German sentenced

Swastika tattoos: “History interests me”

The trial took place in the jury courtroom of the Salzburg provincial court.(Bild: Markus Tschepp)

The accused German (40) likes Nazi symbols, but does not want to be a Nazi. He tried to explain himself in a curious way in court in Salzburg, denying any reactivation. The jury found him less than credible and sentenced him to a suspended sentence and a fine.

On April 12, 2024, police officers wanted to personally deliver a load to a German with Russian roots (40) living in Salzburg. The man opened the door bare-chested. The officers then saw two swastikas on his chest. This led to a charge of re-activation. "At the sight of that, we would all think: That's a Nazi. Anyone who demonstratively uses swastikas is engaging in Nazi propaganda," emphasized the public prosecutor at the trial in the regional court on Tuesday.

Already punished in Germany for symbols
When asked why he had the most well-known Nazi symbols engraved, the father, who has several previous convictions, simply said: "I'm interested in history." He liked the symbol, but he doesn't want to be a Nazi. He had already received sentences for the tattoos in two German courts in 2018 and 2019. That's why he let it pass with a "bar", says the defendant. The judges then showed pictures of the tattoos, where swastikas were more than clearly visible. And the bar was in fact a barely visible thin line. "I didn't have any more money," replied the roofer.

15 months conditional imprisonment and a 720 euro unconditional fine was the final sentence.