German gov’t building adorned with swastikas
Hard to believe, but 61 years after the fall of Nazi Germany and the end of World War II – which will be commemorated next Monday – there are still swastikas that adorn a central government building in Munich, the host city of the World Cup soccer tournament
Swastikas are displayed on a building that houses the economic, infrastructure, transportation, and technology departments of the state of Bavaria. It is the most important government building of the southern state, in which the Nazi party began its way during the 1920's.
The massive building with a facade stretching 250 meters (820 feet) was built between the years 1936-1938 and was used during the Second World War to house different headquarters of the Luftwaffe – the German Air Force. The building escaped the bombing attacks of the allied forces and immediately after the war Americans transferred the building's ownership to local authorities, who established there the Bavarian Economics Ministry.
Although after the war Germany was very meticulous in removing all insignias of the Nazi party, especially swastikas from all over the country and outlawed the display of Nazi insignia, but the building's façade was left with big decorative swastikas.
Thousands of people, government employees and tax payers pass by the Nazi symbols daily, but no one complained or asked that they be removed. The swastikas even show on official government booklets, as well as on the government’s official website.
'I'm sure I'm not the only one who sees them'
The swastikas are clearly shown on the building's main entrance doors, with two Nazi eagles above. Swastikas are also blended in the wall that surrounds the building. The swastikas were removed from the street-facing part of the wall but the part of the wall that was constructed on the side street, where employees use to enter the building's parking, was left with the integrated swastikas.
Israel's leading newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth found out about the Nazi emblems from Rainer Schneider, a resident of Munich who tried to bring the matter to the attention of the local government and German media, but with no luck.
"I pass by the ministry every day when I drive my son to class and I see the swastikas. I'm sure that I'm not the only one who sees them. Apparently there are people who are happy to see that the swastikas are still here. Government employees who represent German law and the State work in this building.
Every youngster who sprays graffiti of a swastika in Germany faces trial. It's inconceivable that, especially here, an official building will display swastikas and nothing is being done", Schneider told Yedioth Ahronoth.
Schneider approached the Bavarian Economic Ministry's management inquiring about issue but received no response. Similarly, Yedioth Ahronoth's inquiry was also left unanswered.
