German court rules to allow antisemitic church carving to remain in place

By AFP 14 June 2022, 2:04 pm

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The 'Judensau' sculpture on the facade of the Town Church in Wittenberg, Germany, January 14, 2020. (AP Photo/Jens Meyer)

Germany’s highest court rejects a case calling for a local church associated with Protestant firebrand Martin Luther to remove an ancient antisemitic carving from its wall.

Widely known as the “Judensau” (Jews’ sow), the 13th-century bas relief on the church in eastern German town Wittenberg depicts a rabbi peering into a pig’s anus, while other figures suckle milk from its teats.

Although the court agreed that the content of the carving was offensive, it found that the church had taken sufficient steps to counter this by installing a memorial and information board.