BERLIN, July 5, 2008

Wax Adolf Hitler Beheaded In Berlin

Protest Marks Display Of Dictator At Opening Of New Madame Tussaud's Museum

    • A figure of former German dictator Adolf Hitler is displayed at the Madame Tussauds Berlin Wax Museum on Thursday, July 3, 2008. Berlin police say a man ripped off the head of the figure shortly after the museum opened to the public on Saturday morning, July 5, 2008. Photo

      A figure of former German dictator Adolf Hitler is displayed at the Madame Tussauds Berlin Wax Museum on Thursday, July 3, 2008. Berlin police say a man ripped off the head of the figure shortly after the museum opened to the public on Saturday morning, July 5, 2008.  (AP Photo/Miguel Villagran)

    • A view of Hitler's bunker at the newly-opened branch of Madame Tussauds in Berlin, July 3, 2008. Criticism in the German media about plans to exhibit the former dictator has brewed for weeks prior to today's opening. Photo

      A view of Hitler's bunker at the newly-opened branch of Madame Tussauds in Berlin, July 3, 2008. Criticism in the German media about plans to exhibit the former dictator has brewed for weeks prior to today's opening.  (AP Photo/Miguel Villagran)

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(AP)  A man tore the head off an Adolf Hitler wax figure at Madame Tussauds' new branch in Berlin in what appeared to be a symbolic protest on the museum's opening day Saturday, officials said.

Police said the 41-year-old man shoved aside two museum employees - one of whom was assigned to protect the exhibit - and slightly injured one of them. He then ripped the head off the likeness of the Nazi dictator.

Police said they arrested the man and he told them he was protesting against the Hitler figure.

The man was only the second visitor to enter the museum, employee Stephan Koch said - adding that he and a colleague had tried unsuccessfully to prevent the assailant from jumping over a table in front of the figure and damaging the effigy.

The Berlin resident now faces an investigation on suspicion of causing damage to property and bodily harm, police spokesman Bernd Schodrowski said.

Koch said the damaged figure has been removed for now, but the museum remained open. Museum official Nathalie Ruoss said organizers would decide Monday what to do about the figure.

The presence of the Nazi dictator's likeness in the new museum led to criticism in German media over recent weeks, but defenders of the plan argued Hitler's role in German history could not be ignored.

Last month, Berlin Mayor Klaus Wowereit urged the museum to consider carefully whether to include Hitler and, if it did, to ensure that he not be shown as a "cult figure."

The museum, which is near the German capital's Brandenburg Gate, pledged to portray Hitler without glorifying him, as he would have looked shortly before his 1945 suicide.

It produced a likeness of the Nazi leader hunched over a desk in a dimly-lit bunker. The figure, unveiled to journalists Thursday, showed Hitler - with deep lines furrowing his forehead - sitting beneath a map of Europe on the wall, monitoring the advance of allied troops from the east and west.

Museum officials offered assurances that visitors would not be able to touch, photograph or pose with the wax Hitler - unlike the rest of the 75 figures in the new collection.

Prominent figures in the two-story exhibition, which spreads out over nearly 27,000 square feet, include German Chancellor Angela Merkel, communist East Germany's longtime leader, Erich Honecker and psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud.

© MMVIII The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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Add a Comment See all 42 Comments
by whiskyrocker July 5, 2008 1:58 PM EDT
jamesm12341

Got that right.(lol) good one
Reply to this comment
by rudy654-2009 July 5, 2008 2:11 PM EDT
Posted by jamesm12341 at 10:34 AM

