In reaction to a constitutional grievance - Controversy surrounding the "Judensau" issue - Claimant seeks resolution at the European Court
In the ongoing disagreement regarding the "Judensau" carving at Wittenberg's city church in Saxony-Anhalt, the petitioner, following multiple losses in German courts, intends to petition the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR). Michael Düllmann, who converted to Judaism in 1978, is urging for the removal of the 13th-century anti-Semitic sandstone sculpture. Recently, the German Constitutional Court declined to consider a constitutional challenge against this issue, as reported by the German Press Agency's spokesperson. Previously, this had been reported by "Süddeutsche Zeitung".
The sculpture portrays a pig with two individuals, recognized as Jews due to their pointy hats, nursing from its teats. A presumed rabbi lifts the pig's tail and looks inside its anus. Pigs are seen as impure in Jewish faith.
Haven of the Reformation
In 2022, the Federal Court of Justice ruled that a plinth and an explanation plaque outside the church were sufficient to transform this "embarrassing mark" into a "monument of remembrance". It could stay. The Wittenberg city church is recognized as the cradle of the Reformation, as Martin Luther once delivered sermons there.
Düllmann, now 80, submitted a constitutional challenge against this ruling. He argued that the sculpture should be taken down "given the flagrant violation of the personal rights of not just the plaintiff but every Jew in Germany." However, the Constitutional Court declined to consider the challenge without providing further explanation, as is now public knowledge. This option exists according to the German Federal Constitutional Court Act (Az. 1 BvR 1597/22).
Prevention of discrimination and safeguarding of identity
By submitting a complaint to the ECtHR in Strasbourg, Düllmann can cite the prohibition of discrimination and the guarantee of personal identity provided in the European Convention on Human Rights, as his lawyer explained in a letter obtained by the dpa. Düllmann and his lawyer have agreed that the complaint will be filed, with a deadline approaching shortly before Christmas, as informed by a spokesperson.
The "Judensau" in Wittenberg is not the solitary instance of anti-Semitic sculptures found on German churches. The Central Council of Jews has also criticized the handling of this matter.
Despite the German Constitutional Court's decision to not reconsider Düllmann's challenge against the church's sculpture, he plans to petition the European Court of Human Rights, citing the prohibition of discrimination and the guarantee of personal identity as outlined in the European Convention on Human Rights. The Church in Wittenberg, being a significant historical site of the Reformation, continues to be a source of controversy due to the presence of the controversial "Judensau" sculpture.
