In 1972, four shots were fired in Niederthann, Upper Bavaria. The balance sheet: one seriously injured Romni and one dead Romni who was carrying a child. The gunman has to answer in court, but gets off lightly. Police, judiciary, church, village community: almost everyone covers up for the perpetrator. The victims and their relatives? For the locals, they were just “gypsies”.
The historian Hans Woller has reconstructed this criminal case in his book “Hunting Scenes from Niederthann – A Lesson on Racism” (CH Beck Verlag, 2022). This Thursday, February 16, he will read from it in the Garching public library. Woller, longtime employee at the Institute for Contemporary History, describes the background and consequences of this criminal case. The result is a social fresco of the German provinces of “frightening topicality”, as they say. Also present on Thursday is the political scientist Radoslav Ganev, who is involved in many ways against Sinti and Roma clichés. The reading begins at 7 p.m. Admission is free, we ask that you reserve free tickets at the library or by calling 089/320 89 211.