After the anti-Semitism scandal at the beginning of the Documenta art exhibition in Kassel, the CDU/CSU parliamentary group in the Bundestag called for a “complete clarification” of the background. “We don’t want something like this to happen again,” said CDU MP Gitta Connemann in parliament on Thursday.

With a motion for a resolution, the Union relied on “transparent and consistent answers” ​​to the scandal. Among other things, the CDU and CSU called for an independent commission of inquiry. However, the Union application was rejected by the government majority of SPD, Greens and FDP as well as the left. An application by the AfD, whose MP Marc Jongen spoke of an “incomprehensible scandal” at the Documenta, also fell through.

The deputies were largely unanimous in condemning the portrayals. At the most important exhibition for contemporary art after the Venice Biennale, a work with anti-Semitic imagery was discovered after the opening in mid-June. The artwork “People’s Justice” by the Indonesian art collective Taring Padi was then taken down.

From the point of view of the CSU MP Dorothee Bär, the scandal has damaged the reputation of the documenta. She called for personal consequences, especially in Kassel. Helge Lindh (SPD) pointed out that anti-Semitism is not about sensitivities, but about facts, facts and history that show that anti-Semitism kills. Erhard Grundl (Greens) described anti-Semitism as an attack on human dignity that will never be tolerated.

The left MP Petra Sitte (left) missed a functioning curation at the documenta. According to Anikó Merten (FDP), after a “scandal with announcement”, nobody takes responsibility “for the control disaster”. The processing is already in full swing.

Like other MPs, she referred to plans by Minister of State for Culture Claudia Roth. The Greens had demanded changes in the structure of the Documenta. Basically, Berlin wants more influence, otherwise there should be no more money.