24 The German Times – Life April 2019

BY PETER H. KOEPF harbingers of National Socialism,” along- side Houston Stewart Chamberlain and or the chancellor to grace the title Dietrich Eckart. And when the war finally page of ’s daily newspa- began, and Poland fell, he wrote: “We pers is nothing out of the ordi- place full trust in Der Führer.”

F SHUTTERSTOCK nary. But the cover of the April 5 edition Even his exclusion from the Reich of the Süddeutsche Zeitung (SZ) managed Chamber of Culture in 1941, which pro- to raise a few eyebrows: hibited him from displaying his paintings, has two paintings by the famed German did not jog his reasoning. To the contrary, Expressionist Emil Nolde removed from Nolde fancied himself a martyr. The son her office. A government spokesperson of a farmer, now “disregarded, persecuted asserted that Merkel, at the behest of the and outlawed” by three governing powers lender, the Prussian Cultural Heritage – the German Empire, the Weimar Repub- Foundation, will “permanently return” lic and the Third Reich – wrote in 1943 Blumengarten (Thersens Haus) (1915) that he was treated with contempt for his and Brecher (1936). The author of the Off the wall “struggle against Bolshevism, Jewry and article, Renate Meinhof, speculates that plutocracy.” the chancellor wanted to “get rid” of the Why Angela Merkel has banned two It goes without saying that paintings paintings. by an anti-Semite and racist should not But why? paintings from the chancellery hang in the office of Germany’s head Five years ago, the Berlin-based art his- of government, especially not at a time torian Aya Soika and the historian Ber- when those who feel they are being mar- nhard Fulda discovered that Nolde had ginalized are retreating into their cultural been a member of the Nazi Party, had shell and would like to cast out those made anti-Semitic statements and was who champion liberal values and cosmo- committed to Hitler and to the ideol- politanism. And this is the case not only ogy of the party. Nevertheless, the Nazis in Germany. seized his paintings and presented them The removal from the chancellery of alongside works by other ostracized the Nolde paintings means one of them, artists in the mockery of an exhibition Brecher, can be seen in the Berlin exhi- titled Degenerate Art. In summer 1941, bition “Emil Nolde. A German Legend. the regime went so far as to ban Nolde The Artist during the Nazi Regime.” And from displaying his art. Yet all the while, what did the Chancellor Merkel choose Nolde’s sympathy for National Socialism to hang in place of the two Nolde pieces? held firm. Her choice was two oil paintings by the The Seebüll Ada und Emil Nolde Foun- German expressionist Karl Schmidt- dation has now, for the first time, pre- Rottluff: Haus unter Bäumen (1910) and sented Bernhard Fulda, the Fellow and was thought only to be the case in Berlin, genius, a spurned lover, a man ahead of When the persecution of the Jews inten- Häuser am Kanal (1912). But now she has Director of Studies in History at Sidney “but the movement has already stretched his time, met with hostility and hate for sified in 1938, he showed understanding learned of anti-Semitic statements he Sussex College at the University of Cam- its wormy long arms across the entire his “devoted commitment to young and for the fact “that the process the removal made during World War I. Her new plan bridge, with the artist’s entire written country, just like the rot spreads beneath revolutionary German art” (Fulda), as a of the Jews, who had penetrated so deeply is just to leave the walls blank. estate. The fruits of the evaluation extend the red-painted floor of our cozy little peasant’s son not accepted among liber- into all peoples, cannot proceed without far beyond what was previously known of room here.” als, who more often than not were Jewish great pain.” the painter. Fulda quotes copiously from the writ- cosmopolitans. Briefly a member of the That staunch Nazis occasionally accused The writings of Nolde, the painter, had ten notes of Nolde (and of his wife, Ada), artist group Die Brücke at the beginning him in the press of opportunism did not never been the focus of much attention, which provide ample testament to his of the 20th century, and then of the Berlin improve the matter. Nolde did everything notes Fulda. What he discovered can hatred of Jews. Into the 1930s, Nolde’s Secession, Nolde felt himself “preyed upon he could to refute the accusations. He Emil Nolde. A German Legend. be examined in his collection of essays anti-Semitic sentiments are only detect- by Jews, because I paint them as Jews,” as even wrote a letter to the Nazi Press Chief The Artist during the Nazi Regime and images on Emil Nolde, a compan- able in his private correspondence. After he expressed in his 1934 book Jahre der Otto Dietrich in defense of accusations Hamburger Bahnhof ion volume to an exhibition in Berlin. As the Nazis take power, however, Fulda Kämpfe (Years of struggle). levied by the media outlets echoing state Museum für Gegenwart, Berlin early as 1911, Nolde had bemoaned that reports that in summer 1933, Nolde has Nolde was convinced: “Jews are differ- propaganda: “As a long as I am an artist Through 9/15/2019 the leaders of the Berlin Secession, start- even formulated an “ambitious plan… of ent people than we are.” He didn’t see […], I vow to contest the foreign infiltra- ing with Max Liebermann, were Jews, as how German society can become free of himself as an anti-Semite, nor did he seek tion of German art, the impure dealing A catalogue under the same title well as the art dealers and art critics: “the Jews.” to defame Jews, he claimed. But “the vital in art and the outsized Jewish supremacy was published by Prestel Verlag. entire press core was on their side, and But why? Nolde, born in 1867, saw interests of each race express themselves in all artistic endeavors,” he wrote, con- even the art publishers were Jews.” This himself for decades as an unrecognized in relation to their inner vital force.” sidering this struggle to be among “the

