Letters from Munich

Letter from Munich – the Joseph Affair – 20

EINE DEUTSCHE FASSUNG STEHT WEITER UNTEN.

25 May 2001

Dear Mr. Graf, dear friends,

I had planned to continue the letter of last week, but something happened today that is perhaps more important. In a discussion with some friends, a young woman spoke up and said, “I talked yesterday with the Joseph’s mother by telephone. She told me the situation in Sebnitz, the town where the boy was killed by neo-Nazis, is worse than ever. Sebnitz has been declared a ‘foreigner-free zone’ by the right wing, in the same way that enthusiastic Nazis declared parts of Germany ‘free of Jews’ in the nineteen-thirties. The parents and their daughter have been cross-examined – in sessions that lasted up to eight hours – by the police, in preparation for a charge of “inciting false suspicions” – a charge now difficult to refute since the evidence they collected and which was seized by the government has still not been returned, evidence that includes post mortem x-rays that were taken of Joseph. The parents have no more police protection around their house, and neo-Nazis are now free to stand in front of the house, give the Nazi salute and shout right wing slogans. ”

“But what about the politicians?” someone asked, “aren’t the politicians doing anything.”

She laughed, and there was cynicism in her laugh. “The politicians have no idea what to do, except to try to make the problem invisible: ‘Are you still THERE?’ was the way a representative of German President Rau recently reacted to a telephone call from Joseph’s mother. You know, the economic situation in Germany is deteriorating, the euro is losing value, so Gerhard Schroeder, the German Chancellor, is hardly in a position to intervene in Sebnitz to try to help the parents. He too is trapped by the need to appease right-wing voters all over Germany. Nor can Schroeder do anything to trigger an investigation of the “accidental” deaths of other foreign children in eastern Germany. Schroeder’s afraid of doing anything that might offend Kurt Biedenkopf, the Prime Minister of Saxony, and the person credited with helping to create whatever prosperity exists there. And Schroeder’s Germany needs all the prosperity that Schroeder can get for it. The truth is – and no one will admit this – Germany is in a more precarious and dangerous situation, economically, politically, socially, than most people realize. And the politicians have no idea what they should do about it. Every possible solution would be accompanied by so many dangers, as they see it, that they are paralyzed with fear. And they do nothing. And the situation gets even worse.”

“The only people who really know what’s going on in Germany,” someone interjected, “are, unfortunately, the pessimists in the business community, whose confidence – or lack of confidence – in the future is affecting everything from the state of the German economy to the value of the euro.”

Heinrich was furious. “He’ll get you, you know. Biedenkopf will get you all, for saying these things. He’s destroyed people who were much more powerful than you, in the course of his career. Biedenkopf will crush you without having to lift a finger.”

“But surely that can’t be true,” I said. “Biedenkopf is a nice man. He’s got such a friendly smile. He’d never hurt people like us – or people like me – people who respect and admire him.”

“You most of all,” Heinrich said, glaring at me. “You with your god-damned letters, always reminding people of Joseph and of Sebnitz and of everything Biedenkopf wants people to forget.”

“Maybe I’m just a foolish old man,” I said. “But I just want to help Biedenkopf. He’s a great leader.”

When I said “Biedenkopf” and the German word for “leader,” Heinrichs expression became absolutely apoplectic. I don’t know why. Well, I admit it: sometimes I just don’t have a clue.

Sincerely yours,

Robert John Bennett

Mauerkircherstrasse 68

81925 Germany

Telephone: +49.89.981.0208

E-Mail:  

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