Reuters
The 13th century “Jew Sow” on the town church depicts a caricature of a rabbi lifting the tail of a sow and two Jewish children suckle on the teats.
Germany’s top court ruled on Tuesday that a medieval antisemitic sculpture can stay on the facade of a church in the eastern town of Wittenberg, rejecting an appeal by a Jewish plaintiff who has for years argued it is an insult to all Jews. The 13th century “Judensau” or “Jew Sow” on the town church depicts a caricature of a rabbi lifting the tail of a sow and two Jewish children suckle on the teats. Pigs are considered unclean in Judaism. At a time when politicians are warning about rising antisemitism in Germany, the ruling is a reminder of widespread anti-Jewish sentiment in the Middle Ages.
