Anti-Semitic pamphlet
Scandal leaflet comes from Aiwanger’s brother
08/26/2023, 7:11 p.m
The brother of Bavaria’s Deputy Prime Minister Hubert Aiwanger admits that he wrote an anti-Semitic leaflet more than 30 years ago when he was at school. “I am the author of the leaflet reproduced in the press,” it said in a personal statement.
The brother of Bavaria’s Deputy Prime Minister Hubert Aiwanger admitted to having written an anti-Semitic leaflet more than 30 years ago when he was at school. “I am the author of the leaflet reproduced in the press,” says a personal statement from the brother, which was forwarded by a spokesman for Free Voters. “I distance myself from the unspeakable content in every respect and very much regret the consequences of this action. I was totally angry at the time because I had failed school. I was still a minor at the time.” The Bayern media group had previously reported on Helmut Aiwanger’s admission. This came after his brother Hubert Aiwanger, who was one year younger and head of the Free Voters, denied.
The 52-year-old politician had previously denied allegations in connection with the leaflet in a written statement: “I did not write the paper in question and consider the content disgusting and inhuman.” He added: “I know the author of the paper, he will explain himself.” Neither then nor now was it his style to “rat on other people,” he added.
The “Süddeutsche Zeitung” had reported on the flyer, which was apparently a reaction to the “German History” commemoration competition in which the Burkhardt-Gymnasium in Mallersdorf-Pfaffenberg took part in the 1987/88 school year should have participated. At that time, the brothers Hubert and Helmut Aiwanger were in the eleventh grade of high school. The politician Aiwanger was accused in the “SZ” report of having invented a kind of competition at the age of 17: “Who is the biggest traitor to the fatherland?” Applicants could “register for an interview in the Dachau concentration camp,” part of the text is said to have read.
Aiwanger told the “SZ” through a spokesman that he “didn’t produce anything like this” and would take legal action against this “smear campaign” if it were published. Prime Minister Markus Söder and other politicians immediately asked Aiwanger for clarification.