German stork ruffles neo-Nazi feathers
PR dla Zagranicy
Peter Gentle
31.08.2011 12:31
Anti-Nazi cartoon character Stork Heinar is causing a stir in Germany’s eastern state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania as it ridicules an anti-Polish immigrant campaign by a far-right party.
As the neo-Nazi National Democratic Party (NPD) is plastering anti-Polish posters across the region to woo voters ahead of the local parliamentary elections this Sunday, a social democratic youth organization has rolled out the big guns to match their adversaries, which includes the intervention of the anti-Nazi stork.
The image of the lanky, avian, moustachioed, broody Hitler lookalike usually hangs right next to posters by the NPD, seeking to repeat the success of the ballot held four years ago, when the party brandishing anti-immigrant slogans in the pre-election campaign won 7.5-percent support.
At present, the neo-Nazi party enjoys no more than 4-percent backing in the Mecklenburg-Western Pomeranian state.
Since its creation in 2008, the stork has become a symbol of anti-neo-Nazi resistance, featuring in comic books such as Mein Krampf (My Cramp), playing on the title of Adolf Hitler’s infamous publication), leaflets, street art and Internet websites.
The stork has been warmly welcomed especially by local businessmen, who see the success of the NPD as a black mark against the region’s ability to attract tourists. (ab/pg)