Riot in Radolfzell: Historian calls for Kratt's honorary citizenship to be revoked!

Riot in Radolfzell: Historian calls for Kratt's honorary citizenship to be revoked!

An open letter from historian Markus Wolter is causing a stir in Radolfzell. He turned to the local council to discuss August Kratt's honorary citizenship. Kratt was acting mayor of the then SS garrison town from 1942 to 1945 and has been an honorary citizen since 1962 after he saved the town from destruction by hoisting a white flag. However, Wolter sees the previous assessment of Kratt's exposure to the Nazis as inadequate, as Seemoz reports.

The controversies surrounding Kratt are not new: he was an active member of the NSDAP since 1933 and also supported the SS. During his term in office he was put under pressure, particularly after the deputy mayor of Singen was executed by the SS two days earlier. His involvement in organizations such as ADEFA, which boycotted the Jewish clothing industry, illustrates his deep involvement in National Socialist ideology.

Accusations and demands

Wolter criticizes a report by Dr. habil. Carmen Scheide, which presents Kratt's role in National Socialism as unproblematic. He argues that this assessment did not take into account significant archival sources and secondary literature. Wolter, who has been intensively studying the history of National Socialism in Radolfzell since 2017, has proven that the city administration carried out forced sterilizations in which Kratt was actively involved. This sheds new light on the achievements for which he was posthumously honored.

"The city administration never tires of pointing out that there is ongoing research into Kratt's Nazi past. However, despite his profound commitment to National Socialism, his honorary citizenship was not revoked," Wolter said in his letter. He calls for a review of the recommendation of the AK Remembrance Culture, which suggests maintaining honorary citizenship. The decision on this is scheduled for June 24, 2025.

A shadow of the past

The memorial plaque on the cathedral fountain celebrates Kratt's “rescue” of the city, but neglects the perspectives of the actual victims of National Socialism. Personalities like Berta and Elisabeth Welschinger, who were murdered in the euthanasia program, remain unmentioned. Public perception in Radolfzell focuses more on Kratt's supposed heroic deeds than on the fates of those who suffered under the regime, as Seemoz describes.

A current survey on the German culture of remembrance shows that there are large gaps in knowledge in society and that there is a growing need for a “closure” on the Nazi past. While 42.8% of those surveyed emphasized the importance of remembering the Nazi crimes, an overwhelming majority believe that it is time for a critical examination of the past to draw a line. This ambivalent attitude towards the Nazi past is also reflected in political perception: More than half of those surveyed consider the AfD to be unelectable in the context of German history, which shows that the discussion of these issues is controversial not only locally, but also at the national level, as Tagesschau reports.

The Radolfzell local council's decision to grant August Kratt honorary citizenship will send an important signal. Can we come to terms with a former NSDAP member as an honorary citizen while the voices of the victims continue to be pushed into the background? At a time when many people want to focus on the pressing issues of the present, learning from the past remains an essential task that we should not shirk.