Students perform Nazi salute during visit to Auschwitz
A clip displaying a Nazi salute prior to a tour of the Auschwitz death camp could lead to repercussions for five teens from Laatzen close to Hannover, as the state security is probing. These teens, along with their questionable behavior, have been on the state security's radar, and an investigation is underway concerning the use of signifiers of unlawful organizations, as the police stated. They opted not to disclose additional details due to strategic investigative reasons. Meanwhile, the school principal confirmed the incident, stating that the teens had exhibited extremely unrefined behavior.
In late May, a group of 13 students, accompanied by their teachers, ventured on a trip to Krakow, Poland, to investigate the city's Jewish history, as per media reports. A visit to the German Auschwitz extermination camp during Poland's occupation was also scheduled.
The incident transpired the night before the camp visit, according to the school principal, who spoke to the "Hannoversche Allgemeine Zeitung." He revealed that the students came across and watched numerous Internet videos, including a speech by Adolf Hitler. A classmate of theirs recorded their four drunk peers as they performed a Nazi salute. The admittedly short, eight-second video was later shared on the social media platform Snapchat. The news got out only after the group had returned home.
"Needless to say, we are utterly horrified and disgusted," the school principal stated to the newspaper. The five individuals involved, according to reports, were suspended from classes following discovery of the video, and the authorities were apprised. The school has been diligently educating students about the atrocities of the Nazi era for years.
