Has anyone heard of Manfred Roeder and Haus Richberg?

[aquart]

Today my mother received three disturbing letters from a friend, telling us her 12 year old daughter is no longer with her, because she was told she is a bad influence, and she has left her in Germany at the Haus Richberg address, would we please write to her so she won't feel so alone? She kept repeating that the reason she left her in Germany is too long to tell in a letter. The child is Japanese/Argentian born in the United States.

I googled Haus Richberg and I was horrified. But the translations are rocky and I don't understand why a 12 year old would be there.

<http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=%22haus+Richberg%22&btnG=Google+Search>

Is there anyone who can tell me anything about this place that will lessen my fear?

[acmejack]

1. Neo Nazism in Roeder's case. He is a nasty Anti Semite...

ROEDER, MANFRED

Manfred Roeder is not a newcomer to German's neo-Nazi
movement. A founder of several radical groups, Roeder was
sentenced to 13 years imprisonment for charges related to the
bombing of refugee hostels in 1980 in which two residents were
killed. Ron Furey and Richard Eaton interviewed Roeder on March
8, 1993. Roeder spoke of his role with the P.L.O. and other
terrorist groups, addding that he received financial assistance
for his work from both American and South African sources.
Roeder claimed that an "earthquake" would soon take place inside
the German government. He, furthermore, stated that only a
revolution can solve Germany's current woes. Roeder's interview
also featured a litany of Jewish conspiracies.

Roeder is a strong supporter of Wolfgang Juchem (see
separate entry) whom, he says, visited him regularly while he was
in prison. Although he feels Juchem is a very good man, Roeder
told Ron and Richard that outright violence is still the best
cure for Germany's ills.

Among Roeder's credits is a group calling itself the
Deutsche Buergerinitiative (Germay Citizen's Initiative), an
extremist group dating back to 1971. (Request fascism SWC.oprep)

http://www.ibiblio.org/pub/academic/political-science/fascism/dossier/roeder.manfred

Against the background of increased Nazi activity in the "new" and reunited Germany, the emergence of virulent Nazism in the Bundeswehr takes on a particularly sinister note (the Bundeswehr is the German army.) This program examines the relationship between convicted Nazi terror bomber Manfred Roeder and the Bundeswehr. The perpetrator of the bombing murder of two immigrants, Roeder was selected to lecture at an elite German officers academy in 1995. In addition, the Bundeswehr donated a number of surplus military vehicles to Roeder’s organization—a practice that was not atypical of the Bundeswehr’s behavior towards other Nazi organizations. The Bundeswehr was the benefactor of an organization of Waffen SS veterans, which also received surplus army vehicles. Support for Roeder’s activities on behalf of the state reached to the highest levels of the German government, which has attempted to cover up the affair by discrediting critics of the army’s behavior. Other Nazi elements had been requisitioned to lecture at the officers academy as well.) In the past, Roeder has served as a liaison with Nazi and fascist groups in other countries, including the United States. The segment also contains discussion of the role of Third Reich veterans in the post World War II German military.

An outspoken German Nationalist was sentenced Thursday to two years in prison without parole for "denying" the Holocaust. Manfred Roeder, 70, was sentenced for having referred to the Holocaust as "humbug" during an August 1998 election rally in the eastern German city of Stralsund.

[acmejack]

2. Here is an article from Der Spiegel with both names in it.

http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=de&u=http://www.luebeck-kunterbunt.de/seite3/Roeder2.htm&sa=X&oi=translate&resnum=2&ct=result&prev=/search%3Fq%3DManfred%2BRoeder%2Band%2BHaus%2BRichberg%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D%26client%3Dopera%26rls%3Den%26hs%3DlTf

[aquart]

4. A rootless 12 year old girl has been left at that address.

A girl who never had a settled home has been left with those people. In a country where she doesn't speak the language and she is of a different race.

And I don't know what to do.

[Karenina]

7. That child's life is in grave danger.

That this horrific situation got to you, Aquart, is a signal. I'll see what, if anything, I can do to help.

[reorg]

10. why don't you just write her?

That's, after all, what you were asked for, isn't it?

I don't think the "different race" is a problem here. Even the most idiotic neo-Nazi racists won't harm a twelve-year-old girl of Japanese/Argentinian heritage, why on earth would they? Most people in Germany speak at least a little bit English, so language would also not be a terrible problem.

This "Haus Richberg" seems to have been used as a hotel or guesthouse until it was acquired by the current owners, here is a postcard with pictures:

http://www.delcampe.de/page/item/id,0016933415,var,GASTSTATTE-_-HAUS-RICHBERG-3579-SCHWARZENBORN-AM-KNULL-AK-1964-FX766,language,G.html

It seems to be a meeting place for the radical right now - but there is nothing immediately dangerous to this girl. And given that her mother was doing research for Larouchies, she is probably used to the oddities and shenanigans of sectarian fringe groups. It is probably not a good idea to leave impressionable youngsters with these people for a long time, but I really don't see why they would mean immediate harm, and the scenery is nice up there, I know it. If I were you, I would just write her a nice letter and chill ...

