Front German apples

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Flag of the German Apples Front (square version serves as logo)

The Front Deutscher Äpfel (FDÄ), sometimes also called Apple Front for short , is a satirical organization founded in Leipzig in 2004 that parodies right-wing extremist parties, in particular the National Democratic Party of Germany (NPD). Based on former or existing right-wing extremist organizational structures, it is divided into numerous sub-groups such as the youth organization National Fresh Fruit Germany (NFD), the women's organization Bund soft pears (BWB) and numerous local districts (see also Gauleiter ). The name goes back to the former NPD politician Holger Apfel .

program

Apple front activists in typical uniform with satirized right-wing extremist symbols

The organization represents political demands to keep the German fruit stock clean . The organization describes itself as a "national initiative against the foreign domination of the German fruit stand and against lazy herumlungerndes windfalls ".

The central demands of the organization are:

  1. Ending the foreign infiltration of the German fruit stock by grafting on foreign species
  2. Closure of the borders for tropical fruits ("Close borders for foreign fruits!")
  3. Elimination of rotten windfalls ("Turn windfalls into mush !")

In declarations, in public appearances and on its website , it tries, similar to the original right-wing and right-wing extremist Internet offers, to only use the German language and deliberately imitates the public appearance of right-wing extremist organizations. The homepage becomes the "home page", the website becomes the "world network page " and the discussion forum becomes the "board".

In particular, the terms, idioms and stylistic devices used by the NPD and its parliamentary group leader in the Saxon state parliament, Holger Apfel, in public relations work , such as “Borders tight!”, Are taken up by the apple front and emphasized, but it also changes the substantive thrust of fruit growing and fruit processing the intention to exaggerate political statements as humorous follies .

History and forms of action

founding

The organization was founded on September 19, 2004 following the election campaign and elections to the Saxon state parliament . The group around the founder Alf Thum does not see itself as a political left, but as a non-right. They describe themselves more as artists who break with the usual demo counter-demo ritual.

The youth organization of the front is called "National Fresh Fruit Germany" (NFD). The association “Bund soft pears” (BWB) is associated in the “national struggle”. According to the Sächsische Zeitung , the FDÄ had 15 members in June 2005 and the NFD 25 members. According to our own, more recent information, the number of members is already over 500 members and even more sympathizers.

Actions

FDÄ action on the market square of Graefenberg on August 18, 2007 on the counter-demonstration "Graefenberg is colorful"

Since it was founded, the organization has appeared in all major NPD and neo-Nazi marches, especially in East Germany , for the first time at the neo-Nazi demonstration on October 3, 2004 at the NPD rally in Leipzig, which was successfully prevented, on February 13 in Dresden, at the demonstration registered by Christian Worch on May 1st and October 1st, 2005 in Leipzig and on May 8th, 2005 in Berlin. They also took part in the youth politics festival Berlin 05 and Berlin 08 organized by the German government in June . The FDÄ was also represented at the counter-demonstration against the NPD march on May 1, 2008 in Hamburg-Barmbek .

Some Apple Front members wear black suits during their actions, which is why they described themselves as the "best dressed [sic!] , Freshest showered and best-looking [sic!] Black block of all time". On their left arm they wear a red armband with a black apple in a white circle, which is strongly reminiscent of the swastika armband from the time of National Socialism. The actors reacted to the adoption of left-wing and / or anti-imperialist codes and items of clothing such as the keffiyeh or Che Guevara T-shirts by right-wing extremists.

In addition, the organization asks publicly that their group be infiltrated by informants from the Office for the Protection of the Constitution . This, the apple front argues, is an important process for any national grouping that the apple front wants to be, and it would be a big step forward. In addition, it would be the only logical step after the identification of the apple armbands.

The Front Deutscher Äpfel sympathizes with the satirical party for work, the rule of law, animal welfare, elite promotion and grassroots initiative (Die PARTTEI) and called for support for the PARTY.

"Gaubung"

Despite the criticism and the frequent confusion with real right-wing extremists , the Front Deutscher Äpfel is enjoying increasing popularity nationwide, so that local sub-groups of the organization are forming. The exact nationwide number of members is not known, but one can assume a few hundred members, supporters and sympathizers.

For example, since August 2006 there has been a strong apple front group in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. The reason for the expansion beyond Saxony was the entry of the NPD into the state parliament of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania . Other local groups in other federal states followed, for example in Bavaria, North Rhine-Westphalia, Brandenburg and Hesse, in order to take analogous action against right-wing extremism locally.

