Pop die het hoofd van de politie in de Saar (M. Matz) voorstelt, opgehangen door nazi's, 16 januari 1935 Possibly 1935

This photograph, taken on January 16, 1935, by the Associated Press, captures a chilling scene: a puppet representing police chief M. Matz hung by Nazis. The swastika banners evoke the propaganda strategies of the time, used to instill fear and manipulate public opinion. The act of hanging a figure in effigy reaches back to ancient rituals of revenge and punishment, manifesting itself throughout history in various forms. Think of the Haman effigies burned during Purim. The hanging of Matz embodies this tradition of shaming. Here, the act is charged with political malice, designed to publicly humiliate and dehumanize the "enemy." This display is emotionally provocative, tapping into primal fears and igniting collective hatred. Such images remind us of the cyclical, often subconscious nature of these symbols of hate, how they resurface and adapt, bearing new, yet deeply rooted, meanings across time.