Anti-Semitic Agitation: 81 Year Old on Trial

Munich. A trial involving an 81 year old author and a 91 year old publisher will start in the regional court in Munich. In their published writings they both deny the Holocaust.

Ursula H. and Georg W., who are charged with sedition and assisted sedition, admitted to some of the prosecutor's accusations at the opening hearing in Munich.  Ursula H. admitted to writing the content, which defames Jews and is in denial of the Holocaust. She denied accusations that she herself denies the Holocaust. One can only deny "what one believes in", she said.

The prosecutors office charged the 81 year old from North Rhine-Westphalia of writing a booklet in which, according to the perception of the prosecutors, the Holocaust is trivialised in a satirical way. In it Jews are defamed as liars, states the prosecutors office. The protagonist of the 76 page booklet said literally: "The Holocaust doesn't exist. It is something like Santa Claus or the Easter bunny for adults."

The 91 year old Georg W. from Ottobrunn is said to have published the booklet under his name and admitted that he provided his name. At the instignation of the author and 66 year old Margret N., who is also accused of sedition, the booklets were distributed in July 2009 to class representatives of grade 11 classes on various schools in Germany. Margret N. also provided her book shop as a base for ordering the booklets. The case against the bookseller has been separated for health reasons.

Two days of court are scheduled for the process against the author of the booklet, who has already in the past been convicted with sedition.