Immune to reason

A spike in the number of measles cases in Germany has revived the debate over mandatory vaccinations

lesson of just how fast things can develop ogy authority, showed that German chil- is compounded by reports of supposed tions would not solve the real problem; BY KATHRIN ZINKANT when an unvaccinated person travels dren entering primary school have a very side effects associated with the vaccina- instead, she argued in favor of reaching abroad, gets infected there and – while still respectable vaccination rate of around 93 tion. To make matters worse, these fears out to parents as a means of protecting here are, no doubt, many pediatri- showing no symptoms – brings the measles percent. This is almost enough to achieve are then propagated to larger audiences unvaccinated adults and children. What cians and health experts in Ger- back with them. After seven years with- the form of indirect protection referred via social networks, childrearing books Schulze-Asche did not discuss, how- Tmany today who wish they lived out a single case of measles in Bulgaria, a to as “herd immunity,” which would pro- and films such as Eingeimpft (Germany, ever, was how mandatory vaccinations in France. That neighbor to the west man transported the virus from Hamburg tect non-vaccinated individuals from get- 2017) and Vaxxed (USA, 2016). for kindergarten and elementary school recently added eight new names to its to Sofia, causing the deaths of at least 24 ting the measles. However, Germany’s Some families are even pursuing a children would conflict with a policy of list of mandatory immunizations – one people and prompting more than 24,000 otherwise fine record is cluttered with special form of health awareness based educating adults and older students. of which was the measles vaccination – people, including many Roma, to fall ill in a number of local and age-related gaps. partly on conventional medicine, but also It is not surprising that the various bringing the total to 11. Even to the south that country alone. That particular epi- For example, it has been shown that on an esoteric image of physical integ- associations that have been providing in Italy, where the situation is slightly demic eventually extended to 11 countries. educated and high-earning parents from rity and self-healing. These families often this “persuasion” and “education” for more complicated, mandatory vaccina- And yet, in spite of stories like these, far too Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria, in par- vaccinate their children, but they tend to decades now see things differently than tions have nevertheless proved effective. many people in Germany and around the ticular, are the ones who fail to vaccinate do so at a later date than officially recom- many members. Once again in But in Germany? world continue to ignore the facts. their children. At less than 90 percent, mended, that is, when they feel the child March, the Association of Pediatricians After a series of measles cases at schools The measles is not a children’s disease. the average vaccination rates for chil- is more robust. Sometimes they base in Germany (BVKJ) and the German and childcare facilities caught the German The virus is actually highly contagious dren entering primary school in these their decision selectively on the parent’s Pediatrics Society (DGKJ) came out very public’s attention this year, calls for manda- and spreads easily through the air people southernmost states lie well below the own personal sense of the risks. strongly in favor of mandatory vaccina- tory vaccinations have become increasingly breathe. And it can kill. Prior to the national average. Add to that the fact that The key challenge is therefore by no tion. louder – once again, one should say, consid- launch of the first vaccine 56 years ago, means to silence radical anti-vaxxers. In the meantime, in environments at ering numerous attempts in the past have up to 2.6 million people died each year Instead, the most important goal should higher risk of a breakout, it has become yielded nothing concrete. Although the of the measles, most of them children be to raise awareness of the extent to clear that a system of mandatory vaccina- proposed mandatory vaccination would under the age of five. But the measles is Is it for reasons which non-vaccinated individuals are tion