Germany Orders Revisionist Book Seized

A German court has ordered that all copies of the book, Der Auschwitz-Mythos (The Auschwitz Myth) be seized. In addition, it has been ordered that the type from which it was printed be destroyed. The book was written by Dr. Wilhelm Stäglich, a retired German judge, in 1979.

Dr. Stäglich, who was stationed at Auschwitz in 1944 saw stark contrasts between his own experiences and the common notions about the camp. Stäglich writes in his volume,

“I never noticed mistreatments of internees nor, in particular, any sign- such as clouds of smoke or the stench of burning corpses – of the mass extermination of human beings.”

The prosecution asked for the book to be banned on the grounds that it incited hatred against Jews. The court ruled that because Stäglich had distorted “historical facts” in his volume, that he had deprived himself of the constitutional right of free expression.

Neither Stäglich nor his publisher will be directly punished for Der Auschwitz-Mythos because prosecution for publishing and press offenses must be initiated within six months of the date of publication.

Dr. Stäglich earned his doctorate in law at the University of Göttingen and then served for twenty years in the judiciary of the West German city of Hamburg.

Adapted from: Cleveland Plain Dealer, 8 May 1982, London Jewish Chronicle, 21 May 1982.

Note: An English edition of Dr. Stäglich's book, Auschwitz: A Judge Looks at the Evidence is available from : IHR, PO Box 2739 Newport Beach, CA 92659.