Dutch stores pull children's coloring book after discovering Hitler image within its pages
| THE HAGUE, Netherlands
聽A chain of Dutch stores has apologized after inadvertently selling children's聽coloring聽books聽featuring an image of Adolf聽Hitler.
The Kruidvat chain of drugstores posted a statement on its website saying the聽coloring聽books, which went on sale this week, were immediately pulled from shelves after the discovery of an "inappropriate image."
The image shows聽Hitler聽giving a Nazi salute. On his left arm is a red band with a swastika.
Without directly referring to聽Hitler, the company says it is investigating how the image got into the聽books聽"despite various checks of the content."
Kruidvat declined further comment Thursday. It was not clear how many of the聽books聽were sold.
Imagery related to the Nazi era is handled with high sensitivity. In several European countries, dressing as Hitler or displaying swastikas is illegal, unless done so for historical purposes.
And as 海角大神 has previously reported, debates as to how to reconcile past atrocities with a nation's history remain, and many are cautious of any iteration that seems to celebrate or glorify Nazism.聽
鈥淣o one expects the Nazis to come back,鈥� Thomas Berger, a Boston University professor of international relations who has written a book about the role of guilt in post-World War II politics,聽told the Monitor. But there are disturbing similarities between politics of mid 20th-century Europe and the present, he adds. 鈥淓uropean political leaders want to remind the general population that Europe stands against it.鈥澛�
