Thuringian Day of the National Youth

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Thuringian Day of the National Youth
General information
place various
genre Right-wing rock , songwriter , speeches
organizer NPD district associations in Thuringia, free nationalists
Period 2002 – today
Website thueringentag.com
Visitor numbers
2002 130
2003 350
2004 350
2005 150
2006 250
2007 370
2008 180
2009 150
2010 110
2011 800
2012 250
2013 160
2014 70
2016 120

The Thüringentag national youth is since 2002 once a year each to the last weekend in May in another city in Thuringia event taking place with Festival -character in which speakers from the spectrum of the National Democratic Party of Germany and the outdoor fellowships and several RechtsRock -Bands and songwriter occur. The festival was organized by the NPD with the help of the Free Comradeships. Since 2009 the organization has been taken over several times by the Free Comradeships alone. The number of participants varies between 130 and 370 people. In the anniversary edition of 2011, 800 visitors were recorded.

The background of the NPD festivals

After the " uprising of the decent " in 2000, the number of right-wing rock concerts across the country fell considerably and the police ensured that numerous right-wing extremist concerts could not take place or had to be canceled due to the "concert regulations". At the same time, the NPD increased its efforts to become active in the “pre-political area” and to win over politicized young people for the party through right-wing rock. One of the new concepts is to register concerts with neo-Nazi bands as political events of the NPD. In addition to the bands, speakers from the NPD and comradeship spectrum appear, on the one hand to give the events a political character and on the other hand to familiarize young people with right-wing extremist positions and demands. The offer is supplemented by information and sales stands where right-wing extremist organizations and publishers of newspapers and magazines, but also right-wing rock mail-order companies and labels, introduce themselves to their audience and offer material for sale.

These concerts, which have now often developed into annual events and have festival character, include, for example, the press festival of the NPD newspaper German Voice with up to 7,000 visitors.

The individual events

2002 in Jena

The 1st Thuringian National Youth Day took place on June 1st, 2002 in Jena . It was planned to hold the festival demonstratively on the market square in the historic center of the city, but it could be legally relocated to a place on the outskirts. The NPD district association Jena and the National Youth Jena acted as organizers. The latter was a youth organization founded in October 2001 from the community of the Comradeship National Resistance Jena , which demanded the establishment and financing of a “national youth center” by the city of Jena. The group close to the NPD declared 2002 the year of struggle and action for the Jena National Youth. In addition to a demonstration, the first Thuringian Day was the largest event of this group, in which Christian Kaiser appeared as the spokesman for the Jena National Youth. The other speakers were of national importance: Peter Borchert (NPD Schleswig-Holstein), Gerd Ittner (Citizens' Initiative Ausländerstop Nürnberg), Patrick Wieschke (NSAW) and Frank Schwerdt , the national managing director of the NPD and state chairman of the NPD Thuringia. Information stands were set up by the school newspaper Mitteldeutsches Sprachrohr , the Club 88 from Neumünster, the Kameradschaft Karlsruhe, the Kameradschaft Ostara, the Märkisches Heimatschutz and the German Volksgemeinschaft movement . Martin Rühlemann from Daasdorf (as “Völkischer Vagant”), another singer-songwriter and the Leipzig band Selection, who covered several Landser titles, provided the background music . According to the conservative estimate of the report for the protection of the constitution, "around 130 members of the right-wing extremist spectrum from Thuringia and other federal states" took part in the event. A total of six people were arrested on suspicion of using the markings of unconstitutional organizations, including a member of the Band Selection wearing a badge from the banned far-right organization Blood and Honor . Matthias Quent spoke from 350 participants on the Heinrich Böll Foundation's website.

