unguided tour

Many things are verboten in Germany. For example, publicly displaying symbols of Nazi organizations. The latest case of violation of this law has been reported from Nuremberg where a golden garden gnome performing the Heil Hitler salute was exhibited in the window of an art gallery. The gnome was created by German artist Ottmar Hörl who is now under investigation from the office of the public prosecutor. It’s art, Hörl defends himself. It’s verboten, the representatives of the law insist.

The SPIEGEL reports that

Earlier this year, Hörl, who has been president of the Nuremberg Academy of Fine Arts since 2005, displayed 700 of the Nazi gnomes in the Belgian city of Gent — where they were seen by over 40,000 people — and the Italian region of South Tyrol. The exhibition, entitled “Dance with the Devil,” received no official complaints in either country and garnered postive feedback from the Jewish community.

Verboten or not, here’s a suggestion. The city of Nuremberg — where the Nazi party had its headquarters and staged spectacular rallies attended by hundreds of thousands of supporters — acquires all 700 Nazi gnomes and gives them to 700 Nuremberg families. One for each family. The hosts must agree to adopt the gnome for six months. At the end of the probationary period they can either keep it or return it to the city council. Hosts must also agree to document their interaction + experiences with the new family member. The documentation (photos, letters, journals, tapes, songs, videos, etc.) shall be exhibited at the Rathaus (town hall), along with any gnomes that may have been returned.

Ottmar Hörl, Garden Gnome, photo: Daniel Karmann dpa/lby (16.07.2009), (c) dpa - Bildfunk

See also my essay on remembering the Holocaust.

Tags: germany, hitler salute, holocaust, nazism, nuremberg, ottmar hörl

Posted: July 18th, 2009