Ancient city's Nazi past seeps out after stabbing
PASSAU, Germany: The stabbing of the police chief here in December provoked a nationwide furor because the victim, Alois Mannichl, was known as a staunch opponent of neo-Nazis, who were immediately blamed for the attack.
What had become an instant symbol of out-of-control right-wing violence quickly turned into an investigation under the microscope. Here in this ancient city, which traces its history back to Roman times and earlier, the case and its aftermath have dredged up a reputation for ties to Nazism that civic leaders had worked hard to shed.
Mannichl has been known for his hard line against the extreme right, but earned the particular enmity of neo-Nazi groups after ordering the opening of the grave of a prominent former Nazi, Friedhelm Busse, after his death last July. Busse was buried with a flag bearing a swastika, which is outlawed in Germany, and the police removed the flag as evidence.
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What had become an instant symbol of out-of-control right-wing violence quickly turned into an investigation under the microscope. Here in this ancient city, which traces its history back to Roman times and earlier, the case and its aftermath have dredged up a reputation for ties to Nazism that civic leaders had worked hard to shed.
Mannichl has been known for his hard line against the extreme right, but earned the particular enmity of neo-Nazi groups after ordering the opening of the grave of a prominent former Nazi, Friedhelm Busse, after his death last July. Busse was buried with a flag bearing a swastika, which is outlawed in Germany, and the police removed the flag as evidence.