Prince Liechtenstein calls today's Germany a 'Fourth Reich'

Sep 11, 2008 16:13
German Jews accuse Liechtenstein prince of trivializing Nazi atrocities

Germany's Jewish community sharply criticized Liechtenstein's head of state Thursday, accusing him of trivializing Nazi atrocities after his comments appeared to describe modern-day Germany as a "fourth" Reich.

It was the latest development in the fractious relations between the tiny Alpine principality and its much larger neighbor to the north.

In a letter sent by Liechtenstein's Hans-Adam II to the Jewish Museum in Berlin, the prince declared that his nation "has already outlasted three German empires in the past 200 years," and added that "I hope we will also outlast a fourth." The letter was reprinted in Thursday's edition of Swiss newspaper Tages-Anzeiger.

"Describing the Federal Republic of Germany as a Fourth Reich places it in one line with the Third Reich, and trivializes the crimes of the Nazis in an irresponsible manner," museum spokeswoman Eva Soederman told The Associated Press.