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Vandals damage 40 Jewish graves at cemetery in eastern Germany

Vandals have desecrated a Jewish cemetery in eastern Germany, damaging more than 40 graves, police said on Wednesday.

Published: 20 September 2023 22:21 CEST

Vandals damage 40 Jewish graves at cemetery in eastern Germany

Pictured is the centre of Köthen, Saxony-Anhalt. Photo: picture alliance/dpa/dpa-Zentralbild | Klaus-Dietmar Gabbert

The bulk of the damage in the town of Köthen in Saxony-Anhalt was caused by gravestones being pushed over, police in Dessau-Rosslau said.

The vandalism at the ancient burial site is estimated to be worth around €20,000, they said.

The crime is thought to have happened between September 15th and 19th.

Seven decades after the Holocaust, in which the Nazi regime slaughtered six million Jews, anti-Semitism remains a burning issue in Germany.

Anti-Semitic incidents declined in 2022 compared to the previous year but there was a rise in anti-Semitic violence, according to the Federal Association of Research and Information Centres on Anti-Semitism (RIAS).

READ ALSO: Holocaust survivor urges Germany to fight ‘cancer’ of hatred

A total of 2,480 anti-Semitic incidents were documented in 2022, including nine cases of extreme violence — an all-time high since the survey began in 2017.

In October 2019, a gunman killed two people in the eastern city of Halle, having failed to storm a synagogue on Yom Kippur.

Before the attack, he had posted a racist, misogynistic and anti-Semitic manifesto online.

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REVEALED: The new questions being added to Germany's citizenship test

As Germany prepares to introduce its major reform of citizenship laws, a slightly more subtle change is also on the way: the Interior Ministry has drafted a range of new questions to add to the citizenship test.

The news comes after months of pressure on the government to find a way to clamp down on anti-Semitism and racism while also loosening up the restrictions on citizenship.

According to Spiegel, there are 12 new questions that are likely to become part of the citizenship test, covering everything from the history of Jews in Germany to the founding of the state of Israel, as well as specific questions that tackle forms of anti-Semitism.

READ ALSO: Why Germany is shaking up citizenship test questions

Following an ordinance from the Interior Ministry, they will be added to the official selection of citizenship test questions, pushing the number of potential questions up to 322 (including 10 questions that are specific to your federal state).

Of these, 33 are selected for each test, and you have to get at least 17 right in order to pass.

We’ve listed the new questions below in English and have highlighted the correct answers.

Let’s see how many you can get right!

Germany’s new citizenship test questions

Where do the majority of Jews who currently live in Germany come from?

1. Israel
2. Former Soviet Union countries
3. The USA
4. From Western Europe

How many years ago was there a Jewish community in what is now Germany for the first time?

1. Around 300 years ago
2. Around 700 years ago
3. Around 1150 years ago
4. Around 1700 years ago

Who can become a member of the 40 or so Jewish Maccabi sports clubs?

1. Only Germans
2. Only Israelis
3. Only religious people
4. Everyone

Which cities have the largest Jewish communities in Germany?

1. Berlin and Munich
2. Hamburg and Essen
3. Nuremberg and Stuttgart
4. Worms and Speyer

What is the name of the Jewish house of prayer?

1. Basilica
2. Mosque
3. Synagogue
4. Church

When was the state of Israel founded?

1. 1945
2. 1948
3. 1922
4. 1973

On what legal basis was the state of Israel founded?

1. A United Nations (UN) resolution
2. A resolution of the Zionist congress
3. A recommendation from the German federal government
4. A recommendation from the Soviet Union (USSR)

TEST: Could you pass the German citizenship exam?

What is the reason for Germany’s special responsibility for Israel?

1. Germany’s membership of the European Union (EU)
2. Crimes committed under National Socialism
3. The German constitution (Grundgesetz)
4. Christian tradition

What is an example of anti-Semitic behaviour?

1. Attending a Jewish festival
2. Criticising the state of Israel
3. Holocaust denial
4. Playing football against a Jewish team

What do the so-called “Stolpersteine”, or stumbling stones, in Germany commemorate?

1. Famous German politicians
2. Victims of National Socialism
3. People who died in traffic accidents
4. Well-known Jewish musicians

How can someone who denies the Holocaust be punished?

1. Cuts to benefits or welfare payments
2. Up to 100 hours of community service
3. They can’t be – Holocaust denial is allowed in Germany
4. With a prison sentence of up to five years or a fine

Which act relating to the state of Israel is prohibited in Germany?

1. Publicly criticising Israel’s policies
2. Hanging an Israeli flag on private property
3. Discussing Israeli politics
4. Openly calling for the destruction of the state of Israel

If you’d like to know more about the documents you need to apply for German citizenship – and how to do it – check out our explainers below:

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