unguided tour

In an unusually biased article in yesterday’s New York Times Michael Kimmelman praises Countess Elisabeth (Tisa) von der Schulenburg, sister of Fritz-Dietlof von der Schulenburg who was a member of the fervently nationalistic and anti-Semitic military conspiracy group which tried to assassinate Hitler on July 20, 1944, as a model for German families’ efforts of ‘coming to terms’ with the Nazi past as well as “a cautionary tale about judging history or a people, any people, in black and white.” Kimmelman clearly prefers white, leaving out black and brown entirely. (more…)

The prefix neo signifies “a new, revived or modified form of some doctrine, belief, practice, language, artistic style or designating those who advocate, adopt or use it.” (OED)
A neo-Nazi is thus someone who supports the revival and modification of Nazism or Nazi ideological principles, or propagates a modified form of Nazism. But did Nazism ever disappear? And how are neo-Nazis different from Nazis? (more…)

Nazis of all ages and nationalities love the Autobahn. Does that mean Jews must love it too? (more…)

I love Schnitzel. I grew up with Schnitzel, on Schnitzel. My mother makes an excellent Wiener Schnitzel.

Traveling to Vienna from the U.S. I crave simple food. Slow food. Most of all I crave Wiener Schnitzel. I have one every other day. My Viennese friends make fun of me. It would never occur to them to order the Wiener Schnitzel on the menu.

Wiener Schnitzel is undeniably simple (though, like all simple dishes, difficult to prepare): veal, breading, lemon, cucumbers, potatoes sprinkled with parsley, a glass of Grüner Veltliner.

In its simplicity the Wiener Schnitzel is the antithesis of the often over-spiced food served in American restaurants.

Or is it? (more…)

Last weekend at a memorial service for former slave workers (Jews, Communists) at Nazi extermination camp at Ebensee, a sub-camp of Mauthausen. Two delegations arrive , one from Italy, the other one from France. A group of young men, all of them masked, attack the Italians screaming “Heil Hitler” and “Hier geht’s zum Gas!” (This way for the gas!) Next, the men fire rubber bullets at a group of French survivors and severely injure two of them.

On the same weekend in Tyrol (Western Austria) the owner of a hotel & restaurant rejects a group of orthodox Jewish men & women. “I don’t serve Jews anymore. Why don’t you stay at a Jewish hotel?” (more…)