German News Network Drops Repeat Showings Of TV show in light of revelations about the main actor's - Polidicks

[quote]German broadcaster ZDF has dropped repeat showings of a popular detective series after it emerged its late star had hidden his Waffen SS past.[/quote] [img]http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/67379000/jpg/_67379897_67379896.jpg[/img] Source: [url]http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-22384143[/url] If he'd been a murderous guard in a death camp, maybe I would understand these sorts of actions, but he was in a panzer division and serving as a medic. It sounds totally idiotic to me.

germany is very touchy

Yes, but the germans are very strict about references to WWII. Can't say it's exactly warranted though especially since the guy's dead

I'm not German so I'm not really fit to judge but it seems a move like this just adds to the shame rather than reducing it

Hi, we're Germany. No, we haven't heard of these 'Nar-zees'. Who are they? They sound awful let's stop anybody knowing they ever existed. There's being apologetic for the atrocities your predecessors committed (which shouldn't really extend beyond 'We don't agree with what they did and we think it was horrible'), but there's a point reached where you seem to be trying too hard. Germany has long surpassed this point.

[QUOTE=Dr.Critic;40505061] If he'd been a murderous guard in a death camp, maybe I would understand these sorts of actions, but he was in a panzer division and serving as a medic. It sounds totally idiotic to me.[/QUOTE] The SS wasn't just another part of the Wehrmacht, they were a completely separate army. They rose to power with the Nazi party because they were their guards, before the war started they were under the direct command of Himmler, and we all know who that man was. Until the 40's, it was only open to pure-blood Aryans. I don't even need to mention the tons and tons of war crimes the SS committed throughout the war. If he was conscripted into the SS it would be a different story, but the SS weren't innocent at all. With that said, I think it's very silly to pull a show from television because of one of the actor's pasts. Germany is far too touchy when it comes to this stuff, censoring it is very very dumb.

[QUOTE=Trunk Monkay;40505268]They rose to power with the Nazi party because they were their guards,[/QUOTE] not to be nit-picky but that's not actually true. iirc the brown shirts rose to power with hitler and the nazis. after hitler had taken control, he created the ss and used them to kill the brown shirts and consolidate power. [url]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sturmabteilung[/url] [url]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Night_of_the_Long_Knives[/url]

[QUOTE=Trunk Monkay;40505268]The SS wasn't just another part of the Wehrmacht, they were a completely separate army. They rose to power with the Nazi party because they were their guards, before the war started they were under the direct command of Himmler, and we all know who that man was. Until the 40's, it was only open to pure-blood Aryans. I don't even need to mention the tons and tons of war crimes the SS committed throughout the war. If he was conscripted into the SS it would be a different story, but the SS weren't innocent at all. With that said, I think it's very silly to pull a show from television because of one of the actor's pasts. Germany is far too touchy when it comes to this stuff, censoring it is very very dumb.[/QUOTE] The SS became part of the Werhmacht in a later stadium of the war. They where normal soldiers, but for administrative reasons the Totenkopfverbände and Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler where part of it, on paper. It was supposed to become an elite army after the war was won, instead became a place for foreign conscripts to join the german side of the war. At the end of the war, 60% of the Waffen-SS was non-german.

Germany's current view on their past is nothing but pathetic and sad. They need to realise nobody can blame them for what happened 70 years ago and they need to stop trying to erase their history. History is history no matter what and people will not forget. Completely wrong thing to do, they're pissing on Tappert's grave. It's not his fault he was forced into serving in the SS. Of course he would hide his history when Germany is full of moronic people trying to ruin every person with a WW2 military history behind them.

[QUOTE=nitedal;40505536]Germany's current view on their past is nothing but pathetic and sad. They need to realise nobody can blame them for what happened 70 years ago and they need to stop trying to erase their history. History is history no matter what and people will not forget. Completely wrong thing to do, they're pissing on Tappert's grave. It's not his fault he was forced into serving in the SS. Of course he would hide his history when Germany is full of moronic people trying to ruin every person with a WW2 military history behind them.[/QUOTE] they aren't trying to hide ww2 or the holocaust. they take a hard line because they believe they have a responsibility to give out no tolerance to the ideas and people who made such atrocities possible. they know nazi germany happened, they don't want it to happen again.

[QUOTE=Jamsponge;40505172]Hi, we're Germany. No, we haven't heard of these 'Nar-zees'. Who are they? They sound awful let's stop anybody knowing they ever existed. There's being apologetic for the atrocities your predecessors committed (which shouldn't really extend beyond 'We don't agree with what they did and we think it was horrible'), but there's a point reached where you seem to be trying too hard. Germany has long surpassed this point.[/QUOTE] From my experience, this isn't Germany's view at all. In fact, Germany has been very open and honest about the war. Not like, say, Austria who have pretended to be victims of WWII when they were actually very much involved in their support of the Nazis. But, still, I cant necessarily blame him for not wanting to flaunt their dark past, especially as an SS Officer.

Yeah here in Germany it's kind of a split personality at work. On the one side everything having to do with nazi history is swept under the rug like with this case. Especially in media, tho that trait might come from the same direction that censors TF2 because it's too violent even for 18+ year olds to handle. On the other side in school we've had the topic to frequently not even the fanciest nazi cape could keep it interesting anymore. I'm sure conspiracy theorists are having a field day about the government censoring everything they don't want you to know, but the much more simple reality is that some people, out of those whose brains haven't been bored to death already in history class, will go the extra mile for the acquiring anything between Mein Kampf and a pic of Hitler off duty smiling like a normal human being and not like the demonic mastermind you learn about from school. And this allure of the forbidden can get some of them into neo-nazi circles. I wish we could just deal with the topic like grown-ups. I'm having a hard time understanding both patriotic pride and historic shame (tho I can see where both are coming from), but neither should lead to incidents as described in the OP. This patronization simply isn't helping anybody.

