German rappers who caused anger with anti-Semitic lyrics visit Auschwitz
Kollegah and Farid Bang made a private visit to the former Nazi death camp on an invitation from the International Auschwitz Committee
Two German rappers who created an uproar with their anti-Semitic lyrics visited the Auschwitz memorial.
Kollegah and Farid Bang made a private visit Thursday to the former concentration camp located in modern day Poland on an invitation from the International Auschwitz Committee.
The organisation’s vice president, Christoph Heubner, who accompanied them on the trip, told the German news media that the visit was a way of making amends to Holocaust survivors, “and it is also a gesture towards their young fans, showing that hatred, contempt for humanity and anti-Semitism have no place in art.”
The musicians did not speak to the media immediately after their visit.
Heubner said they placed a wreath at Block 11 at the memorial and also met young Germans and Poles who volunteer there.
Kollegah and Farid Bang were the focus of a media firestorm in April after winning the prominent Echo Award in the hip-hop category for an album with lyrics boasting of physiques “more defined that those of Auschwitz inmates” and a call for “another Holocaust; let’s grab the Molotov” cocktails.
Charlotte Knobloch, head of the Jewish community of Munich and Bavaria, herself a Holocaust survivor, had condemned the award as a “devastating” example of the normalcy of anti-Semitism in today’s society.
Numerous artists returned their awards in disgust, and ultimately the German Music Industry Association announced it was canceling the Echo Awards for good. Association officials said they did not want the award to be associated with anti-Semitism, misogyny, homophobia or the trivialisation of violence.
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
