They're going to display a wax figure of Lord Voldemort?

Usually with wax museums, what goes wrong is that the figures slowly slump over with time. The one in Hot Springs, Arkansas has all sorts like that- Jesus on the cross with arms angled down, gunfighters seemingly about to make peace.

Why are they going to make a wax figure of that invisible leprechaun who always wets your bed at night?

Bathia_Mapes: They're going to display a wax figure of Lord Voldemort?

I can't believe that's what I thought.

Bathia_Mapes: They're going to display a wax figure of Lord Voldemort?

Yeah... that's exactly what I thought.

Bathia_Mapes: They're going to display a wax figure of Lord Voldemort?

Yeah, it was the first thing I thought of, too.

But actually - isn't it illegal to display swastikas in Germany? One thing that could go wrong is that they won't be able to make it historically accurate and legal at the same time...

I for one want to see what one of the most influential people in the 20th century looked like.

Napoleon was an eye opener.

Ron Paul Revere: CarolynLibrarian: But actually - isn't it illegal to display swastikas in Germany? One thing that could go wrong is that they won't be able to make it historically accurate and legal at the same time...

I believe there's an exception for historical context.

I hoped so, but that made too much sense to be right. ;)

Getting ass-reamed with a pitchfork by Satan? That would probably be acceptable.

Put his figure next to Charlie Chaplins' (in the Great Dictator costume). Include gunshot wound and cyanide drool.

How about putting him in a promo for BLU-RAY?
Vornung: Nicht sicher für Arbeit (new window)

But it's ok to make a wax figure of Pol Pot, Mao Zedong, and other commie bastards.

Someone said the thermostat never did work...

Bathia_Mapes: They're going to display a wax figure of Lord Voldemort?

me too.

They should have put him in the context of when he almost got blown up. Now that would be an exhibit.

CarolynLibrarian: Bathia_Mapes: They're going to display a wax figure of Lord Voldemort?

Yeah, it was the first thing I thought of, too.

But actually - isn't it illegal to display swastikas in Germany? One thing that could go wrong is that they won't be able to make it historically accurate and legal at the same time...

I think its legal if its historical, which this would be. Learning about it is, according to a german friend, required, and I am sure unedited images are included in some of that required educational experience.

The Madame Tussaud's here in Amsterdam is not that far from Anne Franks house and somehow I dont think there would be as much of an uproar over it. Although it is at Dam Square which is pretty much right by where the highest density of coffeeshops and brothels are, so maybe that has some impact on people caring about a candle.

Bathia_Mapes: They're going to display a wax figure of Lord Voldemort?

Along with everyone else, that was my first thought, too.

I am waiting for the wax figure of Mohammed.

dwalder: How about putting him in a promo for BLU-RAY?
Vornung: Nicht sicher für Arbeit (new window)

So funny. Wasn't there one of these about the Yankees?

You know who else was in a wax mu....

/ OOps
//Nevermind

Bathia_Mapes: They're going to display a wax figure of Lord Voldemort?

No, the other he who must never be named ...

Swampthing in Korea: I am waiting for the wax figure of Mohammed.

Diddling or not diddling a 9 year old?

Historical context after all, right?

Did anyone mention that they thought of Voldemort, yet?

/oh, all right

Anyways,

Germans can disown Hitler all they want - but he is an extremely important figure in German history as much as Bismarck, Barbarossa, and Luther.

It's worse to deny one's history than to learn it and get past it.

Bathia_Mapes: They're going to display a wax figure of Lord Voldemort?

Twenty-seconded.

Swampthing in Korea: I am waiting for the wax figure of Mohammed.

Hooray!!! I'm not the only one who thought it.

huszar!: Anyways,

Germans can disown Hitler all they want - but he is an extremely important figure in German history as much as Bismarck, Barbarossa, and Luther.

It's worse to deny one's history than to learn it and get past it.

I concur. Take the bad with the good. Although we're ones to talk, have you seen a school history book? You'd think the US never did anything wrong in it's entire history.

He fixes the cable?

Anyone care to see what happens when you put that in an oven?

Well, there WAS an Adolf Hitler, and he DID do some fairly important (if morally repugnant and hideously destructive) things in Europe during the 20th Century.

Should we pretend he never existed and that none of the things he did happened? I think some people have exactly that idea.

"tasteless, disgusting and in bad style,"

thats what he is, was and will always be.
we are talking about Voldemort now right?

zephyrkate: Anyone care to see what happens when you put that in an oven?

Darn. I thought there was a link there.

hillbillypharmacist: Usually with wax museums, what goes wrong is that the figures slowly slump over with time. The one in Hot Springs, Arkansas has all sorts like that- Jesus on the cross with arms angled down, gunfighters seemingly about to make peace.

I imagined David Sedaris reading that.

Gyrfalcon: Well, there WAS an Adolf Hitler, and he DID do some fairly important (if morally repugnant and hideously destructive) things in Europe during the 20th Century.

Should we pretend he never existed and that none of the things he did happened? I think some people have exactly that idea.


eh, the holocaust industry needs to make an outrage out of this. Stalin and Zhukov killed 2-3 million Germans, and I doubt their wax figures would even make the news if someone complained about it.

