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5.3.35. From 20 - 22 April 1990 Irving attended the first revisionist conference in Munich as its star speaker. On the evening before the planned conference Irving arrived in Munich, where he met Althans and Höffkes. Together they went to '...the dinner Althans "organised." It ended with a Trinkspruch [toast], spoken by him, to a certain statesman whose 101st birthday falls today [i.e. Hitler]. All rose, toasted; I had no glass, as I don't drink.'<275> Amongst the guests that evening were Dr. Staeglich, Carola Ott, Karl Phillip, Karl Höffkes, Alex Baaser, Armin Scherer, Ingrid Weckert, W.D.Kempkens, Prof Schrocke, E. Franke Griersch, Tony Hancock, Arnulf Fröhlich, Daniel Knecht, Lothar Fontes, H. Forster, and Fabian Nledermeier.

5.3.36. The conference the next day had been organised by Althans's DJBW and Philipp.<276> Under the slogan `Truth Frees' [` Wahrheit macht Frei'], leading German RWEs and revisionists spoke in the Löwenbräukeller in Munich, including Althans, Raimund Bachmann,: Phillip, Helmut Schroke, and Irving. <277> In the audience were Remer, Ahmed Rami, Roeder; Staeglicl‹, Florence`Rost van Tonningen and Anthony Hancock, members of the IHR, and other members of the GdNF and the FAP. Security was provided by Worch of the NL.<278> Kühnen was observed as present by a local journalist.<279> A DJBW flyer for the heralded the congress as the `breakthrough of revisionism' [`Durchbruch des Revisionismus'] and gave the title of Irving's as `Germany's way to unity and neutrality - an end to the victors' propaganda!' ['Deutschlands weg zur Einheit and Neutralitaet - Schluss mit der Siegerpropaganda!'].<280>

5.3.37. An invitation to the conference made the synthesis of revisionism and this RWE faction clear.

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<275> Diary entry, 20 April 1990.
<276> Diary entry, 19 March 1990; diary entry, 18 April 1990. See also Hundseder, p. 203.
<277> The slogan apparently was coined by Irving in his Berlin press conference of 3 October 1989.See Karl Philipp, 'David Irving - Wahrheit macht frei' in Code, December 1989, pp. 51-54, p. 52.
<278>Rainer Fromm, Am rechten Rand Lexikon des Rechuradikalismus (Marburg, 1994), 2nd ed., pp. 19-20; Drahtzieher im braunen Netz, p. 21.
<279> 'Zeugenvemehmung', Peter Kopf, 30 May 1990.
<280> `David Irving spricht! Geschlossene Grossveranstaltung des Deutschen Jugendbildungswerkes, 11-17 Uhr München 21 April 1990.' n.d. See also Irving to Christian Worch, 14 March 1990 'I have a super speech prepared' ['Ich habe einen knorken Vortrag in Vorbereitung'].

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The days of defensive revisionism are over. Revisionism (especially the Holocaust complex and the connected propaganda lies) like indiscriminate discussions about this theme in the media have achieved a scientific basis. Rethinking will be the beginning of the second revolution this century. DAVID IRVING, world renowned, respected but controversial, is only the tip of the iceberg.<281>

5.3.38. This synthesis is striking and for some commentators the congress signalled the breakthrough of the GdNF within the fascist scene in Germany.'<282>

5.3.39. Despite tight security. and an internal ban on filming or recording, Irving's speech was partially filmed by journalist Michael Schmidt.<283> A fragment of the speech is contained in his documentary. Irving was filmed saying,

[Commentator fades out, Irving fades in]...in Dachau. in the early post-war years was a dummy, so the gas-chamber facilities that one can see as a tourist in Auschwitz, were built by the authorities in Auschwitz after the Second World War. The evidence is available, the facilities have been chemically investigated. We have now published the document [the Leuchter Report] in the whole world. And I can tell you ladies and gentlemen, that will stir things up. That will scare the wits out of our enemy.<284>

