March 21, 2014 6:12 AM

Today's VERY bad idea: There's no party like a Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei

When you head out to Minneapolis’ premier German restaurant, Gasthof zur Gemütlichkeit, you expect brats and bier and kraut. You might not expect the Third Reich. But then, Christmas is a time for special celebrations. City Pages got an anonymous tip last week in the form of a photo that appeared to show a Nazi hootenanny at the convivial Teutonic eatery.

It turns out that Georges Santayana was right- those who don’t know history really ARE condemned to repeat it. (And sometimes even those who DO understand it.) What better way to prove the never-ending truth of this pronouncement than having a Nazi-themed Christmas party at a German restaurant? What could POSSIBLY be misunderstood or misinterpreted?

I understand the party was for members of the WWII Historical Re-enactment Society, Inc., who evidently like to play dress up- even if it means not so subtly honoring a brutally murderous regime responsible for the deaths of six million Jews.

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night, eh? Peace on Earth and Goodwill Towards Men? Or perhaps not so much.

As if to prove conclusively that the people involved didn’t give so much as a second thought to the optics of a Nazi-themed Christmas party…well, ya gotta love this “justification,” eh?

Jon Boorom, a member of WWII Historical Re-enactment Society Inc. and owner of the Lakeville Barbers, says he was at the December event depicted in the photo, which he likened to “a Star Trek convention but for WWII enthusiasts.”

“All of the German [re-enactment] groups in Minnesota have a Christmas party because we don’t typically have events going on in the winter,” Boorom says. “It’s just like any club that has a party. Because they dress up like Germans from World War II, it’s cool to go to a German restaurant, eat German food, and drink German beer.”

Turns out this particular Christmas party has been going on for 16 years. In the Internet age, where there are no secrets and everyone knows instantly what someone else is up to, I’m stunned that this has been going on for so long without being exposed or questioned. A bunch of guys dressed in Nazi uniforms? With Nazi flags hung for “atmosphere?”

Merry Christmas, indeed.

Arguing that the Christmas party is “a Star Trek convention but for WWII enthusiasts” is nothing if not patently offensive. Never mind that the symbolism and message conveyed is not at all what those at the party might think. Arguing that dressing up like Nazi has a “historical education” purpose is like arguing that stabbing your neighbor to death is justifiable because it was done in the name of science.

There’s nothing remotely acceptable about commemorating a regime that killed six million Jews, contributed to the killing of 20 million Russians, and destroyed Europe. There’s nothing wrong with having a Christmas party, but celebrating an evil, genocidal regime? Really?

“If you wear a German uniform or a Nazi uniform, it’s not like you’re saying ‘I think Hitler was super cool’ or ‘I hate Jews’ or ‘I hate gays’ or ‘I hate democrats,’” Boroom explains. “You’re not there because you believe in what Hitler stood for — you’re there to educate people about history, and a lot of that is so people don’t forget. It’s the same as wanting to be the bad guy when you’re playing cowboys and Indians. There’s an attraction to the bad side.”

I’m astonished that people who claim to want only to “educate people about history” could be so stunningly tone deaf when it comes to the symbolism of wearing Nazi uniforms to a Christmas party. If these folks were truly concerned about ensuring the message and lessons of history aren’t lost, surely there are better ways than singing Christmas carols while dressed as an SS officer? Who wouldn’t understand Peace on Earth and Good Will Towards Men…right? Except that the Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei was not about either of those things. It was a brutally efficient genocidal personality cult that turned Germany into its playground and Europe into its killing field.

Justify it however your choose, but attending a Nazi-themed party- Christmas or otherwise- is not about “educating people about history.” It’s not about ensuring that we learn the lessons taught by our past. It’s about completely whiffing when it comes to understanding the optics and the symbolism such a party creates. It’s about not understanding the message such a gathering would send to Jewish groups or to Holocaust survivors…or to the general public, who might miss the subtleties of such a “lesson.”

With any luck, there’s a special place in Hell for those who would fail to understand how some might be offended by a party such as this. Perhaps an eternity of endless sensitivity training and WWII studies would do the trick.

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This page contains a single entry by Jack Cluth published on March 21, 2014 6:12 AM.

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