Federal authorities in Kaliningrad region have begun a large-scale operation to neutralize the German non-profit organizations (NPOs). On the eve of the status of a foreign agent was received by the public organization “Hanseatic office” working in the West of Russia since 1992. After a week of the Kaliningrad regional court will consider the complaint of the German-Russian house, which the justice Ministry also threatened to include in the list of foreign agents. Whether the government puts out the German presence in a strategic country for the region? How dangerous Pro-German public men?
In the beginning of this week the Ministry of justice of Russia made the list of foreign agents, the oldest — since 1992 – a non-profit organization Russian exclave of Hanse Bureau/Information office of Schleswig-Holstein in Kaliningrad”. In the spring, the Ministry has carried out unscheduled field audit Bureau, identifying, as vaguely explained in the Department, “signs-commercial organizations performing functions of a foreign agent”.
“I’M SORRY, KOENIGSBERG!”
To know the specific reason for obtaining the status of noagent the organization itself has failed (why the Bureau has ignored journalists ‘ request to comment on the situation, we can only guess – Approx. ed.). The founder of the “Hanseatic office” but two of the Russians, is a citizen of Germany Gudrun Schmidt-Kerner, awarded in 2011 the medal “For merit to the Kaliningrad region” (in 90-e years Mrs. organized delivery to Kaliningrad humanitarian assistance for schools, orphanages and nursing homes – Approx. ed.).
According to a report on the activities of the “Hanseatic office” in 2015, filed in the regional office of the Ministry of justice, NGOs have received from the German company from Kiel, “Förderung von Industrie, Handel und Gewerbe in Schleswig-Holstein” (“Promotion of industry, trade and craft in Schleswig-Holstein”) of 2,2 million roubles. Also in the asset Bureau of development 638 thousand rubles in the form of grants for projects from Russian and foreign sources.
Among the list of events in 2015 stands out parapolitical trip to Germany the whole landing Kaliningrad tuned Pro-German intellectuals. The correspondent of “top secret” was on that trip as a journalist and at the end of the materials was subject to public ostracism from the side it is the “Hanseatic office”.
We are talking about a series of seminars in the German town of Sankelmark on the topic of “East Prussia – the development of historical memory of the region”. Thither came many of the former residents of Koenigsberg, who, together with the Kaliningrad talked about this “development”. The weirdness began immediately over Breakfast when on the table with the coffee pots for Kaliningrad residents have put signs with the inscription: “Reserviert für Ostpreußen” (“Reserved for East Prussia”). At the seminars, speakers from Kaliningrad, often sprinkled ashes on their heads for “lost königsberg”.
The culmination of gatherings in Sankelmark was the presentation of a glossy album Kaliningrad photographer, now emigrated to Berlin, Dmitry Vyshemirskii with the eloquent title “Konigsberg, I’m sorry” (the folio is a series of bleak black-and-white images from different parts of the Kaliningrad region with the teenage beggars, drunken men and old women hunched – Approx. ed.).
“Work” Vyshemirskii was greeted with applause by the Germans, but unexpectedly was subjected to sharp criticism from the former juvenile prisoners of fascism Zinaida Maximova.
“Well, you can’t just show people everything in the black light! – asked Zinaida Vladimirovna to the forum participants. In such cases I would have thrown the camera, took a paint brush and went to painting houses. You ought to hold your camera! You decompose! You kill all that is Holy man” (after translation of the German audience roared with disapproval – Approx. ed.).
QUIET BURGHER OFFENSIVE
It should be noted that Pro-German lobby in Kaliningrad is a tight – knit little world, often “family type”. For example, the Deputy Director of the “Hanseatic office” Tatiana Voloshin is the wife of the journalist of the newspaper “New wheels,” Alexander Zakharov, who on the eve of Victory Day was initiated in the pages of his publication of information sabotage, so to say. Describing the capture of Koenigsberg in spring 1945, Zakharov writes that the Soviet soldiers broke into the German hospital, “began to rape nurses and patients. “To stop this nightmare was impossible. Calmed down winners only at night. The next day the same thing happened”, — the journalist continued.
Roskomnadzor issued a warning to the newspaper for “creating a negative image of the Soviet soldier” and “clear disrespect for the days of military glory of Russia”, but no apologies on the pages of the weekly veterans did not.
“Hanseatic office” works closely with one of the oldest regional NGO — the German-Russian house (NSD), which on June 1 of this year planned in regional court consideration of the complaint the results of an unscheduled inspection of the Ministry of justice. The story of NSD is already “heavy artillery”. Chronology of events leading up to NSD five minutes to a foreign agent, the next.
In the fall of 2014 the attache on culture of Consulate General of Germany in Kaliningrad Daniel Lissner made in the walls of the German-Russian house with political speech, allowing himself to assess the socio-political events in a foreign country.
“For six months, the state propaganda in Russia. – Approx. ed.) in unimaginable scale population processes jingoism, denigration, misrepresentation, half-truths and simple lies, — said, in particular, a German diplomat. — Who rightly criticizes others, such as the questionable role played by Bandera should be asking why the city of Kaliningrad. – Approx. ed.) still bears the name of a friend, who in particular is responsible for both crimes at Katyn and the deportation?”
