The respectable German newssite Spiegel Online just published an article featuring a Lower-Saxon social-democrat polititician who pushes to annul the naturalization of Austrian born Adolf Hitler. Because she’s struggeling with her town’s connection to the Nazi-leader (1932 Hitler became German cititzen in Brunswick, Lower-Saxony, after giving up his Austrian nationality in 1925), she wants the state to decline Hilter’s request belated.

Okay, seriously now, what would that change? Hitler is the personification of evil and an important part of the German collective memory, whether we like it or not. I honestly cannot believe that an actual annulment would change anything in the world’s perception towards Germany. And why would it?

Anyhow, unfortunately for her the current German consititution prohibits every annulment which results in ‘statelessnes’. Moreover lawyers say that her efforts are senseless: “dead is dead”. The whole issue is now cross checked in the state’s ministries. Let’s see how this goes on.