Letter to Heiko

Dear Minister Maas,

You have been widely quoted as saying that more emphasis should be placed on the Holocaust in integration courses for migrants.

We at the Committee for an Open Debate on the Holocaust agree with you. We also hope you agree with us that whatever is taught to migrants should be as accurate as possible, and that discussion and debate over the many unresolved questions in Holocaust studies will be encouraged.

However, we get the feeling that you are unaware of the results of recent scholarly research. To be blunt, your public statements on the Holocaust make us think that you still embrace inaccurate history put forth at the International Military Tribunal; particularly the so-called Intentionalist Theory.   

We recommend the following books both to you and for use in your proposed classes:

1. Theories on the origin of the Holocaust, i.e. Intentionalism vs. Functionalism: The Origins of the Final Solution: The Evolution of Nazi Jewish Policy, September 1939-March 1942, by Christopher R. Browning
2. For the revised figures relating to the Majdanek Camp: Extermination of Jews at the Majdanek Concentration Camp, by Tomasz Kranz
3. For the persecution of Dutch Gays: A Sincere Belief in Dracula: Debunking the History of the Dutch Prosecution of Homosexuality, by Anna Tijseling          
4. For the persecution of Roma: The Nazi Persecution of the Gypsies, by Guenter Lewy

If we may be of any help in organizing class material, please let us know.

Respectfully,

David Merlin
CODOH Volunteer
PO Box 20774
York, PA 17402
United States of America
voice mail box & fax: ++1-415-688-2129