Nazi Germans are Back
"Jews are banned from here": 80 Years After, Antisemitism is Back in Germany
A store in Flensburg, Germany displayed an antisemitic sign banning Jews, sparking outrage and investigations. The incident occurs 80 years after similar Nazi-era discriminatory practices.
Less than a week before Jews around the world prepare to welcome Rosh Hashanah, a shocking incident in northern Germany has reignited concerns over the rise of antisemitism across Europe.
In the city of Flensburg, a local store on Thursday displayed a plaque declaring:
“Jews are banned from here!!! Nothing personal, not even antisemitism, I just can’t stand you.”
The sign, bearing a chilling resemblance to those that hung in Nazi Germany during the 1930s, sparked outrage among Jewish organizations, German officials, and international observers.
The incident, has drawn a strong response from politicians and residents. The sign was placed by Hans Velten Reisch, a 60-year-old shop owner. Reisch defended his actions, dismissing accusations of antisemitism and citing Israel’s military operations in Gaza as his justification.
"Jews live in Israel, and I can't distinguish who is for or against the attacks," Reisch was quoted as saying. He called the actions in Gaza "hypocrisy."
The timing, just 80 years after the Holocaust, when six million Jews were murdered, has intensified the sense of alarm. Such public displays of exclusion mirror the earliest stages of Nazi persecution, when shops and public places banned Jews long before mass deportations and killings began.
A Warning Echo of the Past
The very public nature of the display highlights a troubling trend: antisemitic rhetoric and symbols increasingly visible in European public life, often spread through far-right movements and online hate networks.
Felix Klein, the German government's Commissioner for Jewish Life and the Fight against Antisemitism, was unequivocal in his condemnation.
"This is antisemitism in its purest form, and of course there are direct references to the Nazi era, where Jews were boycotted and there were many such signs," Klein declared. He emphasized that such an act should not be tolerated.
Antisemitism on the Rise in Europe
Recent reports from watchdog groups show a sharp increase in antisemitic incidents across the continent, from synagogue vandalism in France and assaults on Jewish students in the U.K., to boycotts and public harassment in Germany, Austria, and Eastern Europe.
Eighty years ago, it started with signs on shop windows. Today, those signs are back, and history teaches us that silence is complicity.
German Response and International Alarm
German officials condemned the incident, stressing that the country bears a special responsibility to combat antisemitism given its history. The Central Council of Jews in Germany called the Flensburg sign “an attack on the dignity of every Jewish person.”
The public backlash was swift. The Green Party's Flensburg chapter issued a statement condemning the sign "in the strongest terms" and calling on authorities to take immediate action. Annabell Pescher, the party's district chairwoman, urged a swift investigation, stating, "Such antisemitic provocations must not be tolerated."
Meanwhile, Jewish organizations abroad urged stronger measures, pointing out that such incidents often precede wider acceptance of discrimination if left unchecked.
As Jewish families prepare for the High Holidays, many fear the resurgence of open antisemitism in Europe is not only a haunting reminder of the past, but a warning for the future.