Reputed Holocaust skeptic Ursula Haverbeck faces another trial in Hamburg.
Ursula Haverbeck, the infamous Holocaust denier, has once again found herself in legal trouble for publicly denying the genocide of European Jews carried out by the Nazis. Known for being popular within the far-right community, the 95-year-old resident of North Rhine-Westphalia has faced multiple convictions, including some involving prison sentences without parole. Her most recent court appearance took place in Berlin in April 2022.
This specific case involves comments Haverbeck made back in April 2015, during a trial against a later convicted SS member named Oskar Gröning, and in a television interview. The indictment alleges that she claimed Auschwitz was not a concentration and extermination camp; instead, she insisted it was simply a labor camp. She also denied that mass murders took place at the camp.
In November 2015, the Hamburg District Court sentenced Haverbeck to ten months' probation for incitement. Unsatisfied with this verdict, she decided to appeal. The initial appeals hearing at the Regional Court was repeatedly rescheduled – due, in part, to the COVID-19 pandemic and health issues faced by the involved parties. Haverbeck's ongoing trial began on a recent Friday, with additional dates scheduled for June 12 and 26.
Court officials reported that during the current session, Haverbeck provided statements in respect to the indictment, which she neither denied nor clarified. She also shared her views on the Holocaust. A representative from the court's medical service accompanied her, taking into account her advanced age. Observers noted that she appeared well during the proceedings.
Denying or downplaying the Holocaust is an illegal activity in Germany if it's done in a public manner that has the potential to disrupt public peace, as per Paragraph 130 of the Criminal Code. Consequences for committing this offence can range from monetary fines to a maximum prison sentence of five years.