The press releases published by the NPD following the event clearly show the character and objectives: “The entire area around Hölleinplatz, was the conclusion of the initiators, (was) nationally liberated on this day ... We were able to live out our culture in public , make new contacts with each other and have a nice day among comrades. "

2003 in Gotha

The following year the event took place on May 31 in Gotha . About 350 people took part in this second edition of the event. This time the speakers were Ralf Wohlleben (Jena), Michael Burkert (Friedrichroda), Ivonne Mädel (Meiningen), a "comrade Fabian" and again Gerd Ittner (Nuremberg). In addition to two songwriters, the band Odessa performed , whose name again clearly refers to the neo-Nazi orientation of the concert, as it is the abbreviation of the organization of the former SS members , whose existence, however, has not been proven. In addition to a right-wing rock concert, it was the largest right-wing extremist event in the Free State.

2004 in Saalfeld

For the third event in this series, which will take place on May 29, 2004 in Saalfeld under the motto “Abolish Capitalism - Fight Globalization ! For a strong national youth culture! ”Took place, the applicant Ralf Wohlleben and his deputy, the Gotha neo-Nazi Sebastian Reiche, once again increased their efforts. The speakers were again Ivonne Mädel, Michael Burkert, Patrick Wieschke, who had just been released from prison, and Frank Schwerdt, to whom this year a "comrade Mareike" from the Mädelring Thuringia and Kurt Hoppe , who Thuringian state chairman of the German party (DP) were added. It was the girl's first public appearance. The two songwriters Conny and Max as well as the neo-Nazi band Blood Revenge from North Rhine-Westphalia provided the background music. According to the NPD and the Protection of the Constitution, the number of participants was 250 to 300 people. While the civic engagement against the right-wing extremist event remained timid, a few members of the autonomous anti- fascist scene tried to disrupt the “Thuringian Day”.

2005 in Weimar

Compared to previous years, the advertising and expenditure for the 4th Thuringian Day of the National Youth on May 28, 2005 in Weimar were clearly limited. The motto was “Preserve your home and culture! Take action against capitalism & globalization! Strengthen the revolutionary German youth movement! ". As in Jena in 2002, the neo-Nazis were denied access to the central theater square with the German National Theater and the Goethe-Schiller monument, which they originally wanted to demonstratively occupy. The almost obligatory NPD speakers Schwerdt, Wieschke and Burkert were announced as speakers. Instead of the expected 500 or so visitors, only about 150 neo-Nazis, some with families, found their way to Weimar. At the same time, around 2000 Weimar citizens and guests spoke out at a demonstration and a festival against neo-Nazis and for tolerance and cultural diversity. The right-wing extremist festival was dissolved at around 4 p.m. by an order of the city of Weimar because, in the opinion of the city, the character of an assembly was no longer given. As a result, both the NSBM band Asatru from Bautzen and SKD could not play.

Around 2000 people demonstrated largely peacefully against the right-wing extremist event. The most spectacular action was the wrapping of the Weimar National Theater with the inscription "Weimar says NO!"

2006 in Altenburg

The 5th Thuringian Day took place on May 20, 2006 in Altenburg , East Thuringia . It was organized by the Altenburg neo-Nazi Thomas Gerlach and the comradeship “National Socialists - Altenburger Land”. The city had moved the event from the market square initially intended for this purpose to the north square in the Altenburg-Nord development area. According to the police, around 250 people from the right-wing extremist scene met here. Several representatives of the NPD such as Frank Schwerdt, Ralf Wohlleben and the chairman of the NPD district association Wartburgkreis Hendrik Heller as well as the Free Nationalists Isabell Pohl , Thomas Gerlach and another speaker from the Altenburger Land appeared as speakers. In addition to the local Hatecore band Eternal Bleeding , the black metal band Eugenik from Gera and Civil Disorder from Magdeburg played. An amateur play group performed an excerpt from the Altenburg prince robbery . Protest against the neo-Nazi event was articulated at an antifa demonstration with around 200 participants and at a community festival with roughly the same number of visitors. Proceedings were initiated against three neo-Nazis for wearing Nazi symbols.

