Thies Christophersen
Encyclopedia
Thies Christophersen a farmer by upbringing, was a prominent German
Holocaust denier
.
s at the Auschwitz concentration camp.
Along with Christophersen's own writings, that brochure also contains further contributions and forewords from other Holocaust deniers, including the former lawyer and convicted violent criminal Manfred Roeder
(classified as a terrorist in Germany) and the former judge Wilhelm Stäglich
. Since 1993 the brochure has been included on a list of materials that may not be distributed to young people, as ruled by Germany's Federal Department for Media Harmful to Young Persons, due to its Holocaust-denying content. The foreword by Manfred Roeder was characterised by that department as inflammatory anti-Semitic propaganda, which constitutes an infringement of Germany's Volksverhetzung
law (incitement to hatred).
in the Wehrmacht
, was deployed as a "special leader" by the Waffen-SS
during World War II
, and was stationed during this time at the pest control facility Rajsko, located three kilometres from Auschwitz. Christophersen claimed that, being at such a location, he would have been sure to know about any killings but was never witness to, or made aware of, any such events.
Christophersen, who was briefly a member of Germany's far-right NPD
party and also the CDU
party, forged close contacts, both domestically and internationally, with other proponents of the "Auschwitz lie" such as Stäglich, Roeder, Udo Walendy
, Robert Faurisson
and Florentine Rost van Tonningen
, and with Stille Hilfe
("Silent Help"), an organisation assisting neo-Nazi activists. Christophersen appeared as a witness in the trial of Ernst Zündel
in Canada
. He was sentenced to prison several times for a number of crimes, including incitement to racial hatred.
Christophersen eventually fled the country, first to Belgium
, and later to Kollund in Denmark
where he spent 10 years. There he established the Kollund-Verlag (Kollund Publishing House), which distributed denialist material throughout the world. He appeared in two videos, in which he claimed that it was a privilege for prisoners to be detained in Auschwitz. According to Christophersen they were treated excellently, and were given the opportunity to be deployed to work groups (in reality forced labour) appropriate to their professions.
In the film Die Auschwitz-Lüge und ihre Folgen ("The Auschwitz Lie and Its Consequences") he was interviewed by Ernst Zündel.
His brochure Die Bauernschaft ("Farming Community"), in which Christophersen disseminated further Holocaust-denying material, was seized by the authorities several times, the last being in 1994. In 1995 the distribution rights for this set of publications passed to Ernst Zündel in Canada, but he relinquished this just a year later. In the same year Christophersen settled in Switzerland
, but was deported in 1996.
Christophersen died on 13 February 1997 in Molfsee
near Kiel
.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
Holocaust denier
Holocaust denial
Holocaust denial is the act of denying the genocide of Jews in World War II, usually referred to as the Holocaust. The key claims of Holocaust denial are: the German Nazi government had no official policy or intention of exterminating Jews, Nazi authorities did not use extermination camps and gas...
.
Christophersen and the "Auschwitz Lie"
The widely-known phrase "Auschwitz lie" (German Auschwitzlüge) can be traced to Christophersen, whose 1974 brochure of that name disputed the existence of gas chamberGas chamber
A gas chamber is an apparatus for killing humans or animals with gas, consisting of a sealed chamber into which a poisonous or asphyxiant gas is introduced. The most commonly used poisonous agent is hydrogen cyanide; carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide have also been used...
s at the Auschwitz concentration camp.
Along with Christophersen's own writings, that brochure also contains further contributions and forewords from other Holocaust deniers, including the former lawyer and convicted violent criminal Manfred Roeder
Manfred Roeder
Manfred Roeder is a former lawyer and Wehrmacht soldier, and a prominent Holocaust denier.- Life :Roeder attended a National Political Institute of Education in Plön. After the Second World War he was for a time a member of Germany's CDU party...
(classified as a terrorist in Germany) and the former judge Wilhelm Stäglich
Wilhelm Stäglich
Wilhelm Stäglich was a World War II army officer, later a financial judge in Hamburg, and a prominent Holocaust denier....
. Since 1993 the brochure has been included on a list of materials that may not be distributed to young people, as ruled by Germany's Federal Department for Media Harmful to Young Persons, due to its Holocaust-denying content. The foreword by Manfred Roeder was characterised by that department as inflammatory anti-Semitic propaganda, which constitutes an infringement of Germany's Volksverhetzung
Volksverhetzung
Volksverhetzung is a concept in German criminal law that bans the incitement of hatred against a segment of the population. It often applies in, though it is not limited to, trials relating to Holocaust denial in Germany...
law (incitement to hatred).