anchored in law would bring great apply to measles alone, the indignation is life-threatening to adults as well. In fact, of convenience? endangered by measles. People need to relief to schools, childcare facilities and still great. In fact, many experts fear that complications related to the disease, such understand that non-vaccinated indi- health authorities. Indeed, whenever the compulsory immunization would even as the brain inflammation (encephalitis), Is it out of sheer viduals pose a threat to their direct envi- virus emerges from its slumber and starts lead to increased public resistance to an are even especially common in old age. ronment as well as to more distant ones, to widen its impact, the first response is otherwise entirely reasonable health care Still, even though the World Health ignorance? as the Bulgarian case has shown. This to prevent the spread, which means clos- measure. Organization (WHO) has made great is why mandatory vaccination has long ing schools and childcare facilities and Since early April, the homeopaths and efforts to eliminate the disease by means every fourth to fifth child of childcare age since become a political issue – far longer checking the vaccination status of chil- anthroposophists who practice widely in of vaccination campaigns and, in doing nationwide – as well as many adolescents than since the recent spike in the number dren and adolescents. Pupils at a Ham- Germany have been collecting signatures so, has prevented more than 21 million and adults – have never been vaccinated of measles cases. burg school recently had to have their for a petition against mandatory vaccina- deaths in the period from 2000 to 2017, against the measles or have received the While specialist politicians with exper- blood taken to determine whether they tion, which they are going to submit to the roughly 110,000 people still die each first dose only, which provides incom- tise in the field such as Karl Lauterbach were immune to measles or not. federal government and the Bundestag. year from this morbillivirus. It is already plete protection. (SPD) and ministers in the CDU/SPD A program of compulsory vaccination, After only two days, the petition had one- clear that the goal of eliminating the Why are people rejecting vaccination? grand coalition regard mandatory vac- like that recently passed by the Bran- fifth of the signatures required. measles in five of the six WHO regions Is it out of convenience? Or sheer igno- cination as the correct approach, the denburg state legislature, could prevent This form of resistance is palpable not by the start of the coming year will not rance? The tragic death of an 18-month- left-wing opposition parties, including the virus from being introduced into only in Germany. The measles are making a be achieved. And Germany is playing old in Berlin four years ago showed that the Greens and , are pro-vaccine childcare facilities and schools. And it comeback in the United States, too. In early an inglorious role in this failure, as out- even pro-vaccine parents can simply yet want nothing to do with mandatory might finally make it clear to adults how April, the Centers for Disease Control and breaks of the disease continue to take forget to have their children vaccinated. vaccinations. important it is to have vaccine protec- Prevention reported that the number of place in the federal republic. The scant few scientific surveys of skep- They argue that Germany should tion against the disease. Not least for confirmed measles cases in the first three A glance at vaccination rates in Ger- ticism toward vaccinations (“vaccine instead pursue a policy of “persuasion” themselves. months of 2019 exceeded the total number many provides little immediate evidence hesitancy”) that have been conducted and “education” designed to stop anti- of cases nationwide the previous year. as to why this is the case. The most in Germany suggest that although the vaxxers in their tracks. Green Party Back in Europe, it was only 10 years ago recent report issued by the Robert Koch number of true anti-vaxxers in the coun- health expert Kordula Schulz-Asche Kathrin Zinkant is a science editor at Süddeutsche Zeitung. that Bulgaria was forced to learn the bitter Institute, Germany’s highest epidemiol- try is low, the unease often felt by parents recently noted that mandatory vaccina-