The political scene in Germany currently shares a number of issues with other countries around the world, including the rise of the extreme right.
This is a publication about luxury wristwatches so I won’t go into the politics here; however I would like to highlight this particular interview with Nomos Glashütte managing director Judith Borowski because I feel it is incredibly courageous for a manufacturer to clearly state a definitive side and speak out on what it thinks is right (and wrong), despite the fact that it might cause a few potential customers to look elsewhere for their luxury wristwatches.
Nomos Glashütte Director Judith Borowski (second from left) with company designers
This week in Germany, Deutschlandfunk broadcast a German language interview with Borowski on the radio, which you can hear and read here.
For non-German speakers, here’s a summary of the article written in the wake of the far-right demonstrations over the last week of August and early September 2018 in Chemnitz, during which one person died and journalists and politicians were attacked.
Borowski strongly stated that democracy must be defended by any means – even by companies in the economic sector. And for this reason, Nomos Glashütte schools its employees in how to properly deal with the radical right wing through a program it calls Open Saxony, in addition to individual talks and discussions.
Nomos Glashütte Managing Director Judith Borowski
And there’s more: Borowski is also speaking out, taking a side. Which is more than just admirable, it is necessary, she believes, to uphold all that has been built since the Berlin Wall came down. “We are thankful every day that that wall came down,” she told Deutschlandfunk’s Ursula Mense.
“This dimension here is of course terrible and makes us sad. I never expected to see this in this form, and of course it’s something that puts German economy in terrible danger, especially that of Saxony. For several days we have been receiving e-mails from customers who want to know whether some Nazi has put together their watch. That damages us, especially abroad.”
Borowski believes that the economic effects of current events have not been thought through enough or put far enough in the foreground. “It is unbelievable to me that people in Chemnitz go out on the street, raise their right arm, and call ‘Heil Hitler’ – it deeply frightens me,” she described the situation.
Hear and read the entire article in German at www.deutschlandfunk.de/fremdenfeindlichkeit-in-sachsen-das-problem-erkennen.
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As you stated at the beginning of your article, “This is a publication about luxury wristwatches so I won’t go into the politics here,” but your view on the political debate came across quite clearly! Great news though, I can now check your publication as well as Nomos off my short-list, so thank you.
So you only read sites that agree 100% to your political views and ignore the views of the 10+ other journalists writing for Quill & Pad. It’s informative that we can disagree with each other yet still work together but you can’t. I wish you luck. Regards, Ian
p.s. Ian is my real name, I don’t feel the need to hide my identity.
You speak of the far right but Nazi germany is the far left. They were a left wing socialist party. And like other far left groups they promote their ideas through violence and intimidation. Stalin, Lenin, Castro, Chavez, and more. The left never ant to discuss issues. It’s always about demonizing the opposition and silencing opposing ideas. Ironically the only reason Noos or quill and pad exist is because of capitalism and free markets which the left also opposes.
You raise some good points, but the left is no more anti-capitalism than the right are neo-Nazi’s. Those are both extremes. Judith Borowski was not attacking the right, she was attacking violent neo-Nazi’s, but I do agree, there are more crazies in charge on both the extreme left and extreme right.
Regards, Ian
You speak of the far right and the tear down of the Berlin Wall. But you ignore that the wall was put up by the left. The USSR is leftist socialism at work. The Nazi party was a left wing socialist party. Lenin, Stalin are left wing big government socialists. All implementing Marx’s philosophies. The person who most publicly wanted to “tear down this wall” was a so called right winger. Your facts are completely wrong. Big government can be very oppressive but it is the left that wants government to get bigger and have more control over businesses, the economy and people’s lives. The left seized the watch companies in Germany. The right freed them when the wall came down
No Santa, the facts are not wrong, you are simply picking a few unrelated facts to make another argument.
Fact 1: There has been a rise of far right violence in Germany.
Fact.2 Judith Borowski spoke out on the specific facts at the present moment in her own country.
You might wish she covered every grievance in political history, but she has the right to peacefully say what she likes, just as you do.
Regards, Ian
“far-right demonstrations over the last week of August and early September 2018 in Chemnitz, during which some people died and journalists and politicians were attacked.”
Sorry, but this is complete rubbish! NO ONE died during the far right demonstrations! However, a german citizen was stabbed to death and others were injured by muslim refugees. That caused the “far right” in the first place! Check your facts before you publish some nonsense!
Nomos just shot to the top of my want list. Bravo Nomos for taking a stand!
Only one person died! He was stabbed more than 20 times by asylum seekers.
May Daniel Hillig Rest In Peace and the few Neonazis that attended the protest rally find their way to trial.
Thank you for writing about this. And bravo to Nomos for taking a stand. It’s ludicrous that anyone would take the time to comment negatively about this story or Nomos’ actions. I know it’s been a few years, but certainly we can all still agree that Nazis are bad, right? Furthermore, being generally opposed to violence, racism, and hatred isn’t really a political issue. Or it shouldn’t be.
Opposition to violence, racism, and hatred isn’t a political issue at all in my view, and I do not understand why it is being made into one. Thanks for your comment!
I never liked Nomos too much, asca brand is too rainbow-ish for me taste. But now, I am glad I didn’t purchase a commie watch like this. You can’t wear a watch from a company that wants your country culturally destroyed
Gigi,wow, someone expresses an opinion, which you clearly disagree with, and then you respond with hateful remarks against the company they work for, and go on to assume that the company wants to destroy the culture of the country in which it is based?
If you had learned anything about Nomos, the people who work there, I really doubt that.
You sound like you are very much a part of the problem.
Germany went through a lot to remove that wall. There’s a certain person in America now who wants to build a new one, and it’s tearing the fabric of America apart!
We all share the planet, regardless of where we live and hate helps nobody.
Sad you can’t see the beauty in a rainbow or appreciate Nomos watches.
Happy to wear mine and will buy the one you are not buying because of your politics,
Mind-boggling to read some of the comments and to realize that this topic has reached the watch industry. I haven’t purchased a new watch for over five years, but after reading this article I just ordered a Nomos. In times like these, it’s good to know that certain brands take a strong stance against hatred, bigotry and violence.
I`ve read the interview in German, my mother tongue. And I’m appalled. She wants to establish a system of snitches and mandatory training in the correct political consciousness.
Just like in the former GDR