2007 in Eisenach

The 6th Thuringian Day took place on May 19, 2007 in Eisenach , western Thuringia . Its motto was “Stay here and tackle - Thuringia's national youth stay in the country!”. The neo-Nazis began their political event, presented as a folk festival, in 2007 on Heinrich-Erhardt-Platz in Eisenach, where the Thuringian Day was also to take place. According to the police, around 370 people from the right-wing extremist scene met here. As usual, the organizers asked the participants to wear inconspicuous clothing in advance. Well-known scene clothing ( Consdaple ), combat boots, number combinations such as “88” or “18” were undesirable, and shady tattoos of the visitors should not be visible, so they should be covered in advance. Several representatives of the West Thuringian NPD and the Eisenacher Kameradschaft appeared as speakers, above all right-wing extremists known throughout Thuringia such as Frank Schwerdt , Thorsten Heise and the neo-Nazis Hendrik Heller , Danny Pfotenhauer and the convicted Patrick Wieschke, who are known in the Wartburg district . In addition to the program consisting of speeches, right-wing extremist bands Carpe Diem , Vae Victis Deutschland and Nordglanz played . There was also a performance of Wagner's Tannhäuser with the Singers' War at the Wartburg . This piece was performed by the "Thuringian Theater Group", which has appeared since the 2006 Thuringian Day. The accession of the 452nd member of the Thuringian NPD was celebrated. The NPD tried mainly to get a look at people's festivals. There was a play street, a bouncy castle and a free bratwurst for children .

The protest against the event was broad. The counter-rally was registered by the cross-party Eisenach “Alliance against Right-Wing Extremis”, of which Eisenach's Lord Mayor Matthias Doht is a member. In addition, the IG Metall-Jugend , the DGB-Jugend , the Linkspartei.PDS , Antifa , the Eisenacher MLPD and church representatives called for a counter-demonstration. The march went through large parts of the city. The party of the NPD was consistently shielded from the police. Heinrich-Erhardt-Platz was on the other side of the railway line running through Eisenach, which made it easy to strategically prevent the meeting of neo-Nazis and counter-demonstrators. When it comes to the number of counter-demonstrators, the NPD propagates the number of 350 people, but neutral figures speak of at least twice as many participants in this broad alliance, not counting the visitors to the numerous cultural events against the neo-Nazi festival that took place in Eisenach (May 18, 2007, "Bumsfallera", Beat Against Fascism in the Eisenacher Schlachthof; May 19, 2007 "Wandelhallenfest", a kind of evening anti-festival in the Eisenacher Wandelhalle)

2008 in Sondershausen

The 7th Thuringian Day took place on May 17th, 2008 in Sondershausen in front of about 180 participants. The motto was “Young people need a future! Young people need a home! ”. The organizer was the NPD district association Kyffhäuserkreis. The speakers included Patrick Wieschke , Frank Schwerdt , Christian Kaiser, Thomas Gerlach , Ralf Wohlleben and Patrick Weber . The musical accompaniment was provided by the songwriters Torstein and Max as well as the right-wing rock groups Fight Tonight (with the former singer from Kampfzone ), Revolution (Eternal Pride), Glorial Honors and Exxtresiv .

2009 in Arnstadt

The 8th Thuringian Day took place on June 13, 2009 in Arnstadt . The organizers were “Free Forces” around Ralf Wohlleben and Patrick Wiedorn, as the NPD wanted to avoid bad press shortly before the state elections in Thuringia in 2009 . Speakers from the ranks of the Autonomous Nationalists were particularly present . There were speeches by Tony Gentsch , Matthias Fischer (ex- "Franconian Action Front"), Dennis Bührig ("Kameradschaft Celle 73") and Isabell Pohl ("Feenwald Project", ex- "Active Women Fraction"). The two songwriters Maximilian and Tobia as well as the right-wing rock bands Fight Tonight, Libertin and Frontalkraft provided the accompanying musical program . Several hundred visitors took part in the event without being disturbed by counter-demonstrations. Hans-Christian Köllmer , the mayor of Arnstadt, is said to have had posters with the inscription “Colorful diversity instead of brown simplicity” removed in advance. He also stood against the protests together with the Free Voting Association Pro Arnstadt . The approval should also have taken place without problems.