[aquart]

12. What constitutes "immediate harm" to a lonely, nubile 12 year old?

She's flirtatious, wears make-up, and can pass for 16.

But, then, when she was 8 she disappeared while her mother was in America. Turns out she took a train to Tokyo by herself from the other end of Japan and showed up at her aunt's house.

[reorg]

14. hm ...

she did this when she was 8? That is simply amazing. Sounds like she may be well able to hold her own, I guess. At least I would hope so.

With immediate harm I meant a situation like what was reported from Chile a while ago about the Colonia Dignidad, where they held juveniles away from their parents, enforced strict discipline and prohibited contact with the outside world. As far as I remember, sexual abuse was also part of it. Maybe I'm wrong, but I don't see this happening in a small town in northern Hesse in Germany, at least not without anybody noticing.

[aquart]

16. Neo-nazis notice child abuse?

And report it to whom? Their leader?

Do you see them ratting out their own group to the authorities they despise? Because I actually don't.

[reorg]

17. I don't know if they do

I'm not privy to how Nazis in particular treat or abuse their children. But child abuse is not dependent on the political affiliation of the perpetrators, even the most insane political nut is not necessarily worse than your average neighbour in this respect.

From what I know about Nazis of the Roeder variety, they are socially very conservative and don't approve of sex with or among minors - if I'm not mistaken, Roeder's first political activities in the sixties were anti-porn campaigns. There may be different attitudes prevailing among Nazi skinheads and affiliated subcultures, of course.

All I can say - as someone who has lived his entire life in this region (Hesse, Germany) - is that I know of no reports or stories indicating that right wing extremists have abducted children or that a pattern of right-wing-radical child abuse exists, or that Nazi youths are more promiscuous than others.

If in a small village like Schwarzenborn a child was held against her will, or if she was mistreated, I would suppose neighbors will notice. Also, there are plenty of opportunities to get away from such a place (if she is not locked up, that is).

[Hav]

3. .

I don't get it. The mother was told she is a bad influence for the kid or the other way around?
And the things one can read via googling about Roeder or Haus Richberg don't seem to make sense, as well, considering the heritage of the kid...I can only assume or hope that this is another Haus Richberg.
But if that's not the case, one shouldn't write her, one should get the kid out there. I don't know what to make out of that story.

[aquart]

5. The letters were handwritten and hard to read.

I know the mother has done research for the LaRouchies. I know the child dropped out of school a year ago in Japan.

Right now, we're worried that the mother is suicidal.

And if you think this little bit of the story is far-fetched, I gotta tell you......tip of the iceberg.

[Hav]

8. .

Well, I can only hope that this Haus Richberg is not the kind of thing what we read from google searches. That's what worries me, it's so creepy.
Anyways, there are way better institutions where the mother could have asked for help with her kid. There would have been enough homes or official and legit institutions, supported and/or run by the state. Simply calling the police would have have been enough as they know how to inform the proper places to take good care of the kid.

Was her address similar to this: D‑34639 Schwarzenborn/Knüll?

Have you thought about forwarding your letters to someone who is capable of doing a better research or who would know which people they need to contact? Maybe some journalists?

[aquart]

9. That was the address.

I haven't thought about anything much. This just came up. I emailed a former classmate whose wife has UN connections. Right now, I'm just trying to find out the facts without freaking to high heaven.

I've been given an email address which can reach the mother...and I know I'm not supposed to yell NEONAZIS MAKE LOUSY BABYSITTERS! Beyond that, I'm not sure of anything.

I have been frightened for this child a long time. But there was nothing I could do but let her know she was always welcome when I saw her.

[reorg]

6. Manfred Roeder is a notorious neo-Nazi with a long prison career

for instigating arson and murder, and for denying the holocaust. He must be in his late seventies now.

I don't know anything about this address, but according to some of these articles it seems to be the house owned by Roeder's wife, and is located in a tiny town called Schwarzenborn, in a mostly rural area in the north of Hesse, between Homberg (Efze) in the north and Alsfeld in the south, some 200 km north-east of Frankfurt.

[aquart]

11. That's what I can't tell, if he's still connected to the house.

But under what circumstances would they tell a mother to go and leave her child there?

[reorg]

13. he probably still is, but may be in prison right now

According to the German Wiki he received two sentences for "Verunglimpfung des Staates" (disparagement of the state(?)) in 2004 (10 months) and 2005 (not specified) and started to do time in May 2005.

I have no idea, of course, what the background of this situation with the child may be. I very much doubt, though, that Nazis recruit their followers by keeping children away from their mothers. This may be a rural location, but it is not exactly isolated and the village is small. The community does not seem to like Roeder (they wouldn't allow him to participate in gymnastics courses for the elderly, for instance). So, if there is some kind of abuse taking place it will probably come out.

[rumpel]

15. can you please tell me

why the child ended up in Germany and how the mother and child ended up being in contact with Roeder?

I also may be able to look into it. If you prefer you can PM me, too.