A circuit court here has acquitted Karl Meissner, national chairman of the rightist Deutscher Bloc, of charges of inciting to race hatred. The court said there was insufficient evidence to convict Meissner under the Bavarian law. This was the first time in four years the statute had been invoked.
During the proceedings, Meissner boasted that this was the 37th attempt to convict him on this and similar charges. He predicted–accurately, as it proved–that he would not be convicted.
However, Meissner will shortly face another court action arising from his publication of a brochure during the recent trial of Martin Sommer, concentration camp guard convicted of crimes against humanity. The brochure, anti-Semitic in character, attacked Prof. Eugon Kogan, author of the volume “SS State.” Prof. Kogan has instituted a libel action.
The charge of which Meissner was acquitted had been brought by the Society of Christians and Jews, whose efforts to improve interfaith relations Meissner had ridiculed.
Help ensure Jewish news remains accessible to all. Your donation to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency powers the trusted journalism that has connected Jewish communities worldwide for more than 100 years. With your help, JTA can continue to deliver vital news and insights. Donate today.
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.
