Authorities, churches and Jewish communities in Germany's southern state of Bavaria have agreed that anti-Semitic statues and carvings dating back to the Middle Ages shouldn't be removed from churches, an official said Tuesday.
The Bavarian government's point man against anti-Semitism, Ludwig Spaenle, said that relics such as the "Judensau," or "Jew pig," sculptures that still adorn some churches should be explained "visibly and easily recognizably" where they stand, the news agency dpa reported.
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Bavaria's association of Jewish communities agreed on the approach with representatives of Christian churches and state officials, according to dpa.
There are around a dozen such relics in Bavaria, such as one on the cathedral in Regensburg. Spaenle said those considering the matter had decided unanimously against their removal, and argued that if the statues were removed from their context it would be hard to explain them. They might also lose their function as a warning against anti-Semitism, he said.
