University of Warwick troubled by students’ Nazi song video

The University of Warwick has called the actions of its students “reprehensible” after a video emerged showing some singing a Nazi march song at an event organized by the college’s Conservative Association.

Describing the footage as “extremely worrying”, the university said it had been alerted to the content by its reporting service, adding that it had notified the Students’ Union and requested a meeting with the Jewish Society to support a review.

According to an article in The Sunday Times, the “leaked video”, shared on social media, shows events at a University of Warwick Conservative Association (UWCA) dinner held off campus in May.

The group condemned the scenes and apologized.

The song in question, titled Erika, was composed around 1930 and became popular as a marching song for German soldiers during the Nazi era of World War II.

Shouts of “sehr gut” – German for “very good” – can be heard as diners dance to the music.

Leaders of the Union of Jewish Students described the gathering’s “blatant and unquestionable support for Nazism” as “absolutely abhorrent”.

“Nazi glorification has no place in our society,” they said, adding that it “is in no way acceptable and must be widely condemned.”

They called for a swift and decisive response, saying: “Actions must have consequences.”

The UWCA told the BBC that the song was requested by a single member and was not part of the pre-planned musical selection for the event.

They said the person who requested it and another person who was not a member of the group would be banned from future events.

They said most participants were unaware of the song’s origins or connotations.

In a statement, the UWCA said it rejected any allegation its group had normalized racism.

“Our members have consistently campaigned against anti-Semitism on campus,” it said.

“Our members have worked hard to ensure that the Students’ Union commemorates Holocaust Memorial Day in an appropriate way. We are proud of these efforts and will continue to stand against discrimination.”

The UWCA added that it was committed to ensuring that anyone else who knowingly engaged with the song was no longer welcome at the events.

“Once again, we apologize for the hurt caused by this incident and will cooperate fully with any further investigation initiated by the university,” the statement said.

A university spokesman said the material was being reviewed.

They said: “We have been made aware of this video and the allegations surrounding it, which are extremely concerning.

“Such behavior is reprehensible and we are disappointed to see our students involved.”