It''s how all good dicators are remembered. Just remember that!
Reply to this comment
by wineberry July 5, 2008 2:19 PM EDT
More power to the man who ripped the s*b''s plastic head off. Someone should have done that to the real frickin'' freak when he was alive.
Reply to this comment
by toolmangler-2009 July 5, 2008 2:25 PM EDT
Just what made them think this would ''NOT'' happen. There are people still alive that have vivid (painful) memories of that man. If they put it up again, someone will take it down again. (just an observation)
Reply to this comment
by tbweb July 5, 2008 2:36 PM EDT
Adolf Hitler cheated the World and avoided Justice, this symbolic beheading sent a message to Hitlers spirit and his living followers.
Reply to this comment
by nothappyatall July 5, 2008 2:58 PM EDT
FIne thing when the day comes that an artist''s wax work becomes a hated object in a foolish personal "protest", the *** is DEAD and has been for decades, but he IS an important figure in history. The work was only WAX get over it.
Reply to this comment
by fee1free4u July 5, 2008 3:02 PM EDT
Hey where are all the liberals that should be defending Adolf Hitler? Sleeping in late this holiday weekend? Hey Libs, this is HITLER! He was killing all the Jews you hate so much! Why aren''t you on here defending your hero ? McVet ? SgtRDS??? BrianBWB??? Are all the Jew-haters on vacation today? Sheeeesh.
Reply to this comment
by hbevis July 5, 2008 3:19 PM EDT
Hitler was a man obsessed with what he wanted the World to be like. Everyone knows what the man did to the World. I am old enough to remember what he did and who he did it to. It goes without saying that he was fanatic about killing certain groups of people. Some religious groups, Jews, Queers,etc. And yes, I know that Queers are called Gay now. But it was Queer during Hitlers time.

But history shows that the Communist rulers did just as much killing as Hitler did. Russia, China, North Korea, etc. have done just as much killing or more that Germany did.

And to all of these people I would not pour water on any of these groups if they were on fire, PERIOD.
Reply to this comment
by sonofapundit July 5, 2008 3:27 PM EDT
Fee1Free4U said, "Hey Libs, this is HITLER! He was killing all the Jews you hate so much! Why aren''''t you on here defending your hero?" You do realize most Jews in this country are starkly liberal... Clearly you just escaped.
Reply to this comment
by hbevis July 5, 2008 3:29 PM EDT
If Hitler had not set out to kill six million Jews this would not be remembered with so much FUSS. There were more than six million other people killed in the same way that the Jews were killed. During WW-II more than fifty million people lost their lives from all causes.
None of the liberal people want to say anything about what Japan did because the United States ended the war with two Atomic Bombs. They could not beat the United States during the War, so they are simply doing it Economically. And have been for many years.
Reply to this comment
by hbevis July 5, 2008 3:32 PM EDT
In case some people are getting the wrong idea about how I feel about Hitler and the other people that killed so many people, I want to make it Clear that I am and was against anything of this nature.
Reply to this comment
by pvperson July 5, 2008 3:49 PM EDT
Get a break neo-cons, it''s a wax figure and a man not even born during WWII disfigured it. World news story? Vandalism yes, news, no.

Last week I drew horns on a Bush poster, do I get my 15 minutes?
Reply to this comment
by whiskyrocker July 5, 2008 3:54 PM EDT
I bet all the neo-nazis are up in arms over this.
Reply to this comment
by radman5000 July 5, 2008 4:14 PM EDT
I''d like to have the body without the head It would make a great candle
Reply to this comment
by jankebenz July 5, 2008 4:22 PM EDT
Hitlers hatred of jews sparked ww2 and the casualties thereof totaled some 72 million people. That same hatred for the jews will set of ww3, how many lives will it cost this time? Will we ever learn?
Reply to this comment
by cdfoxtrot July 5, 2008 4:28 PM EDT
What a tough guy, ripping the head off of an inanimate object. I thought the exhibit was supposed to be behind glass, so the morons wouldn''t be able to get at it?
Reply to this comment
by cdfoxtrot July 5, 2008 4:35 PM EDT
Hitlers hatred of jews sparked ww2 and the casualties thereof totaled some 72 million people. That same hatred for the jews will set of ww3, how many lives will it cost this time? Will we ever learn?

Posted by jankebenz

Are you the product of the US public school system? The war in Europe that began in earnest in 1939 was the result of many factors, including the crippling reparations Germany had to pay, following WW1. Nothing to do with the Jews!

