A Nazi-themed café had its grand reopening in Indonesia over the
weekend, welcoming diners with uniform-clad servers, a portrait of Adolf
Hitler, assorted swastikas and war memorabilia—even a fake
interrogation room.
Soldaten Kaffee, or Soldier’s Café, takes its name from a Parisian coffeeshop
popular with German soldiers during WWII. It first opened in Bandung in
2011 but closed last July following pressure from the international
community. Its owner, Henry Mulyana, who received death threats at the
time, told Agence France-Presse, “I don’t idolize Hitler, I simply adore the soldiers’ paraphernalia.” Yet authorities shut it down following an investigation. Mulyana’s lawyer said his client would later reopen the café sans swastikas.
But the doors
reopened on Saturday with several swastikas in plain view, along with
the rest of the Nazi décor. The only discernible differences are the
portraits of Winston Churchill
and Josef Stalin placed alongside those of Hitler, and the addition of
items from the U.S., French, Japanese and British armies. Mulyana says
the changes mean it is a WWII café and not Nazi-specific.
“From the beginning I have said that the Soldaten Kaffee is not a Nazi café. This café’s theme is WWII,” he told the AFP. “All aspects of the Soldaten Kaffee are legal. We have a lot of customers from Europe, and they don’t have a problem with the WWII theme because it is seen here from a historical perspective.”
A renewed round of backlash has begun, but Mulyana is standing strong. Holding a press conference ahead of the opening, a spokesperson for Mulyana explained that his client is just a “history buff” who is being unnecessarily vilified.
“We were forced to shut down this place due to a very negative review by a local tabloid that went viral and sparked a worldwide outrage and protests. This café and the owner, Henry Mulyana, is a victim of fabrication and twisting of facts,” said the spokesperson. “The actual concept of this café is WWII military. I repeat: military. Not ideology nor glorification.”
Soldaten Kaffee, or Soldier’s Café, takes its name from a Parisian coffee
Customers dressed in Nazi uniforms arrive to celebrate the grand reopening of Soldaten Kaffee.
AFP/Getty Images
“From the beginning I have said that the Soldaten Kaffee is not a Nazi café. This café’s theme is WWII,” he told the AFP. “All aspects of the Soldaten Kaffee are legal. We have a lot of customers from Europe, and they don’t have a problem with the WWII theme because it is seen here from a historical perspective.”
A renewed round of backlash has begun, but Mulyana is standing strong. Holding a press conference ahead of the opening, a spokesperson for Mulyana explained that his client is just a “history buff” who is being unnecessarily vilified.
“We were forced to shut down this place due to a very negative review by a local tabloid that went viral and sparked a worldwide outrage and protests. This café and the owner, Henry Mulyana, is a victim of fabrication and twisting of facts,” said the spokesperson. “The actual concept of this café is WWII military. I repeat: military. Not ideology nor glorification.”
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