Because of the commemorative poster for Hanau terror victims: the city imposes a fine – “We wanted to get out beforehand”

Created: 04/01/2022Updated: 04/01/2022 21:19

These posters were used last year to commemorate the former Regensburger Fatih Saraçoğlu.

A victim of the racist terrorist attack in Hanau.

© Michael Bothner

The city of Regensburg issued a fine against the applicant for a commemoration campaign for victims of racist violence because of posters that were "hung in violation of the law".

Regensburg – The aaa (working group for foreign employees) has had to deal with a fine from the city of Regensburg for some time.

The municipal regulatory office initially demanded 250 euros from a club member, a young man, because of “illegal” posters.

Fine on suspicion in Regensburg?

Nobody knows who put up the posters

On the one hand, it is not even clear whether he hung up these posters at all, on the other hand, it was an action that was embedded in the International Weeks Against Racism last year - supported by the city of Regensburg.

Michael Waffler, head of the aaa, describes the actions of the regulatory office as "petty" and "scandalous".

There is no legal basis for the fine.

With the "Say their names" poster campaign, the aaa, a traditional association that celebrated its 50th anniversary last year, wanted to commemorate the victims of the racist terrorist attack in Hanau, in which nine people were murdered on February 19, 2019.

Among them: Fatih Saraçoğlu, who came to Regensburg as the child of Turkish guest workers, spent most of his free time at the aaa and later moved to Hanau with his partner.

Posters were hate objects for racists

When the posters were put up in mid-March last year, it took less than 48 hours for most of them to be destroyed, torn down or decorated with right-wing extremist stickers.

A criminal complaint against unknown persons, which aaa filed, remained fruitless due to a lack of specific information and was dropped after a few weeks.

In a speech on the International Day Against Racism on March 21, 2021, Regensburg's Lord Mayor Gertrud Maltz-Schwarzfischer (SPD) addressed this destruction - as proof that racism is still "a social problem" in Germany.

Several in attendance then snatched up new posters, which virtually everyone has access to during the rally, and hung them up again.

Presumably also in unauthorized places.

But who that was in the individual case, nobody could understand, says Michael Waffler.

The regulatory office justified the fine notice to the young man by saying that he had registered the two-week campaign, in which the municipal integration advisory board was also involved.

Poster campaign was agreed with the city

For .aaa board member Waffler all this is incomprehensible.

The commemorative campaign was discussed, planned and approved in detail with all the responsible authorities in advance.

Various locations have been identified.

All posters were also completely removed at the end of the campaign period.

But despite the agreements with the city and although contact details were stored there, no one from the city ever reported and "informed about an alleged incorrect attachment".

In other words, if you had called the club, they would have acted immediately and removed illegally attached posters.

But instead, the fine came at some point.

After objection: City reduces fine and otherwise remains tough

The club immediately appealed.

No one knows who posted the illegal posters.

It was also stated that some of the criticized posters that were attached to the railings around the Neupfarrkirche had previously been discussed with the local pastor.

The city is not responsible at all.

The administration improved and reduced the fine to 150 euros.

Otherwise you stayed firm.

The young man should pay.

In the meantime, the aaa had legal advice – and confirmed that the fine would under no circumstances be paid.

There is no legal basis for a fine on suspicion.

Commemorative campaign: A collection of signatures was required for approval

For Waffler, this approach by the regulatory office fits into the picture.

Even in the run-up to the campaign, it was difficult to get the commemoration campaign approved at all.

"First they wanted us completely out of the old town." But that wasn't billboard advertising, which is in principle not permitted within the world heritage site.

Rather, it was an event supported by numerous municipal institutions, which was embedded in the International Weeks Against Racism.

Nevertheless, the association first had to collect support signatures.

The OB was also contacted at the time.

Finally, the regulatory office gave the green light.

However, only for previously precisely clarified positions.

There were nine places on Neupfarrplatz and four on Drei-Mohren-Strasse.

The regulatory office classified 34 posters as "prohibited".

According to the administrative offense notice, which is available to our editorial team, an employee of the municipal security service classified a total of 34 posters as "posted illegally" on the day of the inspection asserted by the city, only twelve as compliant with the rules, and thus justified the fine.

The fact that the initiators of a commemoration campaign were now being confronted with accusations while the "racist damage to commemorative posters was stopped after just a few weeks" is what Waffler describes as a "slap in the face", also for the victims of racist violence.

"Here institutional and structural levels of the racist general condition become clear."

Several organizations in Regensburg have already joined the aaa's criticism and are calling for the fine to be withdrawn.