Otto Romberg spent half his life trying to immunize Germans against the virus of anti-Semitism. He administered his vaccine four times a year in the stands, the Frankfurt magazine for the understanding of Judaism, which he founded in 1960. Romberg closed the stands with issue 204 at the end of 2012. Not out of resignation, but because of the advertising crisis that had undermined the magazine's financial foundation. Now, shortly before his 90th birthday, Romberg is taking stock of his fifty years of journalistic struggle against hostility towards Jews: "It was in vain."

Everything had started so hopefully.

Romberg was able to continue his journalistic career in the West after he was able to flee to Austria from his hometown Budapest in 1956 after the failed Hungarian uprising against the communists.

Swastika graffiti on synagogues in Cologne and Bonn became a key experience in 1960. Romberg saw only two options: either to leave Germany, where he worked as a correspondent for an Austrian newspaper, or to do something about the re-emerging anti-Semitism.

He decided to fight and together with his wife set up the stands.

“We firmly believed that we could make a difference,” recalls the urbane grand seigneur from Hungary.

"Nothing has changed"

Above all, the behavior of many young people who set themselves apart from the Nazi past of their parents 'and grandparents' generation gave him great hope. And Romberg actually reached a young audience with the grandstand, for which he conducted countless interviews with politicians from Willy Brandt to Helmut Kohl to Angela Merkel; the magazine was subscribed to by many schools.

Romberg calls the “Palestinian” demonstrations against Israel “very sad” during the past few days, during which vicious cries against Jews were chanted.

But it is not only the hostility towards Jews of some Muslim immigrants that has made Romberg resign, but also the right-wing or left-wing local anti-Semitism that seems to seep inexorably into the middle of society.

"Nothing has changed," says Romberg, summing up his disappointment.

It sounds like Ignatz Bubis, long-time chairman of the Frankfurt Jewish Community and President of the Central Council of Jews in Germany, who fought tirelessly and eloquently for a self-confident German Judaism and, towards the end of his life, stated with resignation: "I have achieved nothing."

In death, Bubis finally turned his back on Germany: He was buried in Israel, not in Frankfurt.

His former personal advisor, Elvira Grözinger, however, did not give up.

She actively comments on anti-Jewish incidents on Facebook, calls the recent “Jew hatred demos” in German cities unbearable and calls for a ban on organizations of militant Palestinian organizations in Germany.

But Grözinger is also concerned with the anti-Semitic mood in connection with the rocket fire on Israel by Hamas and the counterattacks by the Israeli army.

In these days the German Jews would be mistaken for Israelis by enemies and some friends - and this after 1700 years of Jewish presence in this country, she recently posted.

"There will be no change for another 1700 years," commented one of her Facebook friends.

“Yes”, affirmed another Jewish friend, “we are always strangers to us”.

Is the local Jewish population resigned, does it feel threatened, does it withdraw so as not to be the target of attacks?

At least in Frankfurt, Cathy Miller, a 56-year-old mother who works as a consultant and business coach, still feels safe.

After all, she is embedded in the Jewish community, and the city gives her a hearing for her concerns.