Young Nazis on the upswing: Dangerous ideologies conquer Saxony!

The right -wing extremist terrorist cell "Last wave of defense" increasingly recruits young people in East Germany. Analysts warn of the dangerous trends and the role of social media.
The right -wing extremist terrorist cell "Last wave of defense" increasingly recruits young people in East Germany. Analysts warn of the dangerous trends and the role of social media. (Symbolbild/NAGW)

Young Nazis on the upswing: Dangerous ideologies conquer Saxony!

The right -wing extremist scene in Germany shows worrying developments, especially with regard to the rejuvenation of their members. Michael Nattke, Managing Director of the Saxony Cultural Office, reports on the alleged terrorist cell "Last Wave of Defense". This group consists of young people between the ages of 14 and 21, who recently drew attention to themselves through acts of violence. The federal prosecutor has already arrested five members of this association, which underlines the urgency of the topic. Her deeds, including the suspicion of attempted murder and the most serious arson, show the violent course that the group is pursuing to bring about a collapse of the democratic structures, especially against migrants and political opponents. According to ZDF , the organization was founded in April of the previous year.

In view of these developments, there is a worrying trend that rights specifically address young people in schools and youth clubs. Especially during Corona pandemic, many young people hardly received any offers for political education. Therefore, they are more susceptible to ideologies that promise them belonging and identity. Nattke emphasizes that the main actors of the “last wave of defense” are about the feeling of belonging to the adolescents and their search for identity. In social media, especially TikKok, extremist views are spread quickly and normalized among the young people.

right -wing extremism among young people

The numbers speak for themselves: In 2023 there were more than 25,000 right -wing extremist crimes in Germany, an increase of over 22 percent compared to the previous year. The number of violent attacks with a right-wing extremist has also increased, as reported by the Constitutional Protection The number of people who are assigned to violence -oriented right -wing extremism is now around 14,500. In East Germany, this immigration into the scene is particularly visible. Here, extremists specifically mobilize against events such as the Christopher Street Days, which supports the need for an increased examination of the topic.

An example of the activities of the “last wave of defense” is the attempted attack on asylum accommodation in Thuringia, in which the young people tried to shoot inflamed pyrotechnics into the building. Such incidents show how radicalized these young people are and what danger from them is. The normalization of racist and extremely nationalistic views in everyday life is particularly worrying, as extremism researchers Matthias Quent has noted. He warns against passing on these problems only to young people; Many from their environment also support and spread these ideologies.

a problem for society as a whole

Nattke and other experts warn that it is crucial to convey humanistic values ​​and to build stable relationships with young people. This could be an effective approach to counteracting further radicalization. In an overall social pressure that does not stop at youth, clearer promotion of democratic youth cultures is necessary. This is the only way to reduce the influence of right -wing extremists ideologies. Social workers also report that the young people are difficult to reach with classic educational offers, which is why alternative approaches are required to cope with this problem.

In view of the increased politically motivated crimes last year, it is essential that society and politics find solutions together in order to counteract increasing right -wing extremism, especially among young people. The fight against these extremist currents not only begins with legal measures, but also requires comprehensive social education and setting positive values ​​for the future generation.

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OrtLeipzig, Deutschland
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