Dispute over a fine for a commemoration campaign for Hanau terror victims: gossip for the city of Regensburg  

Created: 04/07/2022 17:27

By: Stefan Aigner

At the official presentation, Mayor Gertrud Maltz-Schwarzfischer adorned herself with the poster campaign "Say their Names" in March 2021. © Michael Bothner

The district court of Regensburg has stopped fine proceedings against the initiator of a commemoration campaign for victims of racism.

The city was uncompromising to the end.

regensburg

- In the dispute over a fine for "illegal" commemorative posters for a Hanau terror victim, the city of Regensburg is at a disadvantage - at least legally.

With the approval of the public prosecutor's office, the district court of Regensburg has now discontinued the corresponding proceedings (according to Section 47 (2) OwiG).

The court therefore considers it “not necessary” to punish the allegations.

Dispute over commemorative posters: memory of Hanau terror victims from Regensburg

As reported several times, it was about posters as part of the “Say Their Names” commemoration campaign that had been put up in the city during the city’s International Weeks Against Racism in March 2021.

Various streets and squares were named after victims of racism.

Among other things, posters were hung up with the likeness of

Fatih Saraçoğlu, one of the nine victims of the attack in Hanau on February 19, 2019

was cared for during his childhood.

Dispute over commemorative posters: the city praises the action - and imposes a fine

Months later, the young man received a fine of 253.50 euros – because of several “illegal” posters, i.e. posters that hung in places that were not expressly approved.

Bizarrely, the municipal office for culture of remembrance expressly praised the campaign in its annual report.

It is not known who put up the "illegal" posters, which a large number of people and several organizations had access to.

The city of Regensburg also admits this.

But you simply hold the person who reported the action liable - without informing him in advance or giving him the opportunity to remove the posters himself, as is common practice with party campaign posters, for example.

Fine against poster campaign caused criticism: "Mayor should stop humbug"

Even after the person concerned objected, the city remained firm, insisted on the fine and went to court.

No sign of goodwill.

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The move drew sharp criticism from City Council.

The Greens took Mayor Gertrud Maltz-Schwarzfischer personally to task.

Your predecessor, Joachim Wolbergs, described the action taken by the municipal law enforcement officers to impose a fine without informing the initiator of the action beforehand as a "mess".

"There can be no difference in the treatment of parties and a civil society organization," said Wolbergs.

And in such a case, the OB is of course responsible for stopping "such a humbug".

(By the way: Our brand new Regensburg newsletter will keep you regularly informed about all the important stories from the World Heritage city and the Upper Palatinate. Register here.)

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After a dispute over the commemoration campaign: the person concerned is left with legal fees

The mayor explained at the beginning of May that she had known nothing about all of this, initially describing the whole thing as "normal administrative action".

In view of the criticism, Maltz-Schwarzfischer then promised to investigate the matter.

Apparently nothing happened from the city side.

The Regensburg district court has now ended the city's questionable actions by discontinuing the proceedings.

Bitter for the person concerned: Because he had to defend himself against the city with a lawyer, he or the aaa was left with around 500 euros.

After all, the extrajudicial costs have to be borne by the court itself.

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