A 45-year-old farmer from the south German town of Muensingen has been fined $140 for masquerading as Hitler during a carnival procession. The farmer, Max Papst, who bears a striking resemblance to Hitler, wore an old police uniform and a helmet, with swastikas on his sleeves. He was accompanied in a jeep by two similarly-dressed colleagues who were fined the same amount.
The judge argued that though most of the public viewers had regarded the incident as “a joke,” some had been shocked and insulted and had regarded the act as “in bad taste.” The judge also objected to a banner on the jeep proclaiming “He (Hitler) was never as valuable as today.” The judge commented that in a time of relatively high unemployment, this could be understood as a “call for a strong man, a new Hitler.” The three men have appealed against the verdict.
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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.
