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Article: Germany looks at itself, and winces. (neo-Nazi violence)
- Article from:
- The Economist (US)
- Article date:
- November 28, 1992
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1992 Economist Newspaper Ltd. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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THE burning to death in her bed of Yeliz Arslan, a ten-year-old German-born Turkish girl, has come for Germany like a firebell in the night. Yeliz, her aunt and her grandmother died early on November 23rd at their family's home in Molln, a town near Hamburg. The arsonists who killed them ended a telephoned warning to the police station with the words, "Heil Hitler!"
By helping to bury two myths, these murders may galvanise Germany into throwing the weight of the state against racial violence. One myth is that this is chiefly a passing difficulty in the eastern part of Germany, stunned by unification and high unemployment. The other is that the violence is chiefly ...