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Professor of Antisemitism at Jena University Shot at by Unknown Young Man: Slight Injury in Upper Ar

May 13, 1931
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The antisemitic Professor of “Raceology”, Dr. Hans Guenther, who was appointed Jena University by the Hitlerist Dr. Frick at the time that he was Minister of Education in Thuringia, was shot at to-day by an unknown young man while he was walking home after addressing a Hitlerist meeting in Jena. The revolver was of inferior make, and the trigger jammed, Dr. Guenther sustaining only a slight injury in the upper arm. His assailant flung away his revolver and fled.

The attack is likely to be of advantage ot Dr. Guenther at this moment when the majority of the Thuringian Parliament have declared their intention of dismissing him from his post on the ground that a Chair of Raceology is unnecessary, the press comments on the affair. An attempt on his life may evoke sufficient sympathy for the victim to lead to a demand for his retention.

At the same time some anxiety has been caused lest the unknown young man is an agent provocateur and the whole thing has been calculated for the purpose of providing a pretext for stirring up an agitation against the Jews by saying that a Jew tried to kill Dr. Guenther, because of his scientific exposures of the Jews.

If a single Hitlerist leaders falls, we shall retaliate with a pogrom, Deputy Dr. Goebbels, the head of the Hitlerist movement in Berlin, declared at a Hitlerist meeting held in Berlin soon after the big Hitlerist victory at the Parliamentary elections in September.

In March, Deputy Goebbel’s paper the “Angriff” carried a long story about a packet having arrived at his private home containing a bomb, showing that the Jews were plotting to assassinate him. It has since been revealed that the supposed bomb was only fire-works apparently sent by some practical jokers.

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