A shopkeeper in Hoensberg, a northern German city, sparked outrage by posting a sign banning Jews from his store. The sign, put up on Wednesday, led to a strong response from officials in Schleswig-Holstein.
The owner, Hans Berten Reisch, who runs a 60-year-old shop specializing in Gothic literature and technical texts, claimed, “Jews are prohibited from entering here! It’s not personal. It’s not anti-Semitism. I just can’t stand it.” In an interview with Bild, he further shared that watching news coverage of the situation in Gaza drove him to display the sign.
This statement comes in the wake of Israel’s military actions against Hamas, which began after a deadly attack on October 7, 2023, that resulted in more than 1,200 fatalities, including American citizens.
Authorities instructed Reisch to remove the sign later that evening. Schleswig-Holstein’s Minister of Culture, Dorit Stenke, condemned his actions, saying that such a sign is a distressing signal and undermines the principles of coexistence. She emphasized the need for decisive action against anti-Semitism, labeling it a threat to democracy that should not be tolerated.
Her colleague, Gerhard Ulrich, who also works as a commissioner against anti-Semitism, pointed out their shared responsibility as Germans to combat all forms of anti-Semitism. In response to Reisch’s actions, state prosecutors have opened an investigation for inciting hatred, with multiple criminal charges already filed against him.
Ulrich expressed that this kind of anti-Semitic rhetoric not only harms individuals but also disturbs public peace, drawing unhappy comparisons to anti-Jewish sentiments from Nazi Germany. Reports of anti-Semitism in Schleswig-Holstein are alarmingly high, with 588 cases reported in 2024 alone, marking a 390% increase from the previous year.
Interestingly, Ulrich has faced criticism for allegedly fostering anti-Jewish sentiments during his tenure as a bishop in northern Germany. Rabbi Abraham Cooper from the Simon Wiesenthal Center documented concerns about Ulrich’s stance on Israel, hinting that mainstream sentiments in Germany could be harmful.
In the larger context, Ulrich has made comments equating Israel’s security measures to historical Berlin walls, insisting on the need for change in those policies. Israeli officials argue that their security initiatives have been crucial in protecting lives from terrorism.
