prize for her journalistic, scientific and political work. In fact, "not only for what she does but also for how she does it," as Roland Otte from the German Humanist Association, which donates the prize, summed it up. When working on the topic of Islam, Dantschke draws a very careful line between criticizing and condemning Islam. In the leaflet "Die Juden sind schuld...' Antisemitismus in der Einwanderungsgesellschaft am Beispiel muslimisch sozialisierter Milieus" published by the Amadeu Antonio Foundtion, she wrote about different manifestations of anti-Semitism. Since 2001, Dantschke has been working for "ZDK Gesellschaft für Demokratische Kultur" (society for democratic culture). In her work she addresses issues that need to be discussed, even if it is not always easy, and she always strives for dialogue: "Claudia Dantschke can bring together people with contrary opinions. This is made evident by the guests at the ceremony," underscores Anetta Kahane from the der Amadeu Antonio Foundation. The Amadeu Antonio Foundation extends its congratulations.

More about the award: http://www.amadeu-antonio-stiftung.de/aktuelles/ingeborg-drewitz-preis/

Copyright (c) 2010
Copy deadline: 28 April 2010

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

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Editorial team: Sebastian Heidebrecht, Thomas Olsen, Tilman Tzschoppe. Contributions: Daniel Poesgen, Konstanze Ameer, Berit Lusebrink, Anetta Kahane, Andrés Nader, Heike Radvan, Simone Rafael, Sarah Schulz and Timo Reinfrank (responsible). Many thanks to Virginia Schildhauer for translating the newsletter.

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?