THE WASH WILL BE DIFFICULT…
German Consul General apologized for his subordinate, and the German foreign Ministry sent Lissner the diplomatic service, where… – that’s right, in Kiev. After this provocation of the German-Russian house and was interested in the competent authorities.
It turned out that in 2012 in the walls of the NSD was a recital for students of the Kaliningrad dedicated to the poet, the native of Konigsberg Agnes miegel. In modern Germany the name Miguel is banned in the Western part of the country renamed squares and institutions named after the poetess during the period of Germany. All because of the Nazi past Miguel.
Living in East Prussia, in the early 30-ies of the last century, it signed the “Oath of allegiance” to Hitler, and then led the women’s cell of the Nazi party in königsberg. Miguel did not hide their Nazi views what is the mass of documentary evidence.
In particular, in a letter to the writer Hans Blanco (also Nazi henchman) Miguel wrote: “When I think a little about my homeland and its fate, it looks like this: we must become one of the national socialist government, or we will not! It would be the sunset not only Germany, it would be a sunset and the white man”. After a poetic Eulogy of “Dem Führer” (“führer”) Miguel was included in the “List of talented of God” as “a remarkable national treasure.”
Despite this background, the German-Russian house has opened doors to “recitals,” which, by the way, the teacher held the 33rd school with a very Russian name and surname – Nina Alekseevna Makarova.
However, NSD President Viktor Hoffmann doesn’t see the fault in popularizing Nazi ideology. “If Agnes miegel was officially introduced by the Ministry of culture in the list of undesirable persons, and not retroactively in 1945, then there would be today a conflict situation,” he said in conversation with the correspondent of “top secret”. – Indeed, in 2012, when it was evening, no one spoke of it as “Nazi poet”. In Kaliningrad books out from her poems, translated into Russian. But the provocation of Lissner did the trick. It all came together. The stars aligned. We knew that after Lissner wash will be very difficult.”
“I assure you, there are no extremist underground, no fan club, Agnes miegel,” continued Hoffman. — We have no foreign owners and curators. I think someone is controlling us? We are the Russian Germans, manageable. This is our home, we have suffered.” Why stand up for NSD in Kaliningrad went personally to the German Ambassador to Russia rüdiger von Fritsch (in 2004-2007 he was Vice-President of the Federal intelligence service of Germany – Approx. ed.), Hoffmann was silent.
A German businessman and blogger Uwe Niemeyer living in Russia for more than 20 years, partly agrees with the opinion of Hoffmann. “I think, while the official authorities of Russia will not allow officially to understand that Agnes miegel is not part of the historical heritage, of which Russia/Kaliningrad should care, people will “respect” Miguel, not knowing the entire volume of its “art works,” said Niemeyer “top secret”. – How is the new law on undesirable foreign organizations, so there should be a law about unwanted foreign historical persons”.
“I think everyone in Russia is clear, why not show the films of Leni Riefenstahl. And I don’t see a big difference between Miguel and Riefenstahl — says Niemeyer. – Just Miguel has written several romantic things, but that doesn’t mean its fascist views less harmful. It’s a pity that NSD incorrectly assesses the role of this lady. The German-Russian house should have a special feeling on this issue”.
According to the historian, head of the Kaliningrad branch of the Academy of geopolitical problems Vladimir Shulgin, the leadership of the German-Russian house disingenuous, speaking of “neprijatnosti”.
“Zeal NSD fit into one plan-the strategy: taking advantage of the Russian mentality is responsive, sacrificial, to impose on us the blame for the “massive” bullying “peaceful” Germans 1944-48., wonderful “Russian Germans” who fought against fascism, but were arrested “for nothing”, etc., until the sympathy of the Crimean Tatars with Gemalai, — said Vladimir Shulgin “top secret”. — That is a complete departure from the historic context of the Millennium with the “Drang nach Osten”, which naturally ended Hitler and now manifested Merkel.”
THE HOUSE WAS GONE…
The President of the German-Russian house Victor Hoffman now plans to even change the name on “Russian-German house”, but what about a possible bad future categorical: “If we assign the status of a foreign agent, the home will be closed immediately”.
“Tell us, what’s the harm, I think – “the agent”. They say, will be more likely to report, and we will put the stick, ” continued Hoffman. – But we do not like it! What I foreign agent, when all of my family survived and grew in the Soviet Union. And the Russian Germans in Kaliningrad did so much for Russia… Remember the 96-th year, when we agreed with the German side to begin deliveries of humanitarian aid to Kaliningrad. Remember, in the port came to the ship with 500 tons of food. Moreover, the whole burden came on my home address. Hundreds of pounds of sausage, stew, baby food. We are all in the town gave. And then today get a spot and carry it on… is Not valid. Furthermore, with such “wonderful” status, I don’t think the Germans will be to support us. It would be at all crazy”.
According to Hoffmann, NGOs ready to give up the money (from 2012 to 2014 the German Agency for international cooperation listed NSD 30 million. – Approx. ed.), but the Russian side is not ready to support them.
“This is despite the fact that our building is developed in the framework of Russian-German intergovernmental agreements and programmes for the support of Russian Germans to the Kaliningrad region, — says the head of the NSD. — We came out with the project to build on site, youth hostel, to earn, to live like a normal public organization of the Russian Germans, but today this idea is pushed on the back burner”.