2010 in Pößneck

The 9th Thuringian National Youth Day took place on June 12, 2010 between 2:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. in the Pößnecker Lutschgenpark. First the Thuringian Day was supposed to take place in Ilmenau , but there it was canceled again without giving any reason. This year's motto was “The Democrats bring us people's death - let's stop them!” The speakers were Tobias Kammler from the Wartburg district, Max from Jena, Maik Müller from Dresden, Mareike Bielefeld from Saalfeld, Thomas Wulff and a spokesman for the Franconian Confederation. The bands Aufbruch , 12 Golden Years and Thrima were supposed to play between the speeches.

As a counter-action, the Antifa Pößneck and the Protestant youth organized a whistle concert . At the demonstration against the festival 150 people gathered and demonstrated peacefully.

2011 in Sondershausen

The NPD had originally registered the tenth event for June 4, 2011 in Nordhausen; but it was through the District Office Nordhausen meeting legally prohibited. Preventive applications by the NPD against a ban had been rejected by the Administrative and Higher Administrative Court in Weimar. As a result, the chargeable event was moved by the NPD to an industrial park in Sondershausen . With around 800 visitors, it was the largest event in the series to date. Among other things, the NPD chairman Udo Voigt and the Saxon NPD member of the state parliament Andreas Storr appeared as speakers and the music groups Sleipnir , Words of Anger , Kinderzimmer Terroristen, Nordglanz and the singer Frank Rennicke .

2012 in Meiningen

The eleventh Thuringian Day took place on June 11, 2012 in Meiningen . Only 200 to 250 visitors had come. Patrick Wieschke , Holger Apfel , Hendrik Heller and Tobias Kammler acted as speakers . The musical program was provided by Faust , Strongside , Preussenstolz and Kinderzimmerterroristen (KZT). The event ended at 7 pm, while a counter-event of the “Alliance for Democracy and Tolerance” attracted 400 people and a counter-demonstration included 150 people. In the national scene, the event is seen as a flop.

2013 in Kahla

The twelfth Thuringian Day took place on June 15, 2013 in Kahla , south of Jena. About a week earlier, the same event had been registered as a diversion in Sonneberg . The organizers included the Free Nationalists Saalfeld and Kahla, Steffen Richter, Ringo Köhler and David Buresch. The number of visitors was around 160, topics were media manipulation and expressions of solidarity with Ralf Wohlleben, who is a defendant in the NSU trial . Several banners and T-shirts called for solidarity with the neo-Nazi who was in custody. The speakers included Dieter Riefling and Martin Wiese . These also referred to well-being. Wiese had previously been arrested for wearing a T-shirt that said, "Have you thought of Hitler today?" Frank Rennicke, the Thuringian neo-Nazi band Hermunduren and the Dresden band priority 18 came as musical guests. A performance by the band Kraftschlag had been discussed, but did not take place. As with the previous events, this year too was a flop.

In contrast, around 600 people demonstrated against the event, with the participation of the Kahla population being described as relatively low. On the sidelines of the protests, Minister of Social Affairs Heike Taubert awarded the Thuringian Democracy Prize.

2014 in Sömmerda - canceled

The thirteenth edition of the Thuringian National Youth Day was initially announced for June 2014. Organization and planning was done by neo-Nazi cadre Patrick Weber from Sondershausen. However, the event was postponed to November 1, 2014 and ultimately canceled entirely. It should be the biggest event so far. A heated tent with space for 1000 people had been announced.

The Alliance for a Tolerant District of Sömmerda organized the "Day of Tolerance" as a countermeasure. The alliance was awarded the Thuringian Democracy Prize, endowed with 1000 euros, for its commitment.