Hm, coming from germany, I don't really like this decision, but germany isn't really trying to *hide* the past. Pupils in school get more than enough history lessons regarding WW2. But yes, anything that is not in the books or television gets treated harsh.

[QUOTE=Neat!;40505097]germany is very touchy[/QUOTE] If you wore a Red Cross with a SS uniform they'll remove anything that involves you at any chance they get. [editline]2nd May 2013[/editline] [QUOTE=Splash Attack;40505712]From my experience, this isn't Germany's view at all. In fact, Germany has been very open and honest about the war. Not like, say, Austria who have pretended to be victims of WWII when they were actually very much involved in their support of the Nazis. But, still, I cant necessarily blame him for not wanting to flaunt their dark past, especially as an SS Officer.[/QUOTE] 1. An SS officer isn't anything to be ashamed of, especially if its Waffen and not totenkopfvarde 2. He was a medic

I am german and I realize that our government wants to eliminate the possibility of a second nazi germany. The problem lies in our population and not the government. nazi germany happened, we have to accept that and we do. but in our society it is still frowned upon to have a connection to the nazi regime, especially by the elder generations, who lived during the tyranny of the nazis. Now ZDF is a broadcaster, who is funded through the GEZ, an organization, which takes fees from every user of radio services and does not fund itself through commercials like the private broadcasters. ZDF was one of the first broadcasters in germany ("Zweites deutsches Fernsehen" = second german television) and the elders are their main audience. Most of the audience won't care if he was a murderous guard or a medic, it only sees Waffen SS and stops watching ZDF and it gets less revenue through GEZ, which is still based on the viewing figures. It's more or less a precautious move by the ZDF and not a question of eliminating connections to the third reich.

I'm german and I think this is stupid.

[QUOTE=yawmwen;40505581][B]they aren't trying to hide ww2 or the holocaust.[/B] they take a hard line because they believe they have a responsibility to give out no tolerance to the ideas and people who made such atrocities possible. they know nazi germany happened, they don't want it to happen again.[/QUOTE] That's why they banned use of fourtyfive degree swastikas and SS runes, right? And censor them in films and video games?

[QUOTE=nitedal;40506706]That's why they banned use of fourtyfive degree swastikas and SS runes, right? And censor them in films and video games?[/QUOTE] yea from what i've heard(i'm not german) the education system teaches the holocaust and ww2 in depth. there are a TON of ww2 and holocaust museums in germany. they aren't denying anything. they aren't hiding anything. this is guilt, they feel an incredible burden from their past and want to try very hard to keep from making those same mistakes.

[QUOTE=nitedal;40506706]That's why they banned use of fourtyfive degree swastikas and SS runes, right? And censor them in films and video games?[/QUOTE] They only censor them in video games, because they claim that video games are more immersive than films. (Which I think is stupid.) Also, films have educational value, so they are not getting censored there.

The Germans behind this are downright retarded. How is this controversial in Germany?

[QUOTE=nitedal;40506706]That's why they banned use of fourtyfive degree swastikas and SS runes, right? And censor them in films and video games?[/QUOTE] Not films as film are protected under art clauses where games don't fit.

[QUOTE=yawmwen;40506972]yea from what i've heard(i'm not german) the education system teaches the holocaust and ww2 in depth. there are a TON of ww2 and holocaust museums in germany. they aren't denying anything. they aren't hiding anything. this is guilt, they feel an incredible burden from their past and want to try very hard to keep from making those same mistakes.[/QUOTE] i think elementary school kids (i don't know what it's called in germany) are taken on field trips to the old concentration camps also. germany teaches their kids about the holocaust pretty early.

Uh, so he never revealed his Nazi past or even hinted at it, meaning he probably regrets it, and now that he's dead they're pulling his show? Seems like a massive bitch move on the broadcaster's side. He's dead and the Waffen-SS hasn't been a thing for 68 years, get over it already.

He was a member of the "Death's Head" 3rd Panzer division. Their insignia was literally a skull.

[QUOTE=Pantz76;40509245]He was a member of the "Death's Head" 3rd Panzer division. Their insignia was literally a skull.[/QUOTE] [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OpZ8EkK3eWY[/media] ?

[QUOTE=Pantz76;40509245]He was a member of the "Death's Head" 3rd Panzer division. Their insignia was literally a skull.[/QUOTE] [IMG]http://www.micetrap.net/shop/catalog/images/SS Totenkopf.jpg[/IMG] 'Totenkopf', or (literally) Death's Head (as mentioned)

i wonder if he was really just a medic, i mean if he was why would he hide it?

Germany, nobody hates you anymore. You did bad things like, a hundred years ago. A lot of people that were in World War 2 are dead, you don't need to do everything in your power to try and look super peaceful again just because you're worried people might think you're becoming Nazi Germany again, because nobody is. Nobody is holding a grudge.

From what i've read is that the whole point is that being in the SS wasn't forced upon people, but was a choice.

Jesus Christ, he could be a current-day fuckin' nazi and I wouldn't give a shit, as long as his acting is fine and he doesn't show his nazism on screen or preach it everywhere he goes.