Brandenburg's Interior Minister Warns of Growing Danger from Right-Wing Extremist Youth Groups

Young Members and Social Media

These groups have been increasingly observed since 2024, Redmann said. It is noticeable that the members are particularly young and often still minors. Networking is increasingly happening via social media, which makes the work of security authorities more difficult. In individual cases, direct force by the police has become necessary against members, and investigations are underway "for example, for the use of unconstitutional symbols," as Redmann elaborated.

The Interior Minister pointed to a personnel and ideological continuity with the so-called neo-Nazi baseball bat scene of the 1990s. The head of the Brandenburg Office for the Protection of the Constitution, Peters, confirmed this assessment: "But at its core, what is found in terms of ideology and actions among these individuals is very similar to what we observed in the 1990s." Thus, the authorities are painting a picture that is attracting attention beyond Brandenburg.

Connections to the 1990s

Indications of a harsh state response were already provided in May: According to information from the interior committee, the Federal Public Prosecutor's Office took action against 36 suspected members of neo-Nazi groups, including nine individuals from Berlin and Brandenburg. Redmann described the action as necessary to dismantle the structures.

The threat situation is also reflected in the debate surrounding Christopher Street Days. These events are intended to commemorate the rights of queer people and are, according to the assessment of security authorities, specifically chosen as points of attack. This brings a form of event into focus that was previously primarily seen as an expression of visibility and self-assertion, but now increasingly requires security concepts.

CSDs in the Scene's Focus

There was opposition from the opposition. AfD state parliament member Daniel Freiherr von Lützow rejected the warning and stated: "You are trying to fabricate something here again that has long since ceased to be." He considers the era of violent assaults by the extreme right to be over. Redmann countered that current observations painted a different picture.

The minister announced that he would continue to closely monitor the development. He pointed out that several investigations were underway and that the police, in cooperation with the Office for the Protection of the Constitution, were assessing the situation. Brandenburg faces the task of responding to a scene that is rapidly forming via social media and often consists of very young members.

Criticism from the Opposition

The case has attracted attention beyond state borders. The Federal Public Prosecutor's Office had already conducted a large-scale raid in May against suspected neo-Nazi groups, during which individuals from Berlin and Brandenburg were also arrested. Experts consider these proceedings to be evidence that the networking between regional scenes and nationwide structures is close.

Redmann described the situation as dynamic. The development has only been visible in this form since 2024, but is now clearly recognizable. Brandenburg needs a vigilant security architecture that is both preventive and repressive. Police and the Office for the Protection of the Constitution must be capable, in terms of personnel and technology, of monitoring these fast-moving structures.