2015 in the Veßra monastery

After the disaster in 2014, the Thuringian Day 2015 should be revived. Initially announced for June 6th, it finally took place on September 26th, 2015. With only 70 participants, the event was a flop. The band Unpopular Boys performed as a band .

2016 in Sömmerda

The fourteenth Thuringian National Youth Day took place on June 11, 2016 under the motto "For a future worth living - No to foreign infiltration of our homeland!" About 120 people had traveled. Nordglanz, Sachsenblut and Mortuary appeared on bands .

2017 in Gotha - canceled

The 15th edition of the concert was supposed to take place in Gotha on June 10, 2017, but was canceled at the end of May. In addition to a children's program, the band Loyalty Order and the speakers Patrick Weber and Michael Zeise were announced. There should be stands from several right-wing extremist organizations, a mail order company and a fashion label.

Model effects for similar events

The Thuringian Day preceded a series of similar music events of the NPD and the free comradeships (mainly in Thuringia), such as the Festival of the Nations on June 11, 2005 in Jena and the NPD Open Airs Rock gegen Krieg, which has been taking place in Gera since 2003 or rock for Germany . In the meantime attempts are being made to organize similar events in other regions as well. Like the Schulhof-CD project , such events show the clear efforts to address young people in particular through music and “right-wing lifestyle”, who can hardly be reached through traditional forms of (not only right-wing extremist) political communication such as rallies and demonstrations.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b Thuringian Ministry of the Interior (ed.): Verfassungsschutzbericht 2008. Free State of Thuringia . Erfurt 2009, p. 30 ( thueringen.de [PDF]).
  2. ↑ a b Report on the Protection of the Constitution of Thuringia 2002: II. Right-wing extremism ( Memento from July 19, 2011 in the Internet Archive )
  3. ^ Matthias Quent : The extreme right in Thuringia: Development of the neo-Nazi scene. November 16, 2011, accessed May 20, 2017 .
  4. ↑ Constitutional Protection Report Free State of Thuringia 2003 (press version) . Erfurt 2004, p. 30 ( thueringen.de [PDF]).
  5. ↑ Ellen Esen: Right-Wing Extremists Today - Current Developments and Case Studies . In: Stephan Braun, Alexander Geisler, Martin Gerster (eds.): Strategies of the extreme right: Backgrounds - Analyzes - Answers . Springer-Verlag, 2015, ISBN 978-3-658-01984-6 , pp. 309 .
  6. ↑ Constitutional Protection Report Free State of Thuringia 2004 (press version) . Erfurt 2005, p. 30 ( thueringen.de [PDF]).
  7. ↑ Constitutional Protection Report Free State of Thuringia 2004 (press version) . Erfurt 2005, p. 97 ( thueringen.de [PDF]).
  8. ↑ Thuringian State Parliament - 4th electoral period (ed.): Small question from MPs Berninger (PDS) and answer from the Thuringian Ministry of the Interior - Racist and right-wing extremist activities in the months of April to June 2005 . Printed matter 4/1114, August 8, 2005 ( die-linke-thl.de [PDF; 242 kB ]).
  9. ↑ Constitutional Protection Report Free State of Thuringia 2005 (press version) . Erfurt 2006, p. 97 ( thueringen.de [PDF]).
  10. ↑ Chronicle of the right-rock concerts and right-wing extremist recitals in Thuringia in 2005. (PDF) Mobit , accessed on May 21, 2017 .
  11. ^ Association for Democracy and Tolerance eV Weimar / Weimarer Land, civic alliance against right-wing extremism Weimarer Land, civic alliance against right-wing extremism Weimar (ed.): We have something against it. Right-wing extremism and civil society . 2nd revised edition. Weimar April 15, 2009, p. 71 ( bgr-weimar.de [PDF; 4.3 MB ]).
