Yesterday night I attended an Bavarian-Israel entrepeneurs meeting in Munich. The reception speech was delivered by the new Minister for Trade, Economy and Development, Mr. Hubert Aiwanger.  Funnily, he spoke for about 15 minutes without a manuscript (he is indeed well known for his expromptu attitude at official political and social events).

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Suddenly in the middle of his speech, the sound of breaking glasses came from the side where servants prepared the drinks. In an attempt to save the situation, Aiwanger cited a common German proverb “Scherben bringen Glueck” (engl.: “Break a thing, mend your luck.”).  When I asked him later on if he isn’t worried that the Israely guest might taken this as a references to the notorious Kristallnacht (Night of Broken Glass) his usually healthy complexion temporarily turned pale. He had obviously not forseen that 80 years after the antisemitic riots in Nazi Germany certain phrases might be interpreted here in a different context than normally.