The dangers of the invisible
In these days
anti-Semitism
is becoming
visible again
in Germany
.
But analyzing the visible has never been done on this topic.
You can see burning Israel flags, Muslim demonstrators.
Attacks with the handwriting of right-wing extremists can be seen again and again.
Anti-Jewish attitudes in the maverick milieu can also be clearly seen, even among a group of leftists.
Escalations in the Middle East conflict - which should be viewed in a differentiated manner and from all possible angles - serve these milieus rather as an occasion to bring out well-worn thought patterns.
Less visible, but not without risks, is a
discrepancy in thinking and feeling in the broad milieu of the political center
.
On the intellectual level, there is usually a historically informed reflection on National Socialism and anti-Semitism, but here too, as the Berlin anti-Semitism commissioner Samuel Salzborn put it in the “Topics of the Day” yesterday evening, unfortunately and unfortunately unconsciously, there is “defense against memories, defense against guilt”, in other words, a "unwillingness to address the Shoah, especially in one's own family histories."
Studies prove what this is about.
The Institute for Interdisciplinary Research on Conflict and Violence (IKG)
at Bielefeld University examined in 2018 how families remember the role of their own ancestors during the Nazi era and the war.
Only 17.6 percent of those questioned affirmed that there were perpetrators among their ancestors.
The study supports what Harald Welzer, Sabine Moller and Karoline Tschuggnall described in their 2002 study "Grandpa Wasn't a Nazi": Over time, family stories made of "anti-Semites resistance fighters and Gestapo officials protectors of Jews".
Samuel Salzborn has also published on this topic.
That does not yet mean that anti-Semitism automatically arises from such reinterpretations.
But
the desire to see things differently from the way they were
actually harbors dangers: wanting to only half understand the causes and consequences of anti-Semitism.
It is painful to ask the question of what role ancestors played in National Socialism beyond the family legends.
This requires careful guidance and, above all, an environment that does not destroy such efforts through malice and insinuations.
There is little reason for malice.
National Socialism could only arise in Germany and last for twelve years because most of the non-Jewish Germans took part or, however, let it happen.
Green politician Weisband and Holocaust survivor Knobloch in a double interview: "Anti-Semitism is growing because the world is changing"
The Baerbock dilemma
Enlarge image
Politician Baerbock
Photo: John MacDougall / AFP
Actually, the
debate about Annalena Baerbock's academic qualification should
long be over, as early as the weekend her spokesman had the accusation that she lacked certain degrees, to call herself an international lawyer, could understandably refute.
No, she is not a lawyer, but she did not claim that she was one in the case at issue.
But the debate continues and has already reached the point where something always gets stuck - Baerbock's people can do whatever they want.
An
interesting conflict
arises here for political reporters
:
many are dealing with the assumption that they sympathize in principle with the Greens; Journalists get to hear that they tend to like Baerbock anyway. Such letters reach me, too, even if I seldom commented on the Greens and in such a rare case I have spoken against Baerbock and in favor of Robert Habeck. In addition, I know about myself - something people who don't know me can of course not know - that I have such a neutral relationship with the Greens that I am amazed at the allegations myself.
In fact, I caught myself not wanting to go into the debate in the Morning Briefing, precisely because, according to the facts at hand, it would not have been any other than to say that the allegations are unjustified.
And that in turn would have provoked the allegations mentioned.
So I was able to watch myself as a pair of scissors began to work in my head.
And that was the moment when I sat down to write these lines.
After all.
Sexist attacks on Baerbock: The masculinists' hate campaign
SPIEGEL event with Wagenknecht
Enlarge image
Politician Wagenknecht
Photo: REINHARD KRAUSE / REUTERS
Left-wing politician Sahra Wagenknecht has written a provocative book about the left with "The Self-Righteous".
My colleague Melanie Amann will discuss her theses with her today at 8 p.m.
The event can be seen in the video stream and is reserved for subscribers who we have invited at random.
So unfortunately there are no more tickets.
But for you, dear readers of our Morning Briefing, we are giving away ten free tickets.
If you want to take part in the raffle, please write a short email to info@events.spiegel.de by 12 noon.
Winner of the day ...
Elbphilharmonie
Photo: FABIAN BIMMER / REUTERS
... are, this local patriotism may employees of a Hamburg magazine be allowed,
the fans of the Elbphilharmonie
.
After a seven-month break, it has now become known that concerts will start again on May 31.
Visitors must present a valid negative corona test or their vaccination certificate from 14 days after the second corona vaccination.
They have to wear FFP2 masks during the concert.
The latest news from the night
Joe Biden waives sanctions against Nord Stream 2 for the time being:
The US government vehemently rejects the Nord Stream 2 Baltic Sea pipeline.
According to SPIEGEL information, there should be no sanctions at first - much to the annoyance of the Republicans in Congress
The US condemns Erdoğan's statements about Israel as "anti-Semitic":
Joe Biden's government has sharply rejected the Turkish President
's statements about Israel
.
The fighting in the Middle East continued during the night - a ceasefire is not in sight
US actor Charles Grodin is dead:
films like "Rosemary's Baby" and "Midnight Run" made him famous - now the actor Charles Grodin has died.
He was 86 years old
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I wish you a good start to the day.
Your Susanne Beyer