Right-wing extremist incidents in schools are increasing alarmingly – what to do?

Right-wing extremist incidents in schools are increasing alarmingly – what to do?

In Germany there are signs of a storm, especially in schools and memorials. In 2024 and 2025, more right-wing extremist incidents were reported to Hessian school authorities than ever before. During this time, eight such cases were registered in the Werra-Meißner district, while there were eleven incidents in the neighboring Hersfeld-Rotenburg district. The specialist advisor for political education at the state school authority in Bebra, Karsten Vollmar, confirms the increase and emphasizes that although the number of unreported cases still appears comparatively low, it is urgently necessary to sharpen our awareness of this issue. Particular attention is paid to secondary schools, where anti-constitutional symbols such as swastikas or SS runes are often seen.

In particular, abusive chants that are adapted from well-known songs are alarming. An example is a rewritten line from the hit “L’amours toujours” by Gigi D’Agostino, which became the slogan “Germany for the Germans, foreigners out.” Videos of such incidents highlight the problem, such as a recent clip of people partying on Sylt that was in the media spotlight. When dealing with such cases, Vollmar first contacts police headquarters for a criminal assessment. If the perpetrator is known, a criminal complaint will be filed; if the perpetrator is unknown, an investigation will be carried out against the unknown. The Hessian Ministry of Culture is informed of all incidents, thanks to a 2018 decree that calls for the immediate reporting of anti-Semitic incidents in schools.

Social problems in focus

According to Vollmar, the general social conditions are contributing to this increase. The influence of social media cannot be underestimated. These platforms often serve as a breeding ground for extremist ideas and increase the spread of such questionable content. The pedagogical processing after the incidents can be easily achieved with additional teaching units and external consulting services. Teachers also have the opportunity to receive regular training on the topic of right-wing extremism. This attempts to get to the root of the attacks on the values ​​of our society.

But the problem is not limited to schools. Concentration camp memorials across Germany are also facing worrying developments: vandalism, graffiti and hostile statements are on the rise. Such incidents are reported in these facilities almost weekly. Affected memorial sites such as Dachau and Buchenwald report a significant increase in cases. Clara Mansfeld, spokeswoman for the Hamburg Memorials Foundation, describes the situation as alarming. The deputy director of the Buchenwald Memorials Foundation, Rikola-Gunnar Lüttgenau, emphasizes that offensive statements are being relocated to the digital space, which not least increases the complexity of the problem.

Xenophobia and anti-Semitism on the rise

A study by the Friedrich Ebert Foundation also documents an increasing acceptance of right-wing extremist and anti-democratic attitudes among the German population. The proportion of people with a clear right-wing extremist orientation has tripled to around eight percent. The numbers of right-wing extremist crimes also speak for themselves: 37,835 such acts were recorded in 2024, which corresponds to an increase of 47.4 percent compared to the previous year.

Assault crimes with a xenophobic background also show a worrying trend. The increase in such acts of violence and the increased focus on issues such as asylum and migration show that the time has come for a clear stance against these trends. Josef Schuster, President of the Central Council of Jews, appeals to the political center to rethink and pursue a “policy of moderation”. The situation requires a high degree of sensitivity and joint action – more than ever.

If there is no rethinking in this area, our social values ​​will be in bad shape. Every individual is called upon to set an example for humanity and tolerance, whether in schools, in everyday life or in the digital world.