Teachers in eastern Germany face far-right threats

Max Teske is barred from providing details about the far-right incidents he reported at his school. The local education authority does not want the teacher and his colleague Laura Nickel talking about it.

What Teske can say, based on conversations he has had with fellow educators across the eastern German state of Brandenburg, is that the incidents he reported are not unique.

"Hitler salutes, graffiti, sexism, homophobia. These are issues that affect all schools," he told DW.

As a result, Teske and Nickel have announced they are leaving the school, located in Burg, a small town about 80 kilometers (50 miles) southeast of Berlin.

AfD popularity a growing cause for concern

About three months ago, the two teachers submitted an urgent letter that called out incidents at the school. Although the letter was signed anonymous, Teske said he and Nickel were targeted with threats. These included stickers that appeared near the school featuring their photos, urging them to stay away.

Using a vulgar term, the stickers told them to "go back to Berlin." That was around the time, Teske said, they got in touch with law enforcement.

Burg is located in the Spreewald, a popular tourist destination known for its natural beauty. The area's politics, however, are less tranquil. In the 2021 federal election, the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) won more than 30% of the vote in Burg. The AfD's popularity at local and regional levels has been a growing cause for concern among federal politicians.

In an interview with the Süddeutsche Zeitung newspaper, Brandenburg Education Minister Steffen Freiberg expressed sympathy for the teachers allegedly under threat, but also sounded a note of criticism. He rejected their complaint that their superiors did not give them enough support.

The news has prompted consternation in the mainstream political arena, not only in the state of Brandenburg but also among federal politicians in Berlin. President Frank-Walter Steinmeier expressed his concern about the developments at the school in Burg. "We must do everything for those who oppose populism and extremism and stand up for tolerance and democracy in this society," his spokesperson, Cerstin Gammelin, quoted him as saying on July 13. 

"There must be no place in Brandenburg where right-wingers want to stir up fears and drive out dissenters," said Brandenburg State Premier Dietmar Woidke.

Employment worries

Teske was hesitant to criticize the school's handling of the matter, out of fear it could lead to legal issues that would have an impact on his job. Instead, he focused on the changes he sees as necessary in society.

"Civil society must find a common way to deal with the issue," he said. "Democracy has to be promoted at school."

That Teske and Nickel are going elsewhere to teach suits the local AfD just fine. Jean-Pascal Hