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The verdict stands: The anti-Semitic abusive plastic on the Wittenberg town church remains. This is what you need to know about the court decision.
What’s the matter? The medieval relief known as “Judensau” is located at the Wittenberg town church. The relief dates from the 13th century and shows a pig whose teats are being suckled by two people who can be identified as Jews by their pointed hats. A plaintiff had requested that the plastic be removed. He failed in the lower courts – now the German Federal Court of Justice has decided against the removal of the representation.
Is the verdict understandable? Together with an afterthought from the court, it is understandable. This warns: The small information board at the bottom of the church is not enough to explain the monstrous history of the effects of this anti-Semitic depiction. Church and community must do more here, said the judge. Only in this way can a dishonor be turned into a memorial.
What aftertaste remains? The abusive sculpture on the church in Wittenberg is at the epicenter of Protestantism. The reformer Martin Luther preached anti-Jewish sermons precisely about this “Judensau”. These were printed with pictures of a sow suckling Jews and went around the world. In the Middle Ages, the pig stood for the devil – and this image has not died down to this day.
Are there similar cases in Switzerland? Only one such object is known in this country: until 1996 such a figure was found in the medieval choir stalls of the Basel Minster. But the Reformed cathedral priest no longer wanted such a disgusting figure, and with it the hatred of Jews, in his church. The “Judensau” was given to the Jewish Museum of Switzerland in Basel, where it can be seen – embedded in explanations.
Legend:
A 15th-century woodcut: depictions of Jews being suckled by a huge sow and even licking its rear end were not uncommon at the time.
IMAGO / United Archives International
Where does the medieval image of the «Judensau» still have an impact today? The insulting image has long been digital and global. It appears in web videos and is being shared through social media. The word can also be heard again and again on playgrounds or in football stadiums. Anyone who insults someone as a “Judensau” is also liable to prosecution. There is therefore still a need for clarification, and the churches have a special duty here.