Authorities in northern Germany have filed a criminal complaint against a shopkeeper in Flensburg after he displayed a sign in his store window that read “No Jews Allowed,” a move officials described as a direct attack on democratic values.
The sign immediately drew widespread condemnation and legal action from Schleswig-Holstein’s culture minister Dorit Stenke and the state’s antisemitism commissioner, Gerhard Ulrich. In a joint statement, they accused the shopkeeper of inciting hatred and called the sign “a frightening signal” and “an attack on the principles of our free coexistence.” They emphasized that antisemitism poses a serious threat to democracy and “must not be tolerated in any form.”
Newsweek identified the shopkeeper as Hans Velten Reisch. His sign reportedly read: “Jews are banned from here. Nothing personal. No antisemitism. Just can’t stand you.”
Die 30er-Jahre sind zurück!
In Flensburg hängt wieder „Juden verboten“ im Schaufenster – im Jahr 2025. Wie damals in den Straßen, Cafés und Geschäften der 1930er.
Genau so hat es angefangen – Schritt für Schritt, Schild für Schild. Es ist der gleiche alte Hass, nur in einer… pic.twitter.com/seZmJ4OPsv
— Ambassador Ron Prosor (@Ron_Prosor) September 18, 2025
Police removed the sign from the storefront on Wednesday, citing concerns over public order and the potential for escalating tensions. However, according to Euro News, the sign remains displayed inside the store.
Reisch defended his actions in an interview with the German newspaper Bild, claiming he “lost his temper” after seeing “what the Jews were doing in the Gaza Strip.”
Flensburg Mayor Fabian Geyer strongly condemned the incident, calling the sign a chilling reminder of “the darkest chapters of Germany’s history” and declaring that it “has absolutely no place in this city.” Local residents have responded with boycott calls.
Despite the inflammatory message, Reisch told reporters he does not consider himself a Nazi.