  12. ↑ Constitutional Protection Report Free State of Thuringia 2006 (press version) . Erfurt 2007, p. 46 ( thueringen.de [PDF]).
  13. ↑ Chronicle of right-wing extremist activities in Thuringia 2006. (PDF) mobit.de, accessed on May 21, 2017 .
  14. ^ Constitutional Protection Report Free State of Thuringia 2007 (press version) . Erfurt 2008, p. 46 ( thueringen.de [PDF]).
  15. ↑ Andrea Röpke : Thuringian Day of the National Youth . In: The Right Edge No. 119 (July / August 2009). P. 10f.
  16. ↑ Regina Rahe: Irritierendes from Arnstadt: Right-wing extremists celebrate “Thuringian Day” alongside the city's “traditional festival”. Belltower.News , May 27, 2009, accessed May 21, 2017 .
  17. ↑ Thuringian Landtag, 6th electoral period (ed.): Small question from MPs König (DIE LINKE) and answer from the Thuringian Ministry of the Interior and Local Affairs: Neo-Nazi group "Turonen" and "Garde 20" - asked . Printed matter 6/3753, April 18, 2017 ( thueringen.de [PDF]).
  18. ↑ Oliver Cruzcampo: 300 neo-Nazis expected on Thuringia Day on June 12th. Endstation Rechts , June 9, 2010, accessed June 9, 2017 .
  19. ↑ Whistling concert against the right “Thuringian Day” in Pößneck. Ostthüringer Zeitung , June 13, 2010, accessed on May 21, 2017 .
  20. ↑ Press release of the Nordhausen district office, based on: Nordhausen district prohibits NPD events ( Memento of the original from January 17, 2012 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , Alliance against Right-Wing Extremism, Nordhausen , June 3, 2011 @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.bgr-nordhausen.de
  21. ↑ Review: Thuringian Day of the NPD and Day of the German Future 2011 , ATR.NordThüringen, July 22, 2011
  22. ^ A b Marc Brandstetter: Thuringia: Season opener for neo-Nazi concerts. Endstation Rechts , May 4, 2015, accessed on May 21, 2017 .
  23. ^ Marc Brandstetter: "Thuringian Day of National Youth". Right end of the line , June 14, 2012, accessed on July 12, 2012 .
  24. ↑ NPD flops with “Thüringentag”. Die Zeit , June 12, 2012, accessed on July 12, 2012 .
  25. ↑ Thuringian National Youth Day 2013: Recruiting young talent through the right culture of experience. Naziskahla.wordpress.com, accessed May 21, 2017 .
  26. ↑ Thuringian Day of National Youth 2013 on otz.de
  27. ↑ Keyword: "Thuringian Day of National Youth": Right-wing skirt for "wool". Publikative.org , June 16, 2013, accessed May 21, 2017 .
  28. ↑ Current: Thuringian National Youth Day canceled. Demokratiestark.de, October 23, 2014, accessed May 21, 2017 .
  29. ↑ The Alliance for a Tolerant District Sömmerda received the Thuringian Democracy Prize . In: District Office Sömmerda (Hrsg.): Official Journal of the District Sömmerda . No. 49 , December 16, 2015, p. 16 ( landkreis-soemmerda.de [PDF]).
  30. ↑ Thuringian Ministry of the Interior (ed.): Verfassungsschutzbericht Freistaat Thüringen 2014/2015 . Gera 2016, p. 71 ( thueringen.de [PDF]).
  31. ↑ Monthly chronicle. Protection of the Constitution of Thuringia, accessed on May 21, 2017 .
  32. ↑ German Bundestag, 18th electoral term (ed.): Answer of the federal government to the minor question from the MPs Ulla Jelpke, Petra Pau, Frank Tempel, other MPs and the DIE LINKE parliamentary group: Music events of the extreme right in the second quarter of 2016 . Printed matter 18/9313, August 1, 2016, p. 4 ( bundestag.de [PDF]).
  33. ↑ Dates. thueringenrechtsaussen.wordpress.com, May 10, 2014, accessed on May 21, 2017 .