Editing Rolf Hochhuth (section)

===Anti-Semitism allegations===
[[Image:Rolf Hochhuth David Irving.jpg|thumb|Rolf Hochhuth with British Holocaust denier [[David Irving]] in 1966.]]

In March 2005, Hochhuth became embroiled in controversy when, during an interview with the German weekly ''[[Junge Freiheit]]'', he defended [[Holocaust denial|Holocaust denier]] [[David Irving]], describing him as a "pioneer of modern history who has written magnificent books" and an "historian to equal someone like [[Joachim Fest]]".<ref>[http://www.jf-archiv.de/archiv05/200508021809.htm ''Die Würde des Ortes respektieren'']. Writer Rolf Hochhuth on his proposal for a museum of war bombings, David Irving and Winston Churchill. Interview with Rolf Hochhuth in [[Junge Freiheit]], 18 February 2005. {{in lang|de}}</ref> When asked about Irving's statement that "more women died on the [[Chappaquiddick incident|back seat of Edward Kennedy's car]] at Chappaquiddick than ever died in a gas chamber in [[Auschwitz]]", Hochhuth dismissed it as provocative black humour.<ref>Karl Pfeifer, ''Rolf Hochhuth: Lob für einen notorischen Holocaustleugner'', [http://www.hagalil.com/archiv/2005/02/hochhuth.htm Hagalil] 21-02-2005. The columnist on the Hagalil website notes that Irving made the remark not in response to a "tremendous provocation" but to a paying audience. The speech was screened in a video during the London libel trial. Richard Rampton, counsel for the defendant [[Deborah Lipstadt]], commented [quote back-translated from German]: "Ridicule alone is not enough. You must also be tasteless. You must say things such as: More women died in the backseat of Senator Edward Kennedy's car in Chappaquiddick than in the gas chambers of Auschwitz." {{in lang|de}}</ref>

[[Paul Spiegel]], President of the [[Central Council of Jews in Germany]], argued that with these statements Hochhuth himself was [[Holocaust denial|denying the Holocaust]]. After weeks of uproar, Hochhuth issued an apology.<ref>''[http://n-tv.de/340976.html Wie ein Blinder von der Farbe - Hochhuth hatte keine Ahnung]'', N-TV, 25. February 2005 {{in lang|de}}</ref>