The war in the Pacific started with Japan''s attack on Pearl Harbor, which many would argue was a result of an oil embargo on Japan that provoked their attack (imagine today if M.East countries cut off oil supplies to the US). Nothing to do with the Jews!

Today, I don''t know what "hatred of the Jews" you''re talking about. There are a lot of people who disagree with the policies of the Israeli government, particularly with regard to the Palestinian people and the Occupied Territories, including many Jews both in Israel and elsewhere. That''s not "hatred of the Jews", either.

If you''re able to read, I suggest you consult with some authoritative history books, to better understand the past.





Reply to this comment
by standncount July 5, 2008 4:56 PM EDT
The Berlin resident now faces an investigation on suspicion of causing damage to property.

I love how reporting is trying to be vague and impartial. It doesn''t work. We can read.
Reply to this comment
by jankebenz July 5, 2008 5:02 PM EDT
Posted by jankebenz

Are you the product of the US public school system? The war in Europe that began in earnest in 1939 was the result of many factors, including the crippling reparations Germany had to pay, following WW1. Nothing to do with the Jews! Posted by cdfoxtrot at 01:35 PM : Jul 05, 2008

Actually I am a product of european schooling,background,family and I''ve been around so to speak. You don''t know what you are talking about, read "meine kampf " and visit a couple of concentration camps to find the truth.Hitler started isolating and purging the jews in Germany long before 1939, and used them as a stepping stone to start the invasions.Are you so blind that you can not see the Arab countries and Islam''s hatred for Israel for the last 60 years.Many people also failed to see the reality of Hitlers plans to control the world till the bombs started falling.
Reply to this comment
by cdfoxtrot July 5, 2008 5:11 PM EDT
jankebenz, dislike for Israeli government policies does not equate to "hatred for Jews". It''s convenient to say it is, of course, as it''s always the trump card when confronted with the ugly realities of the illegal occupation of the Palestinian territories.

Hitler wouldn''t have had the power he had, had it not been for the terrible economic conditions in Germany in the late 1920s and early 1930s -- much of it due to the penalties imposed on Germany after its defeat in WW1. No one disputes his hatred for Jews, and others, but he barely managed to successfully grab power. The mistakes made by the Allies post-WW1 created the scenario for Hitler to gain power.

Making parallels between Hitler''s times and today is a favorite past-time of the neo-cons, but most people are intelligent enough to see through them.



Reply to this comment
by clarencebev-2009 July 5, 2008 5:15 PM EDT
Hitler set the perfect example of what to do when you are dealing with a sick mind. Burn yourself up immediately.
Reply to this comment
by hbevis July 5, 2008 5:20 PM EDT
cdfoxtrot at 01:35 PM

I think that what "jankebenz" is talking about is the
General Population of Germany hating the JEWS. The Jews are very good at business and saving money, etc. There are plenty of people that still hate them because of their ability to do things and get on top.
Reply to this comment
by trbundro1277 July 5, 2008 5:23 PM EDT
Hitlers hatred of jews sparked ww2 and the casualties thereof totaled some 72 million people. That same hatred for the jews will set of ww3, how many lives will it cost this time? Will we ever learn?
Posted by jankebenz at 01:22 PM : Jul 05, 2008
+ report abuse
*** Your math is off! 72 million people weren''t killed in world war 2! Maybe if we weren''t on the wrong side of world war one, world war two wouldn''t have had to happen! Treaty of Versilles led to world war 2. If I was german, I would have hated the rest of the world for that document too!
Reply to this comment
by trbundro1277 July 5, 2008 5:26 PM EDT
Someone must have thought it was Dubya.
Posted by nsSherlock1 at 01:36 PM : Jul 05, 2008
+ report abuse
*** Too funny! The Europeans really hate Bush! Heck, I''d rather Hitler be our leader in US rather than Bush. Atleast Hitler didn''t let big business control everything in Germany the way big business controls everything here under Bush! I know atleast Hitler wouldn''t allow 12 million illegals to get amnesty! When will we have American for Americans?
Reply to this comment
by hurtmorons July 5, 2008 5:55 PM EDT
trbundro1277 - Moron!
Whats the matter with you boy? Did your parents drop you on your head or something?
Reply to this comment
by cdfoxtrot July 5, 2008 6:15 PM EDT
Some of you on this board are about as dumd and stupid as anyone I have ever seen. You can disagree with Bush all you want, but camparing him to Hitler is beyond ignorance.

