Dresden, Memory, and Skinheads

Over the weekend a major march in Dresden resulted in street violence. The Jungen Landsmannschaft Ostdeutschland (JLO-- Youth National Association of East Germany) intended to use the annual anniversary of the Angl0-American bombing of Dresden as an opportunity to draw attention to their cause. The JLO has been commemorating the 1945 firebombing of the East German city for the past 12 years. They seek to re-frame the historical debate around German guilt for the destruction of WWII. These young neo-Nazis emphasize the suffering Germans experienced during the war.

Over 10,000 counter-protesters showed up to confront approximately 5000 neo-Nazis and formed a human chain around the "brown hordes". Despite the presence of 5000 policemen, violence erupted between neo-Nazis and the "Linksautonomen"--we would refer to them as anarchists here. Ultimately, the Nazis couldn't march.

The image above, from Spiegel Online (Getty Images), shows anti-fascist demonstrators in action behind the police blockade.

Wait! Neo-Nazi Violence DROPPED!

The Local reported on January 5th that the BKA registered a reduction in Neo-Nazi violence during the past year. How does that compare to the earlier story in Time? I guess the important thing is the mere fact that the Neo-Nazis are laying off a bit.

Right Wing Violence on the Rise in Germany

Time's Berlin correspondent writes that the German BKA (Bundeskriminalamt) or Federal Criminal Police Office is concerned about a rise in right-wing political violence. "Politically and racially" inspired attacks have topped 20,000--"two to three far-right motivated violent crimes... each day. ... and around three to four anti-Semitic violent crimes each month." These neo-Nazi groups rely on the internet to disseminate their ideas but their attacks are increasingly occuring in public spaces like train stations. Since 1989, neo-Nazi sympathies have been particularly evident in the former East German Laender. The political party to watch out for is the NPD (Nationaldemokratische Partei Deutschlands)--there is no question in my mind that it's outlook is distinctly neo-fascist, if not totally neo-Nazi.
Currently, the NPD website advocates a ban on minarets.

Nazis? Again?

I suppose that it should come as no surprise that there are already two posts related to German neo-Nazi agitation on (in?) the blog. In this course, we're going to explore ethnic nationalism and its power to inspire terrible instability. Tony Judt writes that it is war, "not racism or ethnic antagonism or religious fervor" that results in atrocity and genocide, but I assert that all too often it is ethnic antagonism that inspires war, and that ethnic difference often serves as an easy means of dehumanizing the enemy.

More Right-Wing Extremism in Germany

Spiegel Online reports that neo-Nazis are now threatening the mayor of Mecklenburg, and he's under police protection. Rechtsextremen have posted threats on a well-known right-wing website, comparing him to a "Christmas goose" that should be "sacrificed". In all liklihood, the threat stems from a conflict between Mayor Gossel and the IPD (Interim Party of Germany), a small right-wing organziation subject to surveillance. The IPD belongs to the "Reichs-ideological part of the right-extreme scene" and it's goals are "somewhat obscure". Much like American right-wing groups, the IPD appears to possess a combination of racist, anti-immigrant, anti-liberal and anti-federal beliefs.

"The Brown Swamp"

Two weeks ago a neo-Nazi stabbed the chief of police of Passau. Today, the "Frankfurter Rundschau" reports that right-wing crime has increased by appoximately 30% in the past year. It's difficult to determine how strong neo-Nazism is in Germany. During the 90s it was stronger in the former East German states, and there was a series of high-profile attacks on Auslaender (foreigners)--particularly on those who fled to Germany to benefit from its liberal asylum laws. A related story concerns a neo-Nazi rally on Christmas Eve in Aachen.

Of course, about 500 counter-demonstators greeted the Nazis with jeers and curses. Juergen Linden, the mayor of Aachen said that "the provocation of this brown riff-raff fills us with loathing and disgust."

photo of Skinhead from Spiegel, on his neck: "Everything for Germany" and the tactical symbol for the 7th SS "Volunteer" division.