Rajashri Dasgupta - "Everyone laughs in the same language" - Leipzig opts for colour
In the front gallery of a church in Dresden, a familiar face
looks back from two paintings. The wise assertion written across the
canvases reads: "There is no way to peace, peace is the way." Taken
aback at first to see the image of Mahatma Gandhi with
his hallmark bald head and round glasses in a distinctly foreign setting, his
words of peace are at marked contrast to the horror of what happened in
February 1945 : 25,000 people perished in the bombings on Dresden, Germany by Allied
Forces at the end of the Second World War. The church, like many other
magnificent buildings in the city on the banks of the Elbe river, has been
reconstructed from debris, a grim reminder of war, but also a testimony to the
spirit of reconciliation and forgiveness.
Six long decades after the War, Gandhi's words augured a
prophetic significance one April afternoon. Historical Dresden, the capital of
the state of Saxony in East Germany, has been rocked by angry demonstrations
that have spread to neighbouring Leipzig and across Germany. The murder of 10
journalists of the satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo in Paris have led to
demonstrators demanding restrictive immigration rules. The weekly
demonstrations since the last six months, sometimes of thousands of people, at
times have turned violent. Led by right-wing groups, the Patriotic
Europeans Against Islamisation of the West (PEGIDA) in Dresden and its sister
organisation, LEGIDA in Leipzig, have been condemned both by the media and
leaders of political parties in Germany as being racist and prejudiced against
immigrants and asylum seekers, especially Muslims.
The varied nature of the anti- immigrant demonstrations
reflect the social currents in east and west Germany. Demonstrations fizzled
out in Munich and Stuttgart while the majestic Cologne Cathedral switched off
its lights in protest at
PEGIDA marches. Since January in Saxony, massive counter- demonstrations
picked up as people sang and danced on the streets; a banner of the
counter protests in Dresden showed, "Everyone laughs in the same
language". Leipzig, a historical centre for commerce and book
fairs, has benefited from its constant exchange with foreigners. Its
people countered LEGIDA with "Courage zeigin" (Show Courage)
when 30,000 people filled the city streets. One poster read,
"Leipzig is Colourful," punning on the word 'colour'. Deans
and rectors of six universities in Leipzig condemned the
"xenophobic, nationalistic and sexist" LEGIDA politics.
The PEGIDA
broke up recently and their founder-leader, Lutz Bachmann resigned
in January when his photograph posing as Adolf Hitler surfaced leading to
criminal investigations against him. In Leipzig, every Monday, Gewandhaus, home to the
electrifying orchestra that is one of the finest in the world, hangs a huge
banner urgning: “Diversity, Tolerance, Openness" as LEGIDA supporters
protest in front of the opera house. Counter demonstrators across the plaza
call to make Leipzig a "a city of peace and home for all." The claim
is not rhetoric, diners readily assist us in deciphering the German menu card,
while pedestrians through gestures and scribbles have helped us find our way
home, and complete strangers have shared their life stories with us. Mistaking
my queries about LEGIDA as concern for my personal safety, a bystander reassured,
"Don't worry lady, we will take care of you. No one will harm you in our
city. "
A study supported by the research institute, Bertelsmann
Stiftung showed that though more people are welcoming of immigrants than
before , east Germans (includes Saxony) are "more skeptical" of
immigrants than people in the west. Demographic changes are comparatively
insignificant in the east, less than 1 per cent of the population are
Muslim migrants as against 5 per cent in west Germany. Observers say that one
reason for anti-immigrant attitudes is perhaps because east Germans , once
under the close surveillance of German
Democratic Republic (GDR), do not have the "experience of
mixing with others."Without immigrants, Germany could face severe crisis
if its birth rate remains unchanged ; the Federal Statistics Office estimates
the population will decline by more than 20 million people by 2060.
Germany, with its relatively strong economy and welfare schemes,
has attracted -seekers. Recent United Nations data show Germany has received
the maximum asylum applications, 42 % more than even the USA. Asylum seekers, fleeing the violence in the Middle East and
economic crisis in the Balkans and Africa have been sheltered in
hurriedly spruced up abandoned buildings mainly in remote areas in East
Germany. Many local communities are not accustomed to living with ethnic
diversity and complain of funds shortage; they feel the alleged increased
burden on welfare programs to provide resources and accommodation for the
immigrants.
Many admit unemployment and insecurity are not new to the
region, it dates back to the experience of reunification of Germany in 1989.
The fall of the Berlin Wall was welcomed for opening up fresh
opportunities and choices, but in the process there developed feelings of
discrimination and disappointments. Depending on the age, gender and location
of the person, the experience has been varied. The young migrated in huge
numbers to the west, the old inherited state pension; the generations in
between, aged 35+ years, were left to fend for themselves and their families,
without jobs or state support . The exit of GDR meant old factories were shut
down, throwing out thousands of workers. There are stories of factory units and
buildings sold to west German investors "even for a dollar" with
expectation of fresh investment; when it did it was for private
profit.
Women, once pivotal to the GDR economy, enjoying assured
employment, housing, state-support child care, education and health care, post
reunification had to fight to retain their jobs ( lucky if they got part-time
jobs) and struggled to pay for basic social services. "It is a lost
generation," say many. "They would like to see the Berlin Wall
rebuilt".
A common refrain is about discriminatory wages and pensions
between the east and west and discrimination at job appointments . "The
winner takes it all. The loser’s standing small," Leipzigers quote ABBA's
famous lyrics about their situation. In the absence of recognition of their
rich history and identity by their own brethrens, east Germans tend to express
feelings of "lack of worth" and "loss". Right-wing
leaders maturate inflamed politics on ghosts of the past -- and new ones -- depicting
asylum seekers as the devil of all problems.
The author is a senior journalist, currently based in
Leipzig
