The Kiel public prosecutor has started investigations into a ceremony on the North Sea island of Sylt on April 20 to mark Hitler’s birthday. The celebration was attended by 50 men and women between the ages of 15 and 25 wearing brown shirts and swastikas. The hotel in Westerland where the party took place was decorated with Nazi emblems and pictures of Hitler. Recorded Nazi marches and speeches were played, and a toast was made to the “Fuehrer.” Questioned by police, the young people taking part said the shirts and symbols had been bought at junk shops, and the party had been staged because “life on the island was tedious.” They belonged to no particular political party, it appears.
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
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.
