Letters from Munich

Letter from Munich – the Joseph Affair – 17

EINE DEUTSCHE FASSUNG STEHT WEITER UNTEN.

4 May 2001

Dear Mr. Graf, dear friends,

Rolf looked as if he were going to explode with laughter when he walked into the room. “Have you heard the latest development?” he said to Alexandra. “Do you see? Do you see what happens in Europe when anyone tries to criticize the authorities, or even call into question something they’ve done? And under these circumstances do you still think someday it can be proven that the government tainted the investigation of the murder of the boy Joseph by interfering with it and covering up any signs of a crime?”

Alexandra wanted to know what “latest development” he was talking about.

“Biedenkopf,” he said, naming the most prominent prime minister among the heads of Germany’s eastern states, and speaking as if he were almost out of breath with excitement. “I’m talking about Kurt Biedenkopf.” Rolf’s grin seemed to broaden. “Some idiot of a Social Democrat newspaper publisher in Dresden complained some weeks ago that Biedenkopf was living in government-owned housing and paying too little rent.”

“What is his rent?” I asked.

“He’s paying DM 1857 (about 856 US dollars or 595 British pounds) a month,” Alexandra replied. “And for that he gets a modern, well-appointed government-owned house in Dresden’s luxury neighborhood with 150 square meters (1614 square feet) of living space. Including heating costs. Plus the services of a full-time cook and cleaning lady. His annual income is DM 400,000 (185,000 US dollars or 128,000 British pounds). Like the prime ministers of all German states, he’s expected to pay for his own housing.”

“Not a bad deal,” a young student said. “My parents pay DM 2000 a month for my small one-bedroom flat near the university in Munich, plus utilities. And I have to do my own cooking and cleaning.”

“So what’s your ‘latest development,’ Rolf?” Alexandra asked.

Rolf was still beaming. “Biedenkopf commissioned a report on the whole matter. He asked his own chief of staff to have the whole question of his housing looked into and on Wednesday the report came back.” Rolf paused for effect. “Biedenkopf isn’t paying too much rent, the report said; he’s paying too LITTLE. And he should get some money back!”

“Incredible,” said Alexandra.

“Some people say things look bad for Biedenkopf,” the student said, with some bitterness in voice. “But I think he’s on a roll. I read in Die Welt yesterday that Biedenkopf is just back from America, where he met with Steven Spielberg.”

Alexandra smiled, a little wearily. “The other day I was looking at one of the pages on the website of the Government of Saxony (www.sachsen.de). On the left side of that page there is a list of the ‘great personalities’ of Saxony, including figures such as Bach, Leibniz, Wagner, and – I am not making this up – Kurt Biedenkopf. I suppose now Biedenkopf wants Spielberg to make a movie of his heroic life,” she added with uncharacteristic cynicism. “Maybe call it ‘Biedenkopf’s List,’ or something. Among other things, it could show how our brave Kurt courageously defended ‘his people’ against charges of right-wing extremism. Biedenkopf did that, of course, by having the murder of the boy Joseph as thoroughly investigated as the question of his own rent was investigated – only in the Joseph Affair, Biedenkopf’s authorities ‘discovered’ that the crazy parents simply made up the whole story.”

“Yeah,” said the student, “the parents and tens of eyewitnesses.”

Rolf’s smile was impregnable. “Biedenkopf has nothing to worry about. As he said this week, quoting our beloved former Chancellor Helmut Kohl, ‘Die Hunde bellen, aber die Karawane zieht weiter.’ The dogs bark, but the caravan moves on.”

“Oh my God,” someone whispered.

Sincerely yours,

Robert John Bennett

Mauerkircherstrasse 68

81925 Germany

Telephone: +49.89.981.0208

E-Mail:  

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