15 years of Gräfenberger sports alliance: Together against extremism!

15 years of Gräfenberger sports alliance: Together against extremism!

On April 3, 2025, a celebration took place in the town hall of Eckental, which praised the 15th anniversary of the Gräfenberger Sport alliance (GSB). A delegation from Neunkirchen on the fire, consisting of Mayor Martin Walz, two community workers: inside and members of the SG Neunkirchen on the fire, took part in the event. This celebration was not only a milestone for the GSB, but also a sign of cohesion in the region.

Bayern's Interior Minister Joachim Herrmann was present as a guest of honor and praised the merits of the GSB founder Ludwig K. Haas. Herrmann emphasized the essential role of sports clubs in promoting democracy and integration. He called on to be vigilant towards extremist currents in sport, especially in view of the challenges that right -wing extremism and discrimination. The constant rejection of such ideologies is the focus of the GSB, which combines eleven sports clubs with around 6,000 athletes and actively campaigns against these phenomena.

commitment and values ​​of the GSB

The Gräfenberger Sport alliance has been committed to standing up for fairness, respect and tolerance. The result was in response to neo-Nazi marches in Gräfenberg between 2006 and 2009, which underlines the urgency of his commitment. As part of the celebrations, it was important to emphasize the values ​​of the GSB and its initiatives against extremism. Another meeting to plan the future orientation of the alliance was announced for May 7th.

Within the discussion round, in which BFV district chairman Matthias Dresel and Alfred Ledig from SC Egloffstein also took part, current challenges in sport were discussed. The zero tolerance policy of the football association compared to discriminatory incidents formed a central point in these discussions.

The role of sport against extremism

The commitment of the GSB is in line with the latest developments in civil society, which are increasingly dealing with the prevention of right -wing extremism in organized sport. Sports associations have developed numerous programs to combat extremist thought guidance in recent years. These initiatives aim to support associations in their prevention work and to train their dealings with such challenges, as the Bavarian information center against extremism shows.

The civil society responsibility of organized sport is often underestimated, but the claim of openness in club sport does not offer complete protection against right -wing extremist attitudes. The research project on extremism praivers in organized sport, which wants to analyze the prevention landscape, is an important step to gain sound knowledge and strengthen the practical work. These efforts are crucial to maintain sport as a connecting element in society.

The event ended with entries in the Golden Book of the Eckental market, accompanied by musical performances by the Eckental youth band, and left a lasting impression of community and solidarity action.