Hundertster Geburtstag

Hardly could believe when checking my archive. Almost seven years have past since I posted this.

Today George Tabori would become 100 years old. And certainly this birthday would be as beautifully celebrated as his 90th, with an homage of which I share the 12th and last part with you.

Voilà.

Jedem das Seine or: A bloody conflict

On the 64th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz death camp today,

Germany has remembered the victims of National Socialism with a variety of events. But the country's Jewish leaders chose to skip the main government ceremony on Tuesday in protest for what they say is lack of respect.
Full article here.
And here another one on Spiegel online.

As one grand dame of the German Social Democracy who for decades was involved with the Gesellschaft für christlich-jüdische Zusammenarbeit / Society for Christian-Jewish Cooperation once stated: "As long as - even when there is an obvious reason - a German must not call a Jew idiot, and vice versa, as long there do not exist normal relations between Germans and Jews."
Well, and that's why I wouldn't call said ladies and gentlemen what they are.

However, noone - I repeat: noone - and if she or he happened to worship the head of a dead sardine - will ever tell me what I am allowed to express in my or any other language. Not even an idiot.

Perhaps I should not have written 'noone will ever, 'cause one should not underestimate the mighty mightiness of the Central Council of Jews in Germany.

Tiny example:

German Coffee roaster Tchibo and oil company Esso have abandoned a nationwide advertising campaign for coffee following criticism from the Jewish community that it had been using a slogan similar* to a phrase used by the Nazis.
Full article here.
* emphazise mine

Oh dear! After Auschwitz there can't be any language / poetry etc. etc., hm?

Ah, I wonder why none of the absolute altruistic and uncorrupt ladies and gentlemen sewed George Tabori, who postulated "There are taboos that need to be destroyed" and thus in a way was the obstetrician to a serious reflection of the holocaust and other atrocities 'made in Germany', and of whom none of his plays impressed me more than this 'joke' (German: Witz):

"Wie lautet der kürzeste deutsche Witz? - Auschwitz."
"What's the shortest German Witz? - Auschwitz."

As said: Jedem das Seine. To each his own. Or, as Cato the Elder reportedly put it: Suum cuique.

Having written this, I do feel much better now.:)

Thus, with thanks to Bock and Jams, here two postings that moved me deeply:

Auschwitz,

Forgiving Mengele

Please read it!

The peace of the night!

I feel I shall have a lovely dream: Some members of the Central Council of Jews in Germany wake up and henceforth speak a very rare Hindu-dialect.

Some more tears for Tabori

Peculiar.
Originally, tonight I intended to drop a few words about why I would not be able to drop a few posts for a couple of days.

And now I am sitting here, thinking of a few people who enriched my life for quite a few decades and who recently took their last dwelling six feet under.

Ulrich Mühe (July 22^nd)
George Tabori (July 23^rd)
Ingmar Bergman (July 30^th)
Michelangelo Antonioni (July 31^st)

Today Luciano Pavarotti.
And tomorrow?

Coincidences. Coincidences?

No necrologies to follow, don’t worry. There has been shown, told, written enough about these artists.

But I shall not stop myself to tell that non of his plays impressed me more than this “joke” by the man who in a way was the obstetrician to a serious reflection of the holocaust and other atrocities “made in Germany”: George Tabori:

[To understand you need to know: Witz means joke]

”Wie lautet der kürzeste deutsche Witz? - Auschwitz.”
”What is the shortest German Witz? - Auschwitz.”

It was - I think – for this sentence that I dropped more than one tear – when I heard this wonderful wise human being ("There are tabus that need to be destroyed") had done his last breath.