Hungary

In 2011 a comparable organization was established in Hungary with the Hungarian Garlic Front ( Magyar Fokhagyma Front ). Since 2012 there has been an active collaboration between the two campaign formats, from which the political-artistic collective DADA Budapest emerged .

criticism

Speech of the FDÄ with satirical excessive symbolism on the market square of Graefenberg on August 18, 2007 as part of a demonstration against right-wing extremist marches

It is not uncommon for the appearance of the apple front to initially trigger discomfort, especially since the signs and flags are not immediately recognizable as a parody on a cursory glance. On July 25, 2006, the MDR published a picture of the apple front on its website in an article about the NPD with the caption “The NPD wants to get away from its racket image”. However, the false report of the MDR was criticized and the picture was removed.

In web forums, despite the obvious excess on closer inspection, there are always inquiries about how serious the apple front is with its demands. Critics are of the opinion that the Apple Front appearances are counterproductive and that actors are involved who have stepped into their "costume fascism" and so the fascist symbols ultimately remained stronger than the parody.

However, in its interviews and appearances, the Apple Front always points out that there are currently tendencies within the right-wing extremist spectrum to use other subcultural outfits, including copies of the dress code originally assigned to the autonomous scene. The costuming of the apple front is therefore an indication that Nazis are no longer necessarily recognizable by the commonly known colors, symbols, costumes and so on and that the aim is precisely to draw attention to these tendencies by irritating the public.

Reception in right-wing circles

The term “apple front” is used in right-wing extremist circles to distinguish themselves from the course of “serious radicalism” that Holger Apfel wanted to enforce as party leader of the NPD.

Front German Apples - The book on movement

In November 2014, Fruehwerk Verlag published the book on movement, edited by Max Upravitelev , a long-time member of the FdÄ. Authors are Ulrich Berger, Alain Bieber , Dieter Daniels , Veronika Darian , Leo Fischer , Sebastian Jabbusch, Marcel H. Pernik, Veronika Kopf, Armin Langer, Tilman Loos, Robin May, Linnéa Meiners , Sandro Odak, Markus Ohm, Tom Rodig , Henry Rudolph, Martin Sonneborn , Alf Thum , Max Upravitelev, Fernando Wawerek and Gregor Zocher .

Awards

2008

Golden record against the right (as part of the Berlin 08 Festival)

2014

Nomination of the CIVIS Online Media Prize (as part of the Civis - Europe's Media Prize for Integration )

literature

Movie

Web links

Commons : Front Deutscher Äpfel  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b Benjamin Schulz: Humor against the right. Nonsense with brown sauce Spiegel Online , August 18, 2011. Retrieved September 10, 2011
  2. ↑ Request of the official FDÄ flyer, PDF ( Memento of the original from February 15, 2010 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.apfelfront.de
  3. ↑ Satire against right-wing extremists. An Apple for the Nazis Spiegel Online, May 2, 2006. Retrieved September 10, 2011
  4. ↑ http://weltnetz.apfelfront.de/operation-europawahl/partei_uu/
  5. ^ "Front Deutscher Äpfel": Parody against the right . In: The daily newspaper: taz . 2010, ISSN  0931-9085 ( taz.de ).
  6. ↑ Lisa Altmeier: Protests against Orbán: Hungary is leaving the resistance. In: Zeit Online. March 18, 2013, accessed May 18, 2014 .
  7. ↑ http://brimboria.net/dada-in-budapest-2013/
  8. ↑ How neo-Nazis are discussing the NSU series of murders Jungle World No. 47, November 24, 2011. Accessed November 24, 2011
  9. ↑ http://www.l-iz.de/Bildung/Bücher/2014/11/Zehn-Jahre-Chronik-Buch-der-Front-Deutscher-Aepfel-58451.html Ralf Junke in the L-iz Retrieved on 30 November 2014
  10. ↑ Front German apples - The book for movement , Fruehwerk, Lucerne, ISBN 978-3-941295-13-1
  11. ↑ http://webmoritz.de/2008/06/19/npd-erverbindreich-verappelt-goldene-schallplatte-gegen-rechts/
  12. ↑ http://www.ard.de/home/intern/CIVIS_Medienpreis_fuer_Integration__25_Radio___Fernseh__und_Onlineprogramme_nominiert/927952/index.html