History becomes extremism

In April 2014, it became known that scientific articles about the partisan movement in the Bryansk region by the German historian Sebastian Shtopper, which he published in his LiveJournal, were recognized as extremist.

April 24, 2014, after next update Federal List of Extremist Materials, it turned out that several articles posted in the "LiveJournal" of the German historian Sebastian Shtopper, by the decision of the Soviet District Court of Bryansk dated 5 November 2013 were recognized as extremist materials and included in the list under 2286.

In the decision of the court to recognize of these materials, the extremist says the following: " ... it is established that in the materials presented on study materials contain signs of justification of aggressive, violent actions of German troops during the Second World War (execution in the occupied the territory of the inhabitants of the village of Khatsun, including young children). Besides, in studied materials, the importance of guerrilla military operations on Bryansk region, partisans and their actions are negatively evaluated. Such a pitch information (with the active use of methods of speech and psychological impact) can contribute to the formation of negative attitudes among readers in relation to social ideals and spiritual values ​​(heroism of ancestors, respect for the veterans of the partisan movement and their military merits) that exist in modern society, the history of the Great Patriotic war in general and the partisan movement in the Bryansk region in particular, negatively influence the public and individual consciousness, worldview, the process formation of socio-cultural identity among young people and its content in more older generation ".

Forced not agree with the conclusion of the Soviet District Court of Bryansk At least some of the records are available and we had opportunity to study them.

Shtopper, employee University. Humboldt in Berlin studies the history of the partisan movement on Bryansk during the Second World War. Some results of my research he publishes in Russian and reprints in the blog. Forbidden materials are scientific articles, provided with numerous references to sources, including Soviet archival documents. plugper introduces into scientific circulation materials from the German archives (in his own translation into Russian) - and, presumably, it was these documents that could cause recognition of texts as extremist.

So, the certificate "Death German echelons!" (having the subtitle "The struggle of the Bryansk partisans against supplies of the Wehrmacht") is a completely academic analysis statistical data on partisan sabotage activities (and additions to partisan messages).

Article "How to kill general (in partisan style) - Part 1" talks about the lighting at that time operations to destroy the German General Bornemann (and, by the way, the author actively refers to the post-Soviet works on the topic, published in the Russian Federation).

Recognized as extremist also a story about the execution by partisans policemen, provided with a translation of the protocol of interrogation of the policeman and translated a German document on the "cleansing" of the village of Khatsun and the execution of civilians, including children.

Signs of an excuse aggressive, violent actions of the German troops "can not be found in the texts managed. Nor did we see any belittling of the importance of guerrilla military operations in Bryansk region and a negative assessment of their actions.

Note also that the solution the court recognized as extremist not only entries in Shtopper's LiveJournal, but also a few comments on them - quite innocent content.

We consider this ban illegal. In the present case, it appears that the Bryansk District Court recognized the historical discussion as extremism and banned the dissemination of the point view, somewhat (not even radically) different from the views of the judge.

Sources

• Judgment in Case No. 2-5727(2013) // Soviet District Court of Bryansk. 2013. November 5.