Right -wing extremism at schools: Alarming incidents in Hesse increase!

In the past few months, sensitivity to right -wing extremist incidents at schools in Gießen and Vogelsberg has increased. The incidents include smearings and stickers with right -wing radical content. The recent incident was particularly worrying, in which the sports hall of a Gießen primary school was defaced with Nazi symbols and the lettering "Heil Hitler". In a high school, swastika, SS runes and other right-wing extremist codes were found in the men's toilet.

The number of such incidents at Hessian schools tripled in 2023, as the Ministry of Culture reported. The State School Authority for Gießen and Vogelsbergkreis has registered about ten cases in the past few months. However, it is unclear whether the offenses have increased compared to earlier years as the reports vary. The school authority emphasizes the high sensitivity and the importance of the topic. The city student council calls for preventive measures and the exchange of ideas in schools to counteract the problem.

increase in right -wing extremist incidents in Hesse

While the focus is on incidents in Gießen and Vogelsberg, the number of right -wing extremist incidents at schools across Hesse has also increased. At the Copernicus School in Freichticht Schüler, which sang right -extremely right -wing parolen for the song "L’Amour Toujours". Headmaster Ulrich Mayer reported 20 to 40 singers and described the incidents as a "strong setback" for the school, which is committed to democracy and anti-bullying. Around a third of the students have a foreign passport or speaks other languages.

A total of 87 right -wing extremists have been registered in Hessian schools since the beginning of the year. The number of reported cases increased three times in 2023 compared to the previous year. Frequent incidents include swastika smears, Hitler greetings and Nazi slogans. These extremist incidents must be reported to the school office, whereby educational measures such as conversations, exclusions of events or school references can be considered.

The investigation in the Freiche Court case is currently pending at the public prosecutor, and the increase in right -wing extremist incidents has been observed since 2018, including at primary schools. Uwe Petersen, headmaster of the Wilhelmsgymnasium Kassel, sees Corona pandemic as a member of the development for this development. In the discussion about provocation versus right -wing extremist worldview in young people, Torsten Niebling from the Rote Line counseling center emphasizes the importance of open -ended discussions. Manuel Glittenberg from Degede recommends intervening early in everyday racism. The Kopernikus School also plans a project day for social learning on the first day of school after the holidays.