"Antisemitism Has Brought Endless Shame Upon the German Name..." – A Protest Poster in Response to the Desecration ...

"Antisemitism Has Brought Endless Shame Upon the German Name..." – A Protest Poster in Response to the Desecration of Jewish Graves After the Holocaust

Aufruf! - "Demand" – A Protest Poster Issued by the Government of North Rhine-Westphalia in Response to the Desecration of Jewish Graves After the Holocaust by "Vile and Foolish Elements" – "Antisemitism Has Brought Endless Shame Upon the German Name and Brought Terrible Misery to Millions of Innocent People." Düsseldorf, [Second Half of the 1940s].

Text of the poster:

"The cabinet of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia knows that it is in agreement with all decent German people when it expresses its anger and condemnation of the desecration of Jewish graves, committed in various cities by vile and foolish elements. Antisemitism has brought endless shame upon the German name and terrible misery to millions of innocent people. Everything must be done to eradicate even its last roots so that we can finally reclaim our place among the society of civilized nations living under a stable legal order. The cabinet therefore calls upon the public to take an active part in identifying the perpetrators and preventing further disgraceful incidents. To ensure that the guilty are brought to severe punishment, the government will take firm measures." The poster is signed by the Government of North Rhine-Westphalia, followed by the names of government members. 

North Rhine-Westphalia (Nordrhein-Westfalen) was established after World War II by the British military administration. During the 1950s, as the state attempted to rebuild society following the horrors of the Holocaust, local leaders faced a severe issue: antisemitism persisted in some areas, and Holocaust survivors and Jewish communities remained alienated from the new German state. In the town of Siegburg, a group of educators and intellectuals, in collaboration with the North Rhine-Westphalia government, established an educational center focused on Holocaust remembrance, promoting tolerance, and instilling democratic values. The center was named after Maximilian Kolbe, a Polish Catholic priest who sacrificed his life in Auschwitz to save a Jewish prisoner. The government also encouraged programs in which German students participated in visits to concentration camps such as Dachau and Auschwitz to witness the Holocaust's atrocities firsthand. Today, North Rhine-Westphalia is one of the 16 federal states of Germany. It is the most populous state in the country, with over 17.9 million residents.

Size: 42x30 cm. Filing holes at the top of the poster. Good condition.