News American Citizens Targeted U.S. Court Slams German Human Rights Abuser Religious Minorities portrayed as insects Result of the Hate Campaign Publications Freedom Human Rights Journal (in German) Menschenrechtsbuero (in German)					Home > Publications > Intolerance & Discrimination Against the Scientology Community in Germany Today Intolerance & Discrimination Against the Scientology Community in Germany Today Between 1991-1993, as the government’s campaign against Scientology grew, there were bomb threats against almost every Scientology Church and Mission in Germany. February 1992, Hamburg: The vice-president of the Church of Scientology of Hamburg was visited by a man who told him that he knew of a plan to have the vice-president killed by a professional killer from Italy. The visitor said he knew somebody who could obtain evidence of who was behind the murder scheme and asked for 3.000 DM as down payment in exchange. He was given no money, but the Church vice-president pretended to make an appointment for a later meeting, when he would provide the funds in exchange for the information. After his visitor had left, the Scientologist informed the police. He kept the appointment but the visitor did not show up. April 1992, Hamburg: A parishioner of the Church of Scientology in Hamburg received a letter denouncing Scientology and Judaism and threatening to blow up his home. It was signed “Reichsführer SS.” July 1992: An unknown viewer sent a fax to a live broadcast of the private television station RTL North, which was broadcasting an anti-Scientology show. The fax stated that Scientology should be prohibited and that Scientologists “should be stood up against a wall and shot — without a court judgment.” This statement was read over the air by the TV host. In a subsequent suit by the Church of Scientology against the station, the Hamburg Superior Court held this fax to be a criminal statement which the television moderator should not have read aloud. The court held that the statement fulfilled the criminal statute of “inciting to arbitrary actions and force against a part of the population which is defamatory and an insult to the human dignity of the adherents” of the Church of Scientology. That judgment later became final. A penal complaint was also filed against the station at the time of the above civil action. The prosecutor in Hamburg, however, refused to indict the responsible editor of the television station. Thus, the statement had to be “tolerated” by the Church since Scientology was a subject of public controversy. Upon appeal of this ruling, the prosecutor simply let the matter sit until the statute of limitations expired. October 1992: Following a derogatory newspaper article about him, a Scientologist’s company was subjected to an arson attempt. March 1993: During a television show in Bremen featuring Church staff member, Mr. R., someone called in and said: “Mr. R. will be executed after the show.” Mr. R. had to be escorted by the police to his hotel for his protection. September 1993, Hanover: An anonymous letter to the Church of Scientology in Hanover stated that the gas chambers in the former concentration camp Bergen-Belsen were being repaired and would be ready for Scientologists on 18 April 1994. 1994, Hamburg: The Church of Scientology in Hamburg received an ominous letter on Nazi letterhead complete with imperial eagle and swastika from the “Berlin Propaganda Ministry of the SS State Protection Department,” claiming that the Church is under observation by the SS, demanding that Scientology cease activities in Germany or suffer the consequences, and chillingly noting that Scientologists were being watched and that their home addresses were in SS archives. February 1994, Bremen: The Mission in Bremen received an anonymous letter, which stated in part: “The next time it will be an incendiary... then it is our superior duty to eradicate your terroristic mental-cult with root and branch in the name of humanity! We, the activists of ZASK, the civil anti-sect commando (in German: “Zivile Anti Sekten Kommando”)...with bloody greetings, Your ZASK.” March 1994: A Church attorney, W. B., received a fax warning him to “Watch out, your time is running out.” as well as threatening, anonymous calls. June 1994: Mr. S. was insulted and threatened when he distributed Scientology literature. July 1994, Hamburg: A postcard sent to the Dianetics Information Center in Hamburg stated, “Every member of Dianetics should immediately be castrated in order to exclude reproduction or heredity.” October 1994, Cologne: Mr. S., who delivered study courses in Cologne based on the study methods of L. Ron Hubbard, received an anonymous fax stating: “Ever heard of Russian roulette? You will be next.” December 1994, Berlin: The Church of Scientology in Berlin received a warning that in 1995 all Scientologists would be destroyed. Murder, bomb and kidnapping threats continued...
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