November 12, 2007: Axe-murderer featured on advent calendar
 

The German city of Hanover is not afraid of the skeletons in its closet. The city's tourism offices recently released a children's advent calendar celebrating the town, and among the cheerful carolers, ice-fishers and hockey players stands a man carrying a large cleaver.

http://cellar.org/2007/advent.jpg

He is Fritz Haarmann, the well-known serial killer who murdered 24 young men between the ages of 13 and 20, chopped up the bodies and dumped the remains in the local river Leine. He was sentenced to death and beheaded (let the punishment fit the crime!) in 1925.

The head of the Hanover tourism board, Hans-Christian Nolte defended the calendar: "He is part of our city's history. Even on guided tours the serial killer's story is told."

But far from pulling the calendar over the outcry, the tourism board says that it has become somewhat of a collector's item. The initial 20,000 copy run of the calendar is now expected to sell out soon, because orders are pouring in from Berlin, Vienna and other parts of Austria. Proceeds from the sales are going towards a local charity for children with cancer.

Nonetheless, Nolte said no axe-murderers will be appearing in next year's calendar.

where's the link to order one?!

Meta-post
 

I have to say, the user-contributed images of the day are exceeding my initial expectations. Very interesting stuff being posted.

Well, considering all the killing committed in Jesus' name, this is no surprise.

Next step, the new Dahmer Diocese.

My 2007 calendar is actually a serial killer calendar, one for each month of the year. I love it.

Good for the Germans anyway. I love the fact he is perving behind the tree, scoping out his next victim.

One victim, or one killer per month?

I kill one person per month and note in on my calendar ;)
Nope, one killer per month. I've just found it online actually, link here

I gave a dozen of them out for Christmas last year.

There's a coincidence....!

I love the Extreme Hockey game! "Watch as our players dodge holes drilled by ice-fishermen!"

.:calling my travel agent:.

There's Waldo!

This discussion of advent calendars reminded me of the best holiday movie ever made, Bad Santa.

This is the land of the brothers Grimm, is it not?
From the little I have seen, German folklore and culture does shy away from the gruesome. I doubt if Eurodisney will ever really thrive in this environment.

omg, when BB Thornton went off in the food court, and at the kid "no I don't want f***ing sandwich" I laughed so hard I cried.

I wish I had this photo right now. My husband and I saw a man with a hatchet running through the snow in a "christmas town" figurene collection that someone had put out in their restraunt. That was a wtf?

Where is that photo?!?