Three years after Hanau: This is how our society becomes fit against the right

inland

Gökhan Gültekin, Sedat Gürbüz, Said Nesar Hashemi, Mercedes Kierpacz, Hamza Kurtovic, Vili Viorel Păun, Fatih Saraçoğlu, Ferhat Unvar and Kaloyan Velkov. These are the names of the people who were shot within six minutes on February 19, 2020. Six other people were injured. The perpetrator: Tobias Rathjen, right-wing extremist.

After the bloody act, he returns to his parents’ house, first shoots his mother and then himself. Rathjen left behind a manifesto that impressively illustrates his right-wing extremist sentiments. His father still terrorizes the bereaved and survivors today.

Right-wing radicalism in the middle of society. Rathjen was a member of the rifle club. Never conspicuous, says the chairman. Never abusive towards members with a migration background. Normal conversations possible. The chairman would not have believed that Rathjen was already spreading right-wing extremist ideas and conspiracy theories on the Internet.

Neo-Nazis, right-wing extremists and citizens of the Reich do not always draw attention to themselves with flags.Image: dpa / Fabian shrub

The Tobias Rathjen massacre is not an isolated case. At least 113 people have been killed by right-wing extremists since the 1990s Amadeu Antonio Foundation even assumes 213 victims. Already the grand coalition under Angela Merkel has set itself the task of taking a closer look at right-wing violence.

The traffic light coalition wants to further expand the package of measures that the coalition partners have made. Interior Minister Nancy Faeser (SPD) declared the fight against right-wing extremism to be a matter for the bosses early on in her term of office. The Democracy Promotion Act passed in December is also intended to provide more support for civil society engagement. So something is happening, you could say.

How does our society become fit against the right? What has actually changed after Hanau and where there is still room for improvement, watson spoke to initiatives that work in this area.

Antifascism through educational work

After a request from Watson, the Federal Ministry of the Interior refers to the catalog of measures presented by the Cabinet Committee to combat right-wing extremism and racism in 2020 and the action plan against right-wing extremism presented in 2022.

But is that enough?

It’s far from enough, says Eva Berendsen from the Anne Frank educational center. For them it is clear: the racist attack in Hanau, the anti-Semitic attack on a synagogue in Halle and the murder of Walter Luebcke belong together. Part of a long chain of racially motivated hate violence in Germany. She says:

In 2019, the CDU politician Walter Lübcke was murdered by a right-wing extremist.Image: dpa/Uwe Zucchi

The raids on the Reich citizen scene, which were only carried out in December, would also have shown: The breeding ground for right-wing terror continues. “In the course of the corona pandemic and the radicalization in the conspiracy ideological scene, the situation has worsened,” says Berendsen.

For them it is clear: we all have to be more vigilant. Berendsen says: “Anti-racism must take place everywhere – at the family table, in schoolyards, in the subway and in the security authorities.” How exactly does she imagine that? The federal and state governments should invest more in educational projects across the board – “There is a lack of long-term financial security for democracy projects in Germany, that would be an important step,” she explains. The traffic light democracy promotion law is not sufficient here.

Interior Minister Nancy Faeser has made the fight against the right-wing priority.Image: dpa/Sebastian Gollnow

Yunus Özak from the mobile advisory team against racism and right-wing extremism – for democratic culture (MBT) in Hesse describes it in a similar way. Ducking away doesn’t help, he says. It is always important to contradict right-wing, racist and anti-Semitic statements – if that doesn’t happen, right-wingers feel strengthened. But how exactly should witnesses of racism behave?

Without opposition, rights have an easy time

Özak says: “It is important not to leave those affected by racism alone. Racism affects everyone, not just those who are affected.” In practice, it is helpful to look for allies. A single anti-fascist is often excluded from a village community alone. It is also scary to be the only one to come to the aid of an affected person. That’s why it’s easier in a group.

Racism is still rooted in the middle of society today

Özak also makes it clear: It is not enough to only contradict on a private level. Racism is not only found on the local soccer field or in the pub, but also when looking for a job, at work or at school.

And the problem goes even deeper. Right-wing ideas are not only rooted in mainstream society – also within the police force. It has been proven that she has problems with right-wing extremists within some units in Hesse. And in other federal states, too, right-wing cells keep attracting attention – just now there are hate-mongering ones chat by police students in Saxony-Anhalt came to light.

A Frankfurt elite unit had to be disbanded in 2021 – parts of the SEK unit were deployed in Hanau. “The fight against right-wing extremism must also be carried out more intensively within the security authorities themselves,” Eva Berendsen makes clear.

But that alone is not enough. Police officers are often unable to recognize anti-Semitic or racist codes. From Berendsen’s point of view, they should be better trained; otherwise there is not much point in stepping up repression.

How a hashtag changes everyday life

The assassination left deep wounds in Hanau. People with migration experience had experienced a significant shake in their sense of security. At the same time, says Berendsen, the visibility of anti-racist positions has increased as a result of the active culture of remembrance. The relatives of the victims and the survivors did educational work and continue to demand clarification.

For example in the investigative committee of the Hessian state parliament. In this context, Berendsen also mentions the “19 February Hanau” initiative, which uses blog entries to provide further information about the attack and the consequences. Working on social media is important. Berendsen says:

The networking of those affected from Halle and Hanau has led to an important boost in solidarity with and among victims of anti-Semitism and racism. From Özak’s point of view, the greater visibility is a good start. The perspectives of those affected should also be incorporated much more into political work.

In Hanau, the victims of the attack are regularly commemorated in public.Image: imago/snapshot-photography/KMKrause

According to the expert, this visibility and the culture of remembrance have developed a greater sensitivity in society to the dangers of right-wing violence. But there is still a lot to be done.

There is still a lot to be done politically

In the short term, it is important to take the concerns of those affected seriously. Özak says:

Like Berendsen, he also calls for longer-term funding for support facilities. People who are affected by racist violence or who rebel against it need a well-equipped contact point. Özak has no understanding that there are currently hundreds right-wing extremistswho are wanted on warrants have gone into hiding.

“The best support for anyone affected is to take the danger of right-wing terror seriously and prevent future attacks,” he says. Therefore the politics use all legal means to take action against the extreme right.