An investigation has reportedly been launched into whether Motorhead frontman Ian “Lemmy” Kilmister committed a crime under German law by wearing what appears to be a Nazi cap in a recently published photo. The picture in question, which can be seen below, appeared in a German newspaper prior to the band’s July 5, 2008 ‘Wacken Rocks Seaside’ concert in Aurich, Germany with Machine Head and Saxon.
All “anti-constitutional propaganda” – and specifically any attempt to propagate Nazism – is illegal under article 86 of the German Penal Code. Article 86a also prohibits all “anti-constitutional” symbols, including all Nazi insignia, flags, slogans and salutes.
Speaking to the New York Waste web site, Lemmy stated about his Nazi collection, “I don’t only collect Nazi stuff, I collect objects from all the ‘axis countries.’ Also from countries who aren’t even mentioned anymore as former part of the axis. Like Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Finland, Hungary. OK, in the end, they all said, ‘We’re no Nazis’ when they saw that the Germans were losing it. But five years before that, they went, ‘Yeah!’”
When asked where he gets the objects he collects, Lemmy replied, “The USA is a great place for collecting that shit, ’cause the GIs took everything back to America. They took fucking warehouses full of uniforms, Mercedes staff cars. One guy shipped a Focke Wulf 190 fighter home in pieces and rebuilt it in America. Now he owns the only fucking FW 190 in the world. I used to buy a couple of things in Germany, but now you can’t take anymore knifes or things back home in a plane. And it’s become more relaxed to buy stuff like that [in Germany]. There’s five or six stores in Hamburg especially. They’re advertising it. What’s the point, anyway? It’s not a nationalistic kind of thing, I mean, what the fuck you’re gonna do? Pretend it never happened? There’s airplane model kits of Messerschmidt 109 fighters. Shouldn’t you touch them?”
On the subject of whether people should wear uniforms, Lemmy stated, “I’ll tell you something about history. From the beginning of time, the bad guys always had the best uniforms. Napoleon, the Confederates, the Nazis. They all had killer uniforms. I mean, the SS uniform is fucking brilliant! (Hell yeah – JR!) They were the rock stars of that time. What you’re gonna do? They just look good. Don’t tell me, I’m a Nazi ’cause I have uniforms. In 1967 I had my first black girlfriend and a lot of more ever since then. I just don’t understand racism, I never thought it was an option.”
See also: Lemmy’s Nazi Fascination
