The Roofer's Controversial Ad: Dresden Prosecutors Clear Sebnitz's Offensive Job Post - Just Tasteless, Not Inciting
Roof-top promotion in Sebnitz avoids sedition, yet deemed tasteless instead.
Got some hardly-PC jokes tucked in your back pocket? So does a Saxon roofer, who recently placed a less-than-polite job posting in the local gazette for an apprentice, leaving a trail of backlash in his wake, but avoiding any legal repercussions.
The Public Prosecution Office in Dresden announced the discontinuation of several proceedings against the controversial roofer. In their official statement, the prosecutors concluded that the ad, while distasteful and morally appalling, lacked the legal relevance required for formal action. Freedom of speech protected the statements in the ad.
The job listing, published in April in the gazette of a municipality located in Saxon Switzerland, solicited potential apprentices for a position starting in 2026. Accompanying his need for a capable trainee, the roofer included a few disqualifying remarks targeting certain groups. Interested applicants had to meet one condition: "No hook-noses, Bimbos, or zeppelin carriers," – a sentence that sparked significant controversy in the community.
At the outset, investigators considered the mentioned groups in the ad to be vague and indistinct. Moreover, the roofer did not call for acts of violence against specific groups or deny their equal rights as citizens, nor did he impinge on their right to life.
Following the incident, both the city of Sebnitz and the gazette publisher disassociated themselves from the offensive ad. The Chamber of Crafts in Dresden also expressed criticism, announcing an assessment of the company's fitness as a training site.
Despite criticism and the perceived offensiveness of his language, the roofer stood his ground in April, insisting that the questionable phrasing was not rooted in racism. "I may have gone a bit overboard, but the country's politics tends to drive one to it," the craftsman argued in an interview with the "Bild" newspaper.
Sources: ntv.de, lme
Tags: Racism, Saxony
In light of the controversy, the Public Prosecution Office in Dresden has chosen not to pursue legal action against the roofer, as his job posting, while distasteful and controversial, did not meet the legal criteria for formal action due to freedom of speech. The roofer's employment policy, including disqualifying remarks, was part of a larger discussion surrounding community policy, politics, general-news, and crime-and-justice, as his comments sparked outrage in the community and drew attention from various news outlets.
