GERMANY: MEMORIAL TO JEWS DEPORTED TO CONCENTRATION CAMPS DAMAGED FOR THE FOURTH TIME IN THREE WEEKS

Record ID: 347516

  • Title: GERMANY: MEMORIAL TO JEWS DEPORTED TO CONCENTRATION CAMPS DAMAGED FOR THE FOURTH TIME IN THREE WEEKS
  • Date: 19th October 1995
  • Summary: BERLIN, GERMANY (OCTOBER 19, 1995) (REUTERS TELEVISION - ACCESS ALL) 1. GV ANHALT RAILWAY STATION AREA 0.05 2. LV SIGN RAILWAY STATION 0.07 3. LV/SV STATUES, THOSE THAT ARE DAMAGED HAVE BANDAGES AROUND THEM (4 SHOTS) 0.27 4. SV STATUE INSIDE OLD ANHALT STATION WHERE JEWS WERE DEPORTED / PAN TO LV SCULPTOR STUART WOLFE EXAMINING D
  • Embargoed: 3rd November 1995 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: BERLIN, GERMANY
  • City:
  • Country: Germany
  • Reuters ID: LVA95PLIJD90QGQHE4MDV6YE4SZT
  • Story Text: A Berlin memorial to the Jews deported to German concentration camps was badly damaged on Thursday (October 19), for the fourth time in the last three weeks. The sculptor who created it said he now believed right-wing extremists may be responsible.

    British-born Stuart Wolfe said the fourth attack on his ghost-like sculptures may have been carried out by neo-Nazis even though Berlin police have said they do not know who is responsible.

    The white sculptures at the temporary exhibit represent Jews and other victims of Hitler's death camps walking into the ruins of the Anhalt railway station.

    Three of the 16 figures were found smashed and scattered on the ground.

    Several other sculptures have been damaged in recent weeks but repaired. Many of the damaged pieces of art have been bandaged back together with rags, making the effect even more dramatic.

    "As far as the political background is concerned, up until now I considered this not to be politically motivated," Wolfe told Reuters television.

    But because the statues have been damaged so frequently and based on comments from local residents, he said he was no longer sure the attacks could be blamed on youths with no political motivation.

    "When I was reinstalling the figures there was a man who came along and said 'What are they doing here? They all belong in the oven.'" Wolfe said. "That seems to be a very definite sort of language." Wolfe set up the memorial on September 30 and it was damaged the first time just four days later. The attack early on Thursday was the fourth at the monument.

    A police officer guarding the monument said from now on police will be patrolling the area round the clock.

    The Anhalt Station was once a busy railway station near Berlin's central Potsdamer Platz, but was destroyed during World War Two.


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