Stumbling Stone-Placement - Antisemitic Slogans - Man under Suspection
After an allegedly antisemitic incident during the placement of Stolperstones in Pforzheim to commemorate Jews who were deported and murdered during the Nazi era, the public prosecutor's office is investigating a 39-year-old man. The charge is hate speech, a spokesperson said. Previously, the "Badische Neuesten Nachrichten" (Wednesday) reported on this.
The incident is said to have occurred in mid-May. "We had laid the stones and when we were finished, a man approached and asked if it was about Jews," Hans Mann of the "Initiative Stolpersteine Pforzheim" told the German Press Agency at the time. When those present answered affirmatively, the man began to abuse and called them "shit Jews," "murderers of the people," and that all Jews should be shot and killed. "He was really obnoxious, he insulted us all and almost became physical."
According to Mann's words, besides schoolgirls and schoolchildren and other listeners, eight people who were specially invited from Israel for the Stolpersteine placement were present. "They were very affected."
- The city of Pforzheim, located in the German state of Baden-Württemberg, has a rich history that includes societal developments and significant events, such as the recent alleged antisemitic incident at a Stolpersteine placement.
- The investigation into criminality related to the incident in Pforzheim is being handled by the Public Prosecutor's Office, with the main charge being hate speech against the Jewish community.
- The placement of Stolperstones, a reminder of Jews who were deported and murdered during the Nazi era, has been a part of Germany's society's efforts to confront and remember its history.
- The extremist incident in Pforzheim serves as a painful reminder that societal progress is not without challenges and that the fight against extremist ideologies and hate speech remains essential in modern Germany.