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<281> 'Die Zeiten des Verteidigungsrevisionismus sind vorbei. Der Revisionismus (insbesondere der Holocaustkomplex and die damit verbundene Lügenpropaganda) sowie die undifferenzierte Auseinandersetzung mit dieser Thematik in den Medien, hat sich ein Wissenschafliches Fundament geschaffen. Umdenken wird der Anfang der zweiten Revelution dieses Jahrhunderts werden. DAVID IRVING, weltbekannt, geachtet aber auch umstritten, ist nut die Spitze des Eisberges.' Ewald Althans, Deutsches Jugendbildungswerk, 'Rundbrief announcing a forthcoming meeting with Irving, n.d.
<282> Drahtzieher im braunen Netz, p. 26.
<283> 'From experience and for grounds of security no audio or video recordings are allowed to be made!' ['Aus Erfahrung and Sicherheitsgruenden dürfen keine Tonband oder Videoaufnahmen mitgeschnitten werden!`] Flyer, 'Mündige brauchen keinen Vormund,' Deutsches Jugendbildungswerk, n.d. Nevertheless it would seem that Irving had a copy of the speech in his possession. See diary entry, 8 December 1990. 'Long talk [with Philipp]. He says that Ewald Althans has received a DM2500 fine notice, because he should have known what David Irving was likely to talk about in Munich on April 21. So that is what the charge is. Ho, ho! The wording is based entirely on the newspaper version (Auschwitz ein Atrappe). But we have the actual tape... ! (I hope). I must now transcribe it verbatim.'
<284> '...in Dachau, in den ersten Nachkriegsjahren eine Attrappe war, so sind die Gaskammeranlagen die man jetzt als Tourist in Auschwitz sehen kann, von die Behoerden in Poland nach dem zweiten Weltkrieg errichtet worden. Die Beweise liegen vor, die Anlagen sind chemikalisch untersucht worden. Die Dokumente haben wit jetzt in der ganzen Welt veröffentlicht. Und ich kann Ihnen sagen, meine Damen and Herren, das wirbelt einen Staub auf. Das wird unser Feind das Hören and Sehen vergehen.' Videocassette 213, ,David Irving: 1. Dispatches; 2. This Week; 3. Unidentified; 4. Dateline' In 1990 Irving wrote that he possesed a audio-cassette recording of this speech, which has not been released to the Defence. See Irving to Dr. Michael Hubertus von Sprengerl 5 December 1990.

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5.3.40. Some members of the audience wore donkey. masks and hung notices around their necks which read `I still believe in the Holocaust - the ass that I am' [`Ich Esel glaube an die Vergasungshige'] echoing a similar action carried out in 1978 in Hamburg involving Erwin Schoenbom, Edgar Geiss, and further members of the ANS.

5.3.41. At the end of his speech Raimund Bachmann called on the audience to take to the streets, and 250 people followed him with the intention of marching to the Munich Feldherrenhalle, scene of Hitler's unsuccessful 1923 putsch, until stopped by the police.<286> In the course of the illegal demonstration Irving was arrested, interviewed, and freed on bail. Irving himself later claimed that he had been accidentally caught up in the demonstration.<287> Althans on the other hand claimed that Irving had had an active part in it.<288> In video footage of the march Irving is clearly seen marching with a main body of the demonstration, if not at it's head.<289>

5.3.42. In a letter of June Christian Worch made clear to Irving who had organised the march, and who Irving was dealing with. The letter concerned Irving's refusal to appear at Wunsiedel [the annual Rudolf Hess March] in August, because of the presence of Michael Kühnen.<290> Worch saw himself obliged to forcefully remind Irving who his allies in Germany were.

The people, who after the hall event on the 21 April in Munich, made sure that things got moving despite a police `special commando', that a demonstration happened at all, were Kühnen's people. Ewald Althans and Daniel Knecht or Althans' steward Alex or my local

