Pensioner from Germany destroys swastikas for decades

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In Berlin, lives 71-year-old resident Irmel Mense-Schramm, who became known throughout Germany by the fact that more 25 years travel around the country and destroy all the swastika in the form of graffiti, stickers and posters.

The pensioner said that it all started after she moved to Berlin from her native Stuttgart. At that time, she worked as a teacher in a correctional school. One working day, on her way to work, she saw a man putting up a poster “Free Rudolf Hess.” Rudolf Hess is a Nazi criminal who was Hitler's assistant. Inside, Irmele was indignant at this course of affairs, because the paster, first of all, showed disrespect for the history of his country. The German woman reproached herself for not reacting and tearing down the poster. Returning home, Irmele saw that the poster was still hanging and tore it down.

After this incident, the German began to notice fascist images in the form of stickers, graffiti and emblems everywhere.

“74 successful operations to eliminate hatred in their country over 718 years - I think this is a good result,” Irmele said proudly.

Eleven years ago, when Irmele retired, she set a goal to cleanse Germany of the fascist images that constantly appear on the country's streets.

“My day started to look like this. I wake up and have a very large breakfast to reduce stress throughout the day. No chicken eggs. Then I start planning small trips around Berlin and large tours around the country. There is especially a lot of work on the eve of big events and elections, but you always need to be on your guard. I read the news, study the latest photographs of train stations around the country. And over the course of 30 years, I have developed an instinct. When I come to another city for cleaning, most often I actually guess the right places. When I'm on a business trip, sometimes I have to get up even at 4 in the morning. I get to the point, examine the station, then the surrounding areas, then pedestrian zones, areas near supermarkets. If I have time, I also visit other public buildings. If there is a lot of work, I take a hotel room and stay the second day,” says the German woman.

When working, the pensioner always takes with her a can of spray paint, a spatula for destroying stickers, a marker, a camera and a notebook. She puts all this in her bag, onto which she has sewn the inscription “Against the Nazis.”

Irmele Mance-Schramm said that she spends about 300 euros from her pocket on patrols a month. Despite the fact that she hasn’t been on vacation for 20 for years, and for 300, the euro can afford to go somewhere, it’s true to its goal.

After traveling during the day, in the evening she does analytical work - she prints photographs and inserts them into an album. Over the years, she has created about 90 albums.

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Unfortunately, this legacy will not get to any of her relatives. Irmel has no grandchildren, and she lives with 3 cats.

She told me that she does it all for herself.

I was born in 1945 year. Like all my peers, I was born with a sense of guilt for what my country has done. My task in life is to make sure that no one else is born with a similar innate sense of guilt. I do not need any money or even a monument - I do it for myself.

My father died long ago, but I am sure that he would be proud of me. He fought with the Russians in Russia for the Wehrmacht, but suffered greatly from this because he was a radical pacifist. Before the war, he was an actor in a stray theater, he was against the war, but then few people asked. My father was wounded early and badly, and I am very glad about this - he almost did not manage to kill anyone.

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