He is the President of this country and deserves the respect as President. Just wait some day you might get this same garbage thrown right back in your face.

Two polls one by th WSJ and the other by SIENA College shows Bush with a higher rating than Bill Clinton.

Posted by dmw1167

Bush deserves NO respect, since he clearly does not respect the American people or the US constitution. He should never have been president and usurped power via the US Supreme Court in 2000. I sincerely doubt that he has a higher approval rating than Bill Clinton with any credible source. I agree with President Carter when he says that the moron-in-chief is the WORST PRESIDENT IN HISTORY.


Reply to this comment
by guadalcanal3 July 5, 2008 6:30 PM EDT
Too bad they didn''t behead Hitler in real life.
Reply to this comment
by cfin5 July 5, 2008 6:52 PM EDT
Too bad they didn''''t behead Hitler in real life.

Posted by guadalcanal3 at 03:30 PM : Jul 05, 2008---- Yeah, he was too much a coward to face that fate for the evil that he made the world to suffer.
Reply to this comment
by deacon20081 July 5, 2008 7:06 PM EDT
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1256448/posts

Saudi Government Daily Editorial:''Bush the Nazi''

An interesting read
Reply to this comment
by jankebenz July 5, 2008 7:17 PM EDT
Your math is off! 72 million people weren''''t killed in world war 2!

Posted by trbundro1277 at 02:23 PM : Jul 05, 2008

I back up my "math" with proof.I can also easily prove anyone who claims ww2 was not started by Hitlers agenda to rid the world of jews, wrong

Total human losses
The total estimated human loss of life caused by World War II was roughly 72 million people, making it the deadliest, and most destructive war in human history. The civilian toll was around 47 million, including 20 million deaths due to war related famine and disease. The military toll was about 25 million, including the deaths of about 4 million prisoners of war in captivity. The Allies lost approximately 61 million people, and the Axis powers lost 11 million.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Reply to this comment
by jankebenz July 5, 2008 7:30 PM EDT
Too funny! The Europeans really hate Bush! Heck, I''''d rather Hitler be our leader in US rather than Bush. Atleast Hitler didn''''t let big business control everything in Germany the way big business controls everything here under Bush! I know atleast Hitler wouldn''''t allow 12 million illegals to get amnesty! When will we have American for Americans?

Posted by trbundro1277 at 02:26 PM : Jul 05, 2008

Sounds just like hitler! arianism and nazi ideology
Reply to this comment
by sociald63 July 5, 2008 8:58 PM EDT
to the morons comparing hitler to bush...get a life and go back home to your mama''s garage.
Reply to this comment
by cdfoxtrot July 5, 2008 10:11 PM EDT
posted by cdfoxtrot

I agree with President Carter when he says that the moron-in-chief is the WORST PRESIDENT IN HISTORY.

I pity anyone who compares themself to Carter, it is agreed by every poll ever taken that Carter was the worst president this country ever had. He is the laughing stock of the world.

Posted by dmw1167

Absolutely untrue. President Carter is highly respected globally and his views gain tremendous coverage as such. The current excuse for a president IS, however, widely ridiculed by just about everyone. HE''s the laughing stock and embarrassment, every time he opens his ignorant mouth.