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<285> Drahtzieher im braunen Netz, p. 13.
<286> Ibid., pp. 21-22.
<287> See Irving to Dr. Michael Hubertus von Sprenger, 5 December 1990.and .diary entry 21 April 1990. See also document 1323, Ursula and Christian Worch to Michael von Sprenger, 17 February 1991.
<288> See DVU [Wetzel] to Irving, 22 March 1991; Irving to Ewald Althans, 26 March-1991.
<289> See videocassette 213, `David Irving: 1. Dispatches; 2. This Week; 3. Unidentified; 4. Dateline' For a photo of Irving walking with the march see also Zündel's Power, Special Report, 18 May 1990, p. 2.
<290> Diary entry, 9 June 1990.'... supper, at Woyrsch's [Sic] request, if Michael Kühnen's presen[c]e at Wunsiedel would affect my attendence; K.[ühnen] apparently intends to speak as well. I said it would totally prevent my attendance. He says Woyrsch and K.[uehnen]want to come to London to talk to me in private about it. I: waste of time, and besides they will be followed by every Geheimdienst [secret service] involved and the overall result will probably be to prevent my getting entry to the US next time, etc. Höffkes also is violently against the idea, warns about damage to my name just as Munier warned in March.' See also diary entry, 25 June 1990. `...Karl Philipp phoned, Spiegel published two pages on me, "ausgezeichnet." ["excellent"] But we must make plain I am not speaking at Wunsiedel, because Michael Kuhnen [Sic] will be there.' See further diary entry, 26 June 1990. `...Höffkes phoned, worried by Spiegel reference to K'hnen and its effect on Frey and DVU, with whom he has today spoken. (Yesterday I sent reader's letter to Spiegel denying l am speaking at Kühnen function ....) ...phoned DVU, assured them I am not speaking at Wundsiedel as Kühnen is there.'

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comrade Thomas Wulff, the leader of our local party and myself, could not have forced it alone. Of the 200 people in the "Löwenbräukeller" who set off in the direction of the Feldherrenhalle, at least 30 or 40 were prepared to march if it came to the crunch, even if the police or somebody else broke their skulls. Three-quarters of them were Kühnen's people. Without them, 200 nice, good people would have allowed themselves to be stopped by 12 policemen until the police had managed to call in enough reinforcements to nip any march in the bud. It was the small radical minority who simply set off and gave the lead to the hesitant mass in their bourgeoisie caution who needed them to set themselves off. [...]

As most of the active revisionists of today were still concerning themselves with their bourgeoisie careers or at the most once a year attended the large rallies of the DVU [i.e. Irving] or got together at the weekly back-room regular's tables of the NPD, it was Michael Kühnen who, together with the sadly in the mean-time dead Erwin Schoenborn, put his men in donkey masks in 1978 and armed them with placards which read "I am an ass and still believe that Jews were gassed in Auschwitz" and demonstrated in the Hamburg city centre ...(where he like myself was promptly sentenced to a few months imprisonment.)<291>

53.43.Irving himself wrote to Althans on 24 April 1990, complaining merely about the 'optical' problems of the congress. `That was a good event and I congratulate you on the success. My only criticism: the skinheads and the flags. It only serves our cause up to the enemy on a plate.' He ended 'What are we doing next?' [`Was machen wir als nächstes?'].<292>

5.3.44. Before flying back to London Irving breakfasted with Stäglich, Tony Hancock, and

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<291> 'Die Leute. die am 21. April in Muenchen nach der Saalverstaltung auf der offenen Strasse angesichts eines "Sonderkommandos" der Polizei dafuer gesorgt haben, dass die Dinge in Fluss kamen, dass überhaupt eine Demonstration zustande kam, waren Kühnens Leute. Ewald Althans and Daniel Knecht oder Ewalds Ordnerdienstleiter Alex oder mein hiesiger Kamarad Thomas Wulff, der Vorsitzende unserer Ländespartei, und ich hätten das alleine nicht zwingen können. Von den über zweihundert Menschen , die in "Löwenbräukeller" aus in Richtung Feldherrenhalle losgezogen sind, waren allenfalls dreissig oder vierzig bereit auf Biegen and Brechen loszumarchieren, auch wenn ihnen dabei von der Polizei oder sontswem der Schaedel eingeschlagen wuerde. Und das waren zu drei Vierteln Kühnens Leute.' [...]/'Als ein Gutteil der heute aktiven Revisionisten noch an ihrer buergerlichen Karriere bastelten oder allenfalls einmal jaehrlich die Grosseranstaltungen der DVU besuchten oder sich zu den woechentlichen Hinterzimmer-Stammtischen der NPD zusammenfanden, war es Michael Kühnen, der in Zusammenarbet mit dem inzwischen leider verstorbenen Erwin Schoenborn 1978 seine Maenner in Eselkopfmasken steckte and mit Plakaten mit der Aufschrift "Ich bin ein Esel and glaube noch, dass in Auschwitz Juden vergast wurden" ausruestete, um in der Hamburger Innenstadt... zu demonstrieren. (Wofuer er ebenso wie ich selber prompt zu ein paar Monaten Gefaengnis verurteilt wurde.)' Christian Worch to Irving, 11 June 1990.
<292> 'Das war eine gute Veranstaltung, and ich gratuliere Ihnen fuer das Gelingen. Meine einzige Kritik: die Skinheads and Flaggen - das liefert unsere Sache nur den Gegner auf dem Praesentierteller.' Irving to Ewald Althans, 24 April 1990.

