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By Jordan King
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A German shop owner is under investigation for inciting hatred after he put a sign up on his store front banning Jews from entering, saying "I just can't stand you."
Hans Velten Reisch put the poster up in the window of his shop in the Duburg district of the city of Flensburg on Wednesday, Clemens Teschendors, a spokesperson for the City of Flensburg told Newsweek.
The sign read: "Jews are banned from here! Nothing personal. No antisemitism. Just can't stand you."
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Reisch told German newspaper Bild that he printed the poster after he "saw what the Jews were doing in the Gaza Strip" and "lost his temper."
Newsweek has contacted the local police and the Flensburg Public Prosecutor's Office, via email, for comment.
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Why It Matters
The sign's language has evoked memories of Nazi-era boycotts and discriminatory laws. The outrage comes at a time of rising antisemitic incidents in Germany.
Germany's antisemitism watchdog group RIAS recorded 4,782 antisemitic incidents in Germany in 2024—an 83-percent increase that came after Israel launched its military offensive in the Gaza Strip, following Hamas' October 7 attack in 2023.
The acts ranged from graffiti to attempted arson to relativisation or denial of the Nazi Holocaust. Around half of these were was linked to anti-Israel activism.
What To Know
Several residents reported the sign to police on Wednesday night. Officers removed it and now Reisch is being investigated for incitement to hatred.
"We're absolutely shocked that this could have happened here," Teschendors said.
Reisch, 60, spoke to German newspaper Bild on Thursday, saying: "I watch the news every evening. And when I saw what the Jews were doing in the Gaza Strip, I lost my temper and printed out the poster," adding: "I shouldn't have addressed all Jews—only those who support the Gaza war."
Teschendors told Newsweek that while the window sign has been taken down, there is a sign inside Reisch's shop that "police cannot do anything about because it is inside private property." It is unclear what exactly this sign says.
Police do not think Reisch is part of any organized group, Teschendors said, adding that he seems "a little weird."
Multiple figures have spoken out against the sign, including Israel's ambassador to Germany Ron Prosor, who said in a post on X that it is "just like back then in the streets, cafés, and shops of the 1930s."
"That's exactly how it started – step by step, sign by sign. It's the same old hatred, just in a different font," he said.
Teschendors told Newsweek how Flensburg Mayor Fabian Geyer has addressed residents of the city, telling them that this is "a reminder of the darkest chapters of Germany's history and has absolutely no place in this city."
What People Are Saying
City of Flensburg spokesperson Clemens Teschendors told Newsweek: "We stand behind the Jewish community, we have a big Jewish community in Flensburg."
Duburg district co-chairman Falk Bednarski told local outlet Förde.news: "Those who spread antisemitism oppose our fundamental democratic values. Our responsibility is clear: Hatred must never again become the norm."
Israeli ambassador to Germany Ron Prosor said on X: "The 1930s are back! In Flensburg, 'Jews forbidden' is hanging in the shop window again – in the year 2025. Just like back then in the streets, cafés, and shops of the 1930s.
"That's exactly how it started – step by step, sign by sign. It's the same old hatred, just in a different font. After the signs came shattered glass, fire, and destruction. Today, people act as if it's 'nothing personal.'"
What Happens Next
Local prosecutors are assessing whether the shop owner can be charged with incitement under the German Criminal Code.
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