VOLUME 12 NO.6 JUNE 2012 British politicians misuse the Holocaust ometimes it almost seems as if an investigation into the incident. This instead in the knee-jerk hostility to the centre of gravity in current has yet to report, several months later, Europeans widespread on the Tory right. Sexchanges about anti-Semitism and while Burley remains a backbench MP. By dressing as he did, Mark Fournier Nazism has moved to the Middle East, One can reasonably assume that the evidently aimed to provoke the French: allowing such sentiments in Britain to pass Prime Minister has adopted the trusted ‘We wanted to see how a Nazi uniform in unchallenged. While heated accusations tactic of using an investigation to kick the middle of France would go down,’ he of anti-Semitism are regularly levelled an unwelcome issue into the long grass, is reported as saying. ‘The answer is not at those who criticise Israeli policies hoping that the media will lose interest that well at all.’ His intention would seem towards the Arabs, provoking the equally and that Burley’s resignation, which would to have been to taunt the French with their contentious counter-argument that it is force a by-election that the Tories could defeat in 1940 and the subsequent years of possible to be anti-Zionist without being easily lose, can be avoided. occupation – conveniently forgetting that anti-Semitic, some recent, thoroughly As a result, Burley continues to enjoy the British Expeditionary Force retreated reprehensible actions and just as fast as the French in face of statements by British politicians the Nazi onslaught and was only have passed without attracting the saved from destruction by escaping condemnation they deserve. across the Channel, protected by a The worst of these was the largely French rearguard. attendance of Aidan Burley, The image of France regularly Conservative MP for Cannock promoted by the right-wing media in Chase, at a stag party held on 3 Britain is based on this historically December 2011 in a restaurant in truncated view, which focuses the French Alpine resort of Val entirely on the French surrender Thorens, where the bridegroom, in 1940, in apparent ignorance of Mark Fournier, chose to wear SS the long record of French military uniform. According to the Mail prowess, not least the mass heroism on Sunday of 22 December 2011, that the French forces displayed in guests chanted the names of Hitler, repelling the initial German thrust Himmler and Eichmann. One of the into France in summer 1914. The guests was quoted as having raised same media peddle an equally a toast to the organiser of the party Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial distorted image of Germany, seen ‘and if we’re perfectly honest, to almost exclusively through the the thought process and ideology of the the Conservative whip, living to smirk lens of the Nazi period and ignoring Third Reich’. another day and no doubt hoping to the thorough-going re-education of the Readers with a strong stomach can resume his ministerial career. In the German people in democracy and anti- view images of this deplorable incident 1950s, AJR Information reported that militarism over six decades. on the internet, on MailOnline, where a man who had raised a Nazi flag on a That very welcome development Burley can be seen alongside the SS-clad building on Finchley Road had had to does not prevent papers like the Daily Fournier, grinning cheesily. Both men are be protected by the police from angry Express (Jewish-owned, alas) from Oxford graduates, professionals in their passers-by. Now, it would appear that resorting routinely to the stereotype of the thirties, and quite unlike the uneducated those participating in Nazi-styled events jackbooted Nazi in its reporting of German young louts from whom such behaviour enjoy the protection of the Conservative affairs – the kind of national stereotyping might be expected. On the contrary, to Party. Speaking personally, I would not familiar from the conservative-nationalist judge by the evidence on the internet, vote for a party which boasts an individual press in Germany either side of the First it looks as if Fournier and his cronies like Burley as one of its parliamentary World War. Branding all Germans as understood perfectly well what they were representatives. I would regard it as a Nazis, actual or potential, is of course doing and saying. betrayal of my murdered relatives to do so. highly offensive, as people like Fournier The reaction of the Conservative Party This is not to suggest that a right-wing well appreciate. Why would any upright has left much to be desired. When the Tory like Burley genuinely harbours Nazi British citizen, they seek to suggest, want scandal broke, David Cameron sacked sympathies, even if he enjoys participating to have anything to do with nations whose Burley from his junior ministerial post in tasteless pranks in Nazi uniform. If historical record