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Ursula and Christian Worsch.<293>

5.3.45. Irving's June tour of `central Germany' was again organised in conjunction with Althans, Zündel, and Philipp.<294> This second tour of east Germany was fuelled by a feeling of euphoria that the revisionist cause was on the march. '...Philipp phoned.. . says we are being swamped (überrollt) by the Auschwitz debate now, just as we were by the Wiedervereinigung [reunification]., He will press Althans on organising a DDR [GDR] speech tour, perhaps Eisenach. I suggest title, "Ausflug in die Wahrheit."["Excursion in the truth"] <295>

5.3.46. On the 5 June Irving held a press conference in Dresden attended by only three journalists and went on to speak in the Kulturpalast again, organised by an unidentifiable `German-European Community of the Persecuted of Totalitarian Systems' ['Deutsch-Europaeische Gemeinschaft der Verfolgten totalitaerer Systeme', Leipzig/M–nich].<296> Irving was accompanied by a journalist from. the German magazine Der Spiegel.<297> Some 150 people attended, but the success of february's Dresden appearance was not to be repeated. `The audience awoke after an hour, became begeistert [enthusiastic], and then to my consternation sections of it began getting up and walking out. Evidently I trod on some susceptibilities.

5.3.47. On 6 June Irving spoke in the congress hall in Leipzig, again under the auspices of the `German-European Community of the Persecuted of Totalitarian Systems'.<299> After the meeting had had to switch to a smaller room in view of how few people were expected, Irving wrote: `I am philosophical: my job is just to speak, not to organize.' Much to Irving and Philipp's embarrassment Otto Ernst turned up at the same time as a photographer from Der Spiegel was present. `Fortunately the photographer seems not

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<293> Diary entry, 22 April 1990.
<294> Diary entries, 30 April 1990, 1 May 1990, 17 May 1990, 18 May 1990, 2 June 1990, 3 June 1990, 10 June 1990. `...sent 2000 notices to friends with the dates and places you gave me in the hope to direct some people to you.' Ernst Zilndel to Irving, 18 May 1990. 'Before flying tomorow for Mitteldeutschland...' Irving to Ernst Zündel, 2 June 1990. There was discussion between Irving, Althans and Philipp about whether a camera team from Spiegel TV to accompany the tour. See diary entries, 30 April and 1 May 1990.
<295> Diary entry, 1 May 1990.
<296> Flyer, `David Irving: Ausflug in die Geschichtliche Wahrheit,' n.d; Diary entry, 5 June 1990.
<297> Diary entry, 5 June 1990.
<298> Ibid.
<299> Flyer, 'David Irving: Ausflug in die Geschichtliche Wahrheit,' n.d.

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to recognize him. Philipp tells Remer the meeting is cancelled, and he leaves.<300>` On the 7 June Irving spoke in the Haus der Kultur in Gera, again for the `German-European Community of the Persecuted of Totalitarian Systems.<301> The hall had been rented by Juergen Kraut.<302> On 8 June Irving visited Höffkes in Essen and the next day Irving recorded several taped interviews with Althans to be marketed by Höffkes.<303>

5.3.48. In August 1990 Irving briefly stopped in Germany, before travelling on to Switzerland and France.<304> On 1 August Irving met Wolf Riidiger Hess and Alfred Seidl for dinner in Munich.<305> On 2 August Irving spoke in Stuttgart on `German history in the dock' ['Deutsche Geschichte auf der Anklagebank,'] under the auspices of `The Partyless National Opposition that Screams for Freedom' [`Die parteifreie, nationale Opposition, die nach Wahrheit schreit'] and Carl-Arthur Btihring.<306> It had been planned that Irving would speak at Wunsiedel on 18 August, but after Irving's me-or-him demand, Christian Worch turned him down in favour of Michael Kühnen (see below).<307> On 27 August was briefly back in Germany again and met Althans and 'guests' including Reinhard Rade.

