Doing the "Heil Hitler" Nazi salute is illegal - Munich

The 28yr old Markus D. was sentenced to 5 months and 1 week in jail by a Munich court earlier today. His heinous crime: standing in the street and performing the "Heil Hitler" Nazi salute.

Apparently Markus has been unemployed since the year 2000 when he lost his job at a butchers due to the BSE crisis. After his unemployment money had run out he took to the streets as homeless. On 27.June.2004 he decided he'd had enough of living rough and so chose to get himself arrested. He stood on Fürstenriederstrasse in Laim, raised his right arm in front of him, and shouted "Heil Hitler" until the police arrived.

When asked why he didn't simply go steal a TV like any other petty criminal, he answered, "I didn't want to cause anyone any harm".

Performing the Nazi salute in Germany is a criminal offence which can result in a custodial penalty of up to 3 years.

Read it in this evening's AZ.

Brilliant timing! I've just a couple of minutes ago finished watching "Are You Right There Father Ted", one of my favourite episodes.

"So to conclude, the Chinese, a great bunch of lads!"

I remember that episode, t'was fantastic.
God rest his soul, poor bloke.
kt

Your kids can get you into trouble on this topic in Germany.

An American friend of mine told me he and his wife and (then ca. 8-year-old) son were waiting in line for a boat on the Rhine one summer day. For no apparent reason the lad began goose-stepping and shouted "Hitler was a great man!" He'd probably picked up the routine from Fawlty Towers or other similarly sinister source.

Stony, disapproving stares all round from the natives.

Mike and spouse shrank as far into the earth as they could. Nobody in green uniform was conveniently available, fortunately.

Kids are just stupid.

Even I (avid nazi hater), when made to draw the face of God in Religious Education at the age of 11-12, drew hitler's head. Don't ask me why. The teacher flipped, as you can imagine.

I then joined a church choir...

... cos I fancied one of the girls in it.

I am evil.

I infact recall myself doing the Nazi salute, exactly at the location of the Putsch ..just for fun...I was lucky cos my geman girl friend of then..promptly stopped me and told me that it could land us in trouble.. I never actually believed that it really meant any trouble

Editor ob had better be carefull, maybe he will be put in jail for posting right wing symbols

an anecdote...:
the book "the plot against america" is published all over the world with an american stamp branded with a black swastika on it...only here the swastika changed to an X...

Editor Ob? Is that short for Editor Obi?

After the appearance of that obnoxious posh hooligan Harry Windsor some German politicians want an Europe wide ban on Nazi symbols. But banning symbols (and the new idea of trying again to ban the NPD in Germany) is a superficial thing and does little or nothing to root out and destroy fascism. IMVHO.

while i do agree with you that banninh the symbols does not and will not help to destroy faschism or nazism, but it does help (just a little, i admit) in keeping these symbols out of the mainstreem media, which makes it harder (though nit that much harder) to make them part of the visible and to spread them around.

Mexikanerin posiert mit «Hitler-Gruß» an Münchner NS-Gedenkstätte

This week a Mexican tourist posed the Nazi salute at Platz der Opfer des Nationalsozialismus while her husband took a photo.

A passer-by reported them to the police and they were fined €450.

Bienvenidos a Alemania.

Oh brilliant, another way to fill the city coffers. Let's fine everyone who makes a wrong move with the right arm!

Raising your beerglass higher than your shoulders: 1000 Euro
Waiving with you right arm stretched out: 2000 Euro
Doing it at or near places which are historically significant in the rise of National Socialism (i.e. the whole Munich area): + 5000 Euro

Not anyone who raises his/her arm carelessly gets fined for no significant reason. However doing the Hitler-salute in front of a monument, dedicated to the victims of the 3rd Reich, is just stupid and disrespectful. I guess the majority on this board has already made one or even numerous Hitler-related jokes, and none of them has been in prison for that reason so far.

know of a couple who were in a Biergarden the other side of Freising.The air raid sirens went off, as most people know, they go off at the beginning of the month to be tested.Their young lad jumped up on the table and shouted 'ACHTUNG SPITFIRE'Dad and mum shrank in shame but we all pissed our sides laughing when we heard about it