Search JTA's historical archive dating back to 1923

Hamburg Senate Scores Court’s Siding with Anti-semitic Publisher

January 20, 1959
See Original Daily Bulletin From This Date
Advertisement

In a joint resolution signed by a number of parties, the Hamburg city parliament expressed concern over the Hamburg Supreme Court’s refusal to permit prosecution of a publisher and author of an anti-Semitic pamphlet on the grounds that it did not attack the Jewish people but “international Jewry” and therefore violated no Federal Law.

During a debate on the resolution, which also called on the Hamburg Senate to investigate whether the booklet did in fact violate the law against preaching hatred, a Socialist member suggested that if it proved that the court had not interpreted the law correctly the judges should be haled before the Federal Supreme Court. He cited the fact that the chairman of the Hamburg court had in 1935 published an article calling for outlawing the Jews on racial grounds.

Meanwhile, the judge who delivered the decision squashing the charges against the two anti-Semites has asked for police protection, declaring that he has received numerous threatening letters. He has also asked for transfer to a civil court, asserting that his judgments in criminal cases might be prejudiced in the future if he sat on similar cases.

Recommended from JTA

Advertisement