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speak out now (lemmy.ml)
submitted 5 days ago by kingshrubb@lemmy.ml to c/microblogmemes@lemmy.world
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[-] BreadOven@lemmy.world 55 points 5 days ago 
First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out—
     Because I was not a socialist.

Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out—
     Because I was not a trade unionist.

Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—
     Because I was not a Jew.

Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.
  • Martin Niemöller

Just in case people don't know the original.

[-] badmin@lemm.ee 33 points 5 days ago

That's not the original.
Hint: any version that doesn't mention "communists" is "filtered".

[-] wieson@feddit.org 37 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago)

Good call, I didn't know that. This is the original

Als die Nazis die Kommunisten holten,
habe ich geschwiegen,
ich war ja kein Kommunist.

Als sie die Sozialdemokraten einsperrten,
habe ich geschwiegen,
ich war ja kein Sozialdemokrat.

Als sie die Gewerkschafter holten,
habe ich geschwiegen,
ich war ja kein Gewerkschafter.

Als sie mich holten,
gab es keinen mehr,
der protestieren konnte.

It's not straight forward to translate, because there is no active verb in English for "to remain silent".

When the Nazis came and took the communists 
I remained silent
Since I wasn't a communist.

When they imprisoned the social democrats 
I remained silent
Since I wasn't a social democrat.

When they took the trade unionists 
I remained silent
Since I wasn't a trade unionist.

When they took me
There was no one left
Who could protest.
[-] seeigel@feddit.org 3 points 4 days ago

And the poem doesn't mention the disabled, who died first.

[-] BreadOven@lemmy.world 5 points 4 days ago

Good point. I forgot about the communist part and only copied the first one on wiki due to laziness. Thanks for reminding me.

[-] seeigel@feddit.org 4 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago)

Which already tells you too much about Wikipedia.

[-] Nalivai@lemmy.world 7 points 4 days ago

Wikipedia is not an entity, it's a collective. You, personally, can fix whatever is incorrect there. And some would say, should.

[-] glitchdx@lemmy.world 3 points 4 days ago

that the best we've got is still not good?

[-] BreadOven@lemmy.world 2 points 4 days ago

Not that I love wiki or anything, but in their defense, the translated original is below the one I copied. Only separated by a sentence or two. I didn't read them out of laziness, so that's on me.

this post was submitted on 26 Mar 2025
1696 points (100.0% liked)

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