A Report from Germany by Philipp Sonntag

Dear Friends,

In 2019 I wanted to present “Forever Alert” at a WFJHS&D meeting, then again now end of October  2020, and mean meantime we may hope in vain for 2021. So I provide my book now free of charge for everybody  at

https://www.philipp-sonntag.de/foreveralert/ForeverAlert_web.pdf

In Germany we much the same canceled our two meetings in 2020, and so we feel alike “we are in the jailhouse now,” but caught for what?

Me perhaps for writing articles, see:

Whoever sleeps in a democracy wakes up in a dictatorship

Corona skeptical message in a shop window in the city of Bielefeld / Germany

That message fits a letter to the editor, that I sent, with a comment on the article:

Susanne Krause-Hinrichs: “An overdue national goal” in the Tagesspiegel on September 16, 2020, on page 6

It was printed in Tagesspiegel on September 20, 2020, on page 12, and is a bit extended here, as a remark of us

Child Survivors

We Child Survivors (who survived the Holocaust as children of Jewish origin) are inevitably highly sensitive when it comes to combating anti-Semitism. I am spontaneously grateful to Susanne Krause-Hinrichs for her assumption: “The effective fight against anti-Semitism requires a constitutional amendment”. Because so far I was dissatisfied, I felt downright “without a federal constitution”.

For me as Child Survivors it is unspeakably mean and yet a real phenomenon, when I have to watch how tricky the fascists try out which symbols, and which slogans they are “just allowed” to use. With the help of the German judiciary! Because officials, especially lawyers, want to be “on the safe side” when it comes to a public quarrel, they want to avoid revisions and protests.  Are they shamelessly taking advantage of this? Yes of course, unfortunately even with pleasure. Because their evil provocations are “officially” approved.

Basically everyone knows. At the ceremony marking the 70th anniversary of the Berlin Jewish Community, a record-breaking number of dignitaries of democracy sat on partly rickety chairs. The facial expression ranged from contrite to bored, because they suspect deep down: such commemorations rather serve to cover up, even to hide the shameful concealment. It is evident, that practical consequences of the legislature and as well of the executive should look completely different, should effectively protect against anti-Semitism.

Thus the exemplary, pleasantly warm speech from our Chancellor also got a touch of tragedy. As the fight against anti-Semitism is verbally sounding important, but in reality remarkably weak, that should be embarrassing for politics. How did we Democrats get into this impasse?

Four days before the use of the atomic bomb in Hiroshima, which should actually have destroyed Berlin and the Berliners, the Allies (USA, USSR, UK) stipulated in the “Potsdam Agreement” on August 2, 1945: “That the National Socialist Party with its affiliated structures and sub-organizations is to be wiped out permanently ”. It never occurred.

Meantime there have been countless fascist groups and people since 1945, without interference. That was one of the consequences of the “Iron Curtain”. The USA wanted to spare their American soldiers, they trusted Adenauer as an upright democrat. However, Adenauer then “needed” the “experts” in the judiciary and the military. Ironically, lawyers from the old Nazis were brought back to their ministries. They caused a lot of damage, especially weakening the NPT / Non Proliferation Treaty. Much damage, as currently forwarded by Iran, could have been avoided. It is a German habit, to document fascist names and describe their former crimes, but avoid investigating and punishing their misbehavior after 1945 all the way up to various current malpractices. Global fascism is imminent now. We Child Survivors feel it more, than most people.

Memorial ceremonies still usually focus upon the Holocaust, and for us of course that is indispensable. But celebrating 70 years of a Jewish community after 1945 it would be appropriate, that a speaker at a memorial ceremony should focus more on public awareness of ongoing scandals and accuse the immediate culprits. To be fair: Yes, it does happen. Here and there and whereabouts fitting. Because whoever sleeps in a democracy may wake up in a dictatorship. As a Child Survivor I feel, I never may sleep, amidst a snoring concert. For how much longer will we have to wait?

www.philipp-sonntag.de + www.edel-terroristen.de + und www.soziologie-mit-kafka.de
phil.sonntag@t-online.de
https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philipp_Sonntag_(Autor)