Posted on 07/20/2008 10:13:42 AM PDT by kristinn
BERLIN: The decision by Senator Barack Obama to speak at a landmark monument in Berlin this Thursday has opened up yet another controversy, with conservative and opposition politicians saying the site recalls Germany's Nazi past and Prussia's militaristic tradition.
Obama is planning to address what organizers expect will be huge crowds at the Siegessäule, or Victory Column, which is located in the center of a long and busy intersection that straddles the lush, public Tiergarten gardens and stretches up to the Brandenburg Gate.
SNIP
After days of back and forth between the chancellery and the Obama campaign, the Victory Column was selected.
But Andreas Schockenhoff, deputy leader of the conservative bloc in Parliament, said Sunday that the choice of the Victory Column, also known as the Golden Angel, was an "unhappy symbol" since it represented so much of Germany's militaristic past.
Rainer Brüderle, deputy leader of the opposition Free Democrats, said Obama's advisers had little idea of the historical significance of the Victory Column. "It was the symbol of German superiority over Denmark, Austria and France," Brüderle told the newspaper Bild am Sonntag.
The monument was built in 1864 to commemorate Prussia's victory over Denmark. When it was inaugurated, Prussia had defeated Austria during the Austro-Prussian war in 1866 and the Franco-Prussian war of 1870-71.
The column has been originally located near the Reichstag, now the Bundestag, or German Parliament, which is close to the Brandenburg Gate. But Adolf Hitler relocated it about two kilometers, or one mile, toward the western part of the city to the Grosser Stern, or Great Star.
(Excerpt) Read more at iht.com ...
Rose this may be a slap to the Jewish community, but they will vote for him anyway. I do not see them changing their voting ways. Dumkopfs, alle.
I’m kinda surprised that the messiah didn’t choose to hold a rally in Nuremburg.
Just swap out the swastikas for some donkeys and he has the perfect venue for a dry run of his outdoor acceptance speech in Denver.
Is it really big enough and important enough for The Obama?
What’s the German for “tater salad?”
You’re right...Charles got it from the cartoon. ;)
Gee, those Democratic Socialist Womyn are gonna have a fit over this one... First the Obama machine tears Hillary a new one, and now Obama’s going to make an Important Speech directly in front of a huge phallic symbol...
Larry Sinclair says it’s overstated. /s
LOL
The Siegessäule — or Victory Column — was erected in memory of Prussia’s victories over Denmark (1864), Austria (1866) and France (1870/71). The column originally stood in front of the Reichstag, Germany’s parliament building, but was moved by Adolf Hitler to its current location in 1939 to make way for his planned transformation of Berlin into the Nazi capital “Germania.”
“The Siegessäule in Berlin was moved to where it is now by Adolf Hitler. He saw it as a symbol of German superiority and of the victorious wars against Denmark, Austria and France,” the deputy leader of the Free Democrats, Rainer Brüderle, told Bild am Sonntag. He raised the question as to “whether Barack Obama was advised correctly in his choice of the Siegessäule as the site to hold a speech on his vision for a more cooperative world.”
At least he didn’t hold it in Nuremberg by torchlight.
Ich bin ein kartoffelsalat!
Zomeone cxeck witz zee Koran, I beleaff zare ezz a passage about zee “Golden Anchelle” comink before zee last caliph.
Ezz it here: http://www.truthnet.org/islam/src-chp5.htm
Ezz is here: http://www.answering-islam.org/Quran/Contra/
I cannot find eet.
Ja !
Are we really surprised that Obama doesn’t know history? /s
“What’s next, the Obama Youth?”
Yes. Obama is already planning for it.
“Already done: Kids for Obama”
deeply disturbing.
Ich bin ein leer Anzug.
Wie grauenhaft
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