Brochure by Berlin tennis club sparks uproar

An exclusive German tennis club has sparked a walk-out from a top tournament after an anniversary brochure called the wartime exit of its Jewish members a "reduction" that did not affect the quality of play. The brochure for the Rot-Weiß Tennis Club in Berlin also printed a picture of Hermann Göring, Nazi Germany's wartime air force chief who founded the Gestapo secret police, visiting the club in the 1930s. The article about "the club with a great tradition" stated that due to the Nazi race laws "around half the membership of the so-called Jewish club was reduced, opening the club up to new members. The quality of play was not affected at the premier German tennis club – quite the contrary". It also went on to say that, following the Jewish expulsions, "golden years" followed for the club and German tennis. Göring's photo on the VIP stand above the text particularly incensed renowned Jewish film producer Arthur Brauner, who was at the club for last week's tournament but left in protest.