5.3.49.Irving toured Germany again in September. On 2 September Irving spoke in Weinheim on `contemporary history under the microscope' [`Zeitgeschichte auf dem Prufstand.'] The meeting was organised by NPD leader Günter Deckert.<309> Deckert

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<300> Diary entry, 6 June 1990.
<301> Flyer, `David Irving: Ausflug in die Geschichtliche Wahrheit,' n.d.
<301> Diary, entry, 7 June 1990.
<302> Diary entry, 8 June 1990. 'Meanwhile last night and this morning I had t[y]ped suggested questions for Althans to fire at me on Roosevelt, Churchill, Hitler, Stalin etc ....recorded six hour long or 90 minute tapes, for which Höffkes, as per [c]ontract to be sent to me, will pay me DM3,000. They will be marketed in a book form by Höffkes. I am most impressed by his professionalism.' Diary entry, 9 June 1990.
<304> Diary entry, 1 August 1990; diary entry, 3 August 1990; diary entry, 4 August 1990.
<305> Diary entry, 1 August 1990.
<306> Flyer, 'Einladungskarte. David Irving spricht in Stuttgart,' n.d.; diary entry, 6 July 1990; diary entry, 14 July 1990; diary entry, 2 August 1990. `...Karl Philipp phoned, then Zündel, who is with him. Z.[uendel] has a good feeling about August 2, having seen the crew; they have booked an alternative hall.' Diary entry, 24 July 1990. 'o' <307> Christian Worch to Irving, 11 June 1990.
<308> `...dinner with Althans at Drei Loewen [Munich]. Planning for future. He says November Munich date is now off - just like that.' Diary entry, 27 August 1990. See also Diary entry, 29 August 1990.
<309> Günter Deckert, flyer, `David Irving kommt,' n.d.; diary entry, 2 September 1990. '...Karl Philipp phoned, would I be prepared to speak at Weinheim to about 600 people on September 2? Fee DM2000 plus book sales? I said, yes. (Thema: 1 September, Kriegschuld.) Organiser is Oberstudienrat Günter Deckert.' Diary entry, 16 April 1990: 'Phoned Höffkes, asked him to send a batch of my German tapes to Deckert for the 2nd.' Diary entry, 27 August 1990. See also diary entries 28 April 1990 and 8 August 1990. See further Günter Deckert to Irving, 28 April 1990; Günter Deckert to Irving, 1 July 1990; Irving to Günter Deckert, 14 July 1990; Günter Deckert to Irving, 19 August 1990;

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was to be later imprisoned for chairing this meeting.<310> On 7 September Irving held a meeting arranged through Walther Soyka and Althans.<311> On 8 September Irving was to have spoken to the Rhein-Ruhr Circle of Friends [`Freundeskreis Rhein-Ruhr'] in Duisburg on `Moscow's new policy towards Germany' [`Moskaus neue Deutschlandpolitik'], but spoke in Oberhausen instead.<312> On 9 September Irving recorded more tapes with Höffkes and Althans.

5.3.50. On 3 October Irving flew to Germany and back in an attempt to be heard at the trial of Frank Grieksch.<314>

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<310> Irving to The Daily Telegraph, 13 April 1997.
<311> Diary entry, 9 August 1990; diary entry, 17 August 1990.
<312> His latest thesis: Germany, with the strength of its currency, will attain that "which Hitler tryed to militarily in June 1941.' [`Seine aktuelle These: Deutschland werde mit der Stärke seiner Mark das erreichen "was Hitler im Juni 1941 militärisch versucht hat"']. Flyer, `Einladung zu einem Vortrag von David Irving: "Moskaus neue Deutschlandpolitik",' n.d.. See also diary entries, 6 and 8 September 1990.
<313> Diary entry, 9 September 1990.
<314> Diary entry, 3 October 1990.