Reply to this comment
by reptilian96 July 5, 2008 11:10 PM EDT
WAR CRIMES ONLY BRING MORE CRIMES. WE CAN''T BLAME PEOPLE FOR IT OR ANYONE FOR THAT MATTER. ONLY THE SURVIVOR KNOWS WHAT HAPPENED TO HIM OR HER. OPRESSION, SUPPRESSION WILL NOT WORK, IT WILL ONLY ADD MORE FUEL TO THE FIRE. FOR EXAMPLE: IRISH REPUBLICAN ARMY, PLO AND ALL. WHAT MAKE ME SICK IS UNNECESSARY WAR. WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO DIPLOMACY? I HAVE SUGGESTION HOW TO WIN WAR WITHOUT CIVILIANS DEATHS. "WIN THE PEOPLE AND YOU WIN THE WAR" ITS AS SIMPLE AS THAT. IF YOU CAN KILL PEOPLE, YOU CAN FIND WAYS TO WIN PEOPLE TOO.
Reply to this comment
by rafterman1 July 5, 2008 11:15 PM EDT
===Total human losses
The total estimated human loss of life caused by World War II was roughly 72 million people, making it the deadliest, and most destructive war in human history. The civilian toll was around 47 million, including 20 million deaths due to war related famine and disease. The military toll was about 25 million, including the deaths of about 4 million prisoners of war in captivity. The Allies lost approximately 61 million people, and the Axis powers lost 11 million.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia===
Posted by jankebenz

The official toll of WWII most cited by historians is around 50 million. I wouldn''t consider Wiki the end all-be all of evidence.
Reply to this comment
by rafterman1 July 5, 2008 11:18 PM EDT
===At least Hitler didn''t let big business control everything in Germany===
Posted by trbundro1277

Well, yeah, he sort of did, which is what a fascist is, in part. German business had a big say in government. Krupp, Messerschmitt, etc and the government were definitely holding hands with the Nazis.

Reply to this comment
by l8c6 July 5, 2008 11:26 PM EDT
I agree with President Carter when he says that the moron-in-chief is the WORST PRESIDENT IN HISTORY.

I pity anyone who compares themself to Carter, it is agreed by every poll ever taken that Carter was the worst president this country ever had. He is the laughing stock of the world.

Posted by dmw1167

That is a very very very gross distortion. One of the ultimate lies of the 3rd Reich Wing republican party. Cheney was present during the Nixon years and returned to the private corporate world like satan being caged for a few years still spewing bile with all the right wing scum bags who are bringing this country down to an level that will permit a king, dictator or an oligarch to take over.

The right wing created the image of a failed Carter. The economy was in shambles after tricky D*ick Nixon and the debt of the Vietnam War.

The right wing special interest party of dictatorship will lead to much suffering again and the right wing special interest corporate kingdom elite media will gladly ride the next Democrat into the ground just like the corrupt diabolical so*ns*of*bi*tch*es have in the past all the while the minions claiming the media is too liberal.
Reply to this comment
by l8c6 July 5, 2008 11:29 PM EDT
===Total human losses
The total estimated human loss of life caused by World War II was roughly 72 million people, making it the deadliest, and most destructive war in human history. The civilian toll was around 47 million, including 20 million deaths due to war related famine and disease. The military toll was about 25 million, including the deaths of about 4 million prisoners of war in captivity. The Allies lost approximately 61 million people, and the Axis powers lost 11 million.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia===
Posted by jankebenz

The official toll of WWII most cited by historians is around 50 million. I wouldn''''t consider Wiki the end all-be all of evidence.

Posted by Rafterman1




And to hear a Jew talk you''d never think any other people died at the hands of the Nazis.
Reply to this comment
by vietnam21 July 6, 2008 2:20 AM EDT
WWII most cited by historians is around 50 million.

Where the hell do you get this number.
Reply to this comment
by vietnam21 July 6, 2008 2:25 AM EDT
I agree with President Carter when he says that the moron-in-chief is the WORST PRESIDENT IN HISTORY.

Carter or Clinton ?
Reply to this comment
by nealandertha July 6, 2008 9:07 AM EDT
Did the perpetrator make love to the eye socket of the skull like a good Nazi?
Reply to this comment
by whiskyrocker July 6, 2008 9:47 AM EDT
**** HITLER!
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