consists primarily in as Parliamentary Private Secretary at the there is any ideological underpinning to supporting Nazism (the Germans) or in Department of Transport and announced this kind of escapade, it is to be found continued overleaf 1 AJR JOURNAL JUNE 2012 British politicians misuse the Holocaust cont. from p1 Dr Anthony Grenville’s book Jewish Refugees from Germany and Austria in Britain, 1933- kowtowing to it in defeat (the French)? We Erich Heller – a 1970 has been reprinted. For British may have come down in the world centenary tribute copies (paperback), write to since 1945, but we were on the right side Anthony Grenville at the AJR, in the war, weren’t we? onnoisseurs of German literature enclosing cheque for £22.50 (incl. postage A similar sense of inflamed nationalism will regret that the centenary and packing) made out to the author. inspired by unthinking anti-European Cof the birth of the great literary feeling was exhibited in the House of Lords scholar Erich Heller has passed largely by Lord Willoughby de Broke (UKIP). unmarked. Heller was born in Komotau ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING Speaking in a debate on the European (now Chomutov in the Czech Republic) on of THE ASSOCIATION OF Union on 16 February 2012, the peer did 27 March 1911 and studied law in Prague. JEWISH REFUGEES not scruple to compare the EU’s policy on In 1939 he fled to Britain, where he was THURSDAY 7 JUNE 2012, Greece to the Holocaust. Characteristically awarded his doctorate at Cambridge 11.00 AM describing the economic policy as German University in 1943 for a dissertation on at the AJR Paul Balint Centre – those jackbooted Nazis lording it over Thomas Mann, the predecessor of his Belsize Square Synagogue, London NW3 4HX the Continent again – Lord Willoughby influential study The Ironic German: A Lunch, if required, £7. Must be ordered made the remarkable statement that Study of Thomas Mann (1958). Heller held and paid for in advance – please telephone ‘austerity macht frei seems to be the lecturing posts at the London School of 020 7431 2744. remedy prescribed by the Germans’ Economics, Cambridge and the University Agenda to Greece. Readers may well recoil in College of Swansea, where he was head Annual Report 2011 Hon. Treasurer’s Report shock and disgust from this casual abuse of the Department of German, being Discussion of the notorious phrase ‘Arbeit macht promoted to the rank of professor in 1950. Election of Committee of Management frei’ (‘work sets you free’), which was In 1959, he was appointed Professor of All questions for the chair should be inscribed above the gates to Auschwitz. submitted by Thursday 24 May to the Head German at Northwestern University in of Administration at Jubilee House, Merrion The reference was plainly deliberate: Evanston, Illinois, where he lived until his Avenue, Stanmore, Middx HA7 4RL. blithely insensitive to the distress likely to death in 1990. ELECTION OF COMMITTEE OF be caused to Holocaust survivors and their Heller was best known for The MANAGEMENT descendants by his grossly inappropriate The following members will be Disinherited Mind (1952), a brilliant proposed for election or re-election to the invocation of Auschwitz, the noble lord series of studies of German literary Committee at the AGM proceeded, when challenged, to repeat figures from Goethe to Rilke and Kafka, on Thursday 7 June 2012: the comparison. including Nietzsche, Jacob Burkhardt, Mr A C Kaufman, Chairman, Mr W D Rothenberg, Vice Chairman & Hon. Treasurer, Mrs E S This is a clear case of the trivialisation of author of The Culture of the Renaissance Angel*, Secretary, Mr C W Dunston*, Trustee, the Holocaust, and deeply reprehensible. in Italy, and Karl Kraus. The essays Mrs D Franklin, Trustee, Mrs G R Glassman, By likening what happened at Auschwitz are case studies in ‘the spiritually Trustee, Ms Karen Goodman, Mrs J Millan, Sir E Reich*, Mr A Spiro – the murder of at least a million disinherited mind of Europe’, examining *Committee members retiring by rotation defenceless, innocent human beings, the relation of poetry and truth ‘in an age and being proposed for re-election mostly Jews – to the attempt by the EU dispossessed of all spiritual certainties’, Anyone wishing to propose any other and the International Monetary Fund member for election as Hon Officer, Trustee, a world where the moral and cultural or Committee member must submit to AJR’s to resolve Greece’s financial crisis by a certainties underlying the real order Head of Administration such a proposal policy of debt reduction, Lord Willoughby have ceased to obtain and where, in signed by ten members qualified to vote at provided a textbook case of Holocaust the meeting and with the signed agreement consequence, the artist has to create of the person being proposed no later than relativisation, and one that deserves that order for himself, thereby inevitably Thursday 24 May.