Right-wing youth groups in Germany: Danger from the digital underground!

Right-wing youth groups in Germany: Danger from the digital underground!

In recent years, the radical right-wing youth movement in Germany has developed a worrying dynamic. Immediately after the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, many social activities shifted to the digital space, providing extremist groups with new platforms for their recruitment and agitation. Loud Antenna Unna Within a year, several right-wing youth groups with several hundred followers were formed, which are now increasingly appearing in the physical world.

The Office for the Protection of the Constitution is observing with concern the establishment of new groups in the right-wing scene, which primarily organize themselves online. The largest of them, “Jung und Stark”, already has followers in the mid-three-digit range, while “Deutsche Jugend Voran” and “Der Störtrupp” also have significant membership numbers. Particularly noticeable was the “Last Defense Wave” group, whose members have been linked to serious crimes in the past, such as planning attacks on asylum accommodation. Andreas Speit, an expert on right-wing extremism, describes these developments as a “new quality” of radicalization among young people.

A worrying phenomenon

Recent events show that members of the “Last Defense Wave” are in the age group of 14 to 18 years. They are only accepted into the group if they have already committed acts of violence, which underlines their extreme and violent ambitions. In a nationwide operation, five young people were arrested who were suspected of planning and carrying out attacks. This group is also part of a broader movement that propagates a supposed threat from the “Great Exchange”, a right-wing extremist narrative that is also widespread in parts of the AfD and the “Identitarian Movement”.

The vigilance of the police authorities is necessary because many of the radicalized young people come from parents in which right-wing extremist ideologies were spread. Loud ZDF Today Such parents are often professionally established and pass on extremist views to their children. This could explain why right-wing extremist attitudes are increasingly finding their way into mainstream society.

Radicalization in the digital age

The digitally organized structure of these new groups is a central feature of their radicalization. Through social media and chat platforms, they not only find like-minded people, but also increased confirmation of their views. Recruitment often takes place via platforms such as TikTok, Instagram and YouTube, while the groups' actions are often directed against LGBTQ events and so-called right-wing demos.

Another worrying element is that many young men look for identity, strength and belonging in these groups. The fact that the inhibition threshold for violence is falling may be due to the perception of a shift in social norms. Prevention work must therefore not only combat right-wing extremist content, but also question the underlying social structures and images of masculinity, as emphasized by Speit.

The development of right-wing youth groups in Germany clearly shows that there is a need for action here. Society is required to find new ways of prevention in order to recognize and counteract the radicalization of young people in a timely manner. It is important to face this phenomenon together and conclusively so that the wave of extremism does not become a flood that endangers our coexistence.