hem|mungen

Two things about Nazis

Let's have the funny one first, a poster found by one of the writers at Hauptstadtblog: "Nazis are stealing our jobs." A neat reversal of the usual, right-wing complaint about foreigners.
[cheers Rhochus]

Now for the less funny one. Seems some Hamburg lawyer is about to be gifted a defunct hotel in Delmenhorst so that he can develop it into a sort of Neo-Nazi conference center. The city and its residents (or, one supposes, many of them) have been trying to figure out ways to block the purchase, but the building's owner seems intent on just giving the hotel away. Delmenhorsters have raised nearly Euro 700K in a few days, I guess to buy the hotel themselves, and the city was set to donate additional funds. Then the city quickly declared the vicinity around the building a redevelopment zone, which gives it the right to purchase any building in that area before a private individual or corporation could do so. In spite of this fight, however, it seems at this point that the lawyer is going to win.

In part because it strikes close to "home" (i.e. NW Germany) for me, this news makes me feel defensive and angry. It's not the first time this guy has established Nazi facilities of this kind (the pub in Pößneck that hosted a big NPD rally and concert a few years ago is his, too), and it makes me sick to my stomach to see him branching out. But I'm wondering what other people think of this: to what extent does the state (here, the city government) have the right to step in and block a sale like this when it's clear what its purpose is? What kinds of precedents are there? And does this bring us back to the discussion of whether limiting the rights of right-wingers in Germany does anything to prohibit the growth of the movement (c.f. the discussion around banning the NPD)?

[An aside: given Grass' recent announcement, I realize that this post should be three things about Nazis, but I haven't quite gotten around to articulating my thoughts on that one yet. Mostly I think it's a shame that he didn't admit to being in the SS sooner, even if he was only a kid, and even if he never fired a shot himself. He still should have mentioned it. But I can't believe that this late admission lessens the value of his writing or his years of usually very clear-headed--if slightly smug--political critique.]