Career
Christophersen, a privatePrivate (rank)
A Private is a soldier of the lowest military rank .In modern military parlance, 'Private' is shortened to 'Pte' in the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth countries and to 'Pvt.' in the United States.Notably both Sir Fitzroy MacLean and Enoch Powell are examples of, rare, rapid career...
in the Wehrmacht
Wehrmacht
The Wehrmacht – from , to defend and , the might/power) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the Heer , the Kriegsmarine and the Luftwaffe .-Origin and use of the term:...
, was deployed as a "special leader" by the Waffen-SS
Waffen-SS
The Waffen-SS was a multi-ethnic and multi-national military force of the Third Reich. It constituted the armed wing of the Schutzstaffel or SS, an organ of the Nazi Party. The Waffen-SS saw action throughout World War II and grew from three regiments to over 38 divisions, and served alongside...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, and was stationed during this time at the pest control facility Rajsko, located three kilometres from Auschwitz. Christophersen claimed that, being at such a location, he would have been sure to know about any killings but was never witness to, or made aware of, any such events.
Christophersen, who was briefly a member of Germany's far-right NPD
National Democratic Party of Germany
The National Democratic Party of Germany – The People's Union , is a far right German nationalist party. It was founded in 1964 a successor to the German Reich Party . Party statements self-identify as Germany's "only significant patriotic force"...
party and also the CDU
Christian Democratic Union (Germany)
The Christian Democratic Union of Germany is a Christian democratic and conservative political party in Germany. It is regarded as on the centre-right of the German political spectrum...
party, forged close contacts, both domestically and internationally, with other proponents of the "Auschwitz lie" such as Stäglich, Roeder, Udo Walendy
Udo Walendy
Udo Walendy is a German Holocaust denier who also disputes Germany's guilt for the Second World War.- Life :...
, Robert Faurisson
Robert Faurisson
Robert Faurisson is a French academic who is a Holocaust denier. Faurisson generated much controversy with a number of articles, published in the Journal of Historical Review and elsewhere, as well as various letters he has sent to French newspapers , which deny various aspects of the Holocaust,...
and Florentine Rost van Tonningen
Florentine Rost van Tonningen
Florentine Rost van Tonningen was the wife of Meinoud Rost van Tonningen, 2nd leader of the National Socialist Movement in the Netherlands and President of the National Bank during the German occupation...
, and with Stille Hilfe
Stille Hilfe
Die Stille Hilfe für Kriegsgefangene und Internierte abbreviated Stille Hilfe is a relief organization for arrested, condemned and fugitive SS members, similar to the veterans' association, set up by Helene Elizabeth Princess von Isenburg in 1951...
("Silent Help"), an organisation assisting neo-Nazi activists. Christophersen appeared as a witness in the trial of Ernst Zündel
Ernst Zündel
Ernst Christof Friedrich Zündel is a German Holocaust denier and pamphleteer who was jailed several times in Canada for publishing literature which "is likely to incite hatred against an identifiable group" and for being a threat to national security, in the United States for overstaying his visa,...
in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. He was sentenced to prison several times for a number of crimes, including incitement to racial hatred.
Christophersen eventually fled the country, first to Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
, and later to Kollund in Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
where he spent 10 years. There he established the Kollund-Verlag (Kollund Publishing House), which distributed denialist material throughout the world. He appeared in two videos, in which he claimed that it was a privilege for prisoners to be detained in Auschwitz. According to Christophersen they were treated excellently, and were given the opportunity to be deployed to work groups (in reality forced labour) appropriate to their professions.
In the film Die Auschwitz-Lüge und ihre Folgen ("The Auschwitz Lie and Its Consequences") he was interviewed by Ernst Zündel.
His brochure Die Bauernschaft ("Farming Community"), in which Christophersen disseminated further Holocaust-denying material, was seized by the authorities several times, the last being in 1994. In 1995 the distribution rights for this set of publications passed to Ernst Zündel in Canada, but he relinquished this just a year later. In the same year Christophersen settled in Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
, but was deported in 1996.
Christophersen died on 13 February 1997 in Molfsee
Molfsee
Molfsee is a municipality in the district of Rendsburg-Eckernförde, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. It is situated on the river Eider, approx. 5 km southwest of Kiel.Molfsee is the seat of the Amt Molfsee....
near Kiel
Kiel
Kiel is the capital and most populous city in the northern German state of Schleswig-Holstein, with a population of 238,049 .Kiel is approximately north of Hamburg. Due to its geographic location in the north of Germany, the southeast of the Jutland peninsula, and the southwestern shore of the...
.