German comedian Atze Schröder, 54, tearfully apologized to Auschwitz survivor Eva Szepesi for his father’s war crimes on a talk show last week and was slammed on social media by far-right extremists, JTA reported.

Schröder told Szepesi that his father, who was drafted by the Nazis in 1941 and served for four years, “did horrible things as a soldier…He told me about them later.”

The comedian’s apology was a spontaneous one in response to Szepesi, 87, sharing her experiences in Auschwitz on the talk show for a broadcast marking 75 years since Auschwitz’s liberation.

Visibly moved by Szepesi’s harrowing memories, Schröder told Szepesi that his father “would probably apologize if he was sitting here.” He then arose and extended his hand to Szepesi, saying: “I am sorry. We must never forget.”

Wenn Atze Schröder mehr Empathie und Anstand hat als der halbe thüringische Landtag … https://t.co/EGcTxrhpvy

— Andrej Reisin (@Andrejnalin77) February 7, 2020

Szepesi later said that she felt Schröder’s actions were “absolutely extraordinary.”

Schröder also shared on the talk show that his grandmother and a few of his uncles committed suicide following the Nazis’ defeat.

Following the talk show, Schröder became the object of vitriol by right-wing extremists on social media and was called “a mentally impotent rat” and an “embarrassing, disgusting slave to the system” among other terms not fit to print, the German RND news website reported.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=4174&v=pIjTwLJ9uXM&feature=emb_logo

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)