The Federal Minister of the Interior, Dr. Wirth, has issued a circular to the Governments of the various German States, drawing their attention to the necessity of taking drastic action to put a stop to the epidemic of cemetery desecrations in Germany. According to reliable information, he writes in the circular, the number of Jewish cemeteries desecrated in Germany in recent years now exceeds a hundred. I feel that this being the case, I must again direct the attention of the State Governments to the importance of instructing the local authorities that they must take drastic action to put a stop to this disturbance of the peace of the graveyards.
I hold, the Minister writes, that the most drastic steps must be taken to put a stop to this revolting vandalism, and bearing in mind the experience of recent years, I am convinced that nothing can be done to put it down unless proper punishment is meted out.
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The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.