'follow the money'...

daevczen: zephyrkate: Anyone care to see what happens when you put that in an oven?

Darn. I thought there was a link there.

Crap- sorry, was going for emphasis and didn't think. Links are all bolded in my browser.

quiet_american: 'follow the money'...

What are you implying?

huszar!: It's worse to deny one's history than to learn it and get past it.

I completely agree, however denial of the Third Reich is certainly not the case in Germany. At least two years of high school education in Germany is devoted to the Third Reich. Not so much to its battles, dates, and figures, but more to the "how" and "why" this could have ever happened. In Germans, this results in a constant shame and anger against that time period, and while Germans want to remove any reminder to it from their daily lives, that doesn't at all mean that it's removed from their conscience.

The general public gradually started to allow public discourse about Hitler, resulting in both historic and comedic movies. I guess that's reflected in TFA by the fact that most Germans would be OK with showing a wax Hitler. I guess the reason why politicians strongly disagree are mostly to be explained by their desire to disagree with whatever Hitler did and disclaim: "Look, I hate Hitler and am completely different from him!" I surely hope that's not a case of Reaction Formation...

Bathia_Mapes: They're going to display a wax figure of Lord Voldemort?Was sadly disappointed to see it was really Hitler.

I came for the Lord Voldemort references.

Farkers, you rarely disappoint. Bravo.

Don't mention the war.

Is Hitler still 'you-know-who' after all this time?

I was thinking bin laden, which would be a real kick in the head for a Muslim.

DontBeStupid: Is Hitler still 'you-know-who' after all this time?

I was thinking bin laden, which would be a real kick in the head for a Muslim.

I was thinking it was he who shall not be named. That might be enough to get me to go to one of these museums.

Bathia_Mapes: They're going to display a wax figure of Lord Voldemort?

Also thought this.

I think it is illegal to do the general nazi walking and saluting routine as well, there are still people who are quite touchy about the subject. As well as people who are trying to forget about it.

And for zymurgist: Link (new window) (video is squashed for some reason)

hillbillypharmacist: Usually with wax museums, what goes wrong is that the figures slowly slump over with time. The one in Hot Springs, Arkansas...

Putting a wax museum in a hot spring probably wasn't a well-thought-out cunning plan to begin with...

I actually thought of Hitler first, but then as I moved the mouse to click on the comments link, the possibility of the Weeners being Voldemort entered my brain and I was not disappointed.

I been filter owned!

Thursday, 7 February, 2002, 08:40 GMT
Wax Hitler back in the open

Waxwork models of Winston Churchill and Adolf Hitler
Churchill and Hitler face to face again
A waxwork of Adolf Hitler has been brought out from behind a glass case to face the public for the first time in 60 years.

The Madame Tussaud's model was put behind glass in 1942 to protect it from attacks from members of the public.

The waxwork has been reinstated in the Grand Hall next to a model of Winston Churchill at the London tourist attraction.

The decision was taken to put it back in the open, despite visitors to the museum still regularly spitting at it.

We constantly had to wipe spit off the front of the glass case
Madame Tussaud's spokeswoman

The model was first placed in the Grand Hall in 1933 when Hitler became the German head of state.

It became a target for hate attacks ranging from spitting, egg-throwing and physical damage.

On one occasion it was daubed with paint and a label was hung around its neck, proclaiming Hitler a mass murderer.

It was put behind glass after workers found that someone had stabbed it with pins, leaving a series of pin-marks around its heart.

A spokeswoman for Madame Tussaud's said no other waxwork had ever attracted the level of hatred and abuse the Hitler model had endured.

Diane Moon added: "Someone tried to push over Saddam Hussein during the Gulf War and there was an outcry when he was first unveiled, but no other waxwork has been attacked like Hitler.

"We constantly had to wipe spit off the front of the glass case."

The model was put in the Grand Hall on Wednesday and survived its first day intact, but faces the half-term holiday next week.

Strangely, the waxwork was one of the few figures which survived the German bombings in the Blitz.

In 1996 a worker reported that its hair appeared to be growing.

Emotional attraction

Ms Moon said the decision to move the waxwork next to the model of Churchill was part of a package of planned improvements.

"Madame Tussaud's is about much more than the people featured in the attraction, it's about the emotions that those people provoke," she said.

"The way people have reacted to Hitler in the past is an extreme example of that.

"At the time guests' passions were so inflamed that the damage inflicted made it impractical for us to leave the figure out in the open.

"Now it's time to remove the glass and place Hitler back in context - going head-to-head with the leader who stood fast against him against all the odds, Winston Churchill."

from a BBC article on Hitler at the London Madame Tussaud's.

Freschel: But it's ok to make a wax figure of Pol Pot, Mao Zedong, and other commie bastards.

Who, after all, speaks to-day of the annihilation of the Armenians? -Hitler

Jews do great PR work which is why Hitler will be the most evil man for many centuries to come. All this despite the fact that there were arguably people more evil than he alive at the same time.

When I first read the headline the name that popped into my head was Bush, then I thought Hitler! Guess the two of them are almost interchangable in some cases.

Seems apropos:

Sie werden sich hin setzen, Sie werden ruhig sein, Sie werden nicht beleidigen Deutschland! (pops)