"German Judensau not suitable for education”
Photo Facebook, Yvonne Täuber
Central Europe
The controversial "Judensau" discussion in Wittenberg is not over yet. Even though the parish recently decided to keep it in place, some still argue that the medieval image should be removed because of its anti-Semitic connotation.
One of the opponents of the Judensau, which depicts Jews sucking the teats of a sow, is Hanover's regional bishop, Ralf Meister. He wants the Judensau to be removed and even destroyed. "That is the only right way to deal with a misguided, devastating aesthetic", he said on Sunday during a service in the Marktkirche in Hanover, as reported by PRO.
With his statement, Meister responded to a suggestion of the Government's anti-Semitism Commissioner, Felix Klein. Klein proposed to put the Judensau in a museum. Earlier, the commissioner had already expressed his opposition to a total ban on such images.
Recently, the Wittenberg parish to which the church belongs decided to keep the sculpture in place. It proposed to make it a memorial and educational site. Meister is not convinced. "As if we did not have enough places to learn", he commented on the decision.
Even an information panel does not satisfy the theologian. Earlier, he found it a plausible solution, but he changed his mind. "I have spoken to many Jews who continue to find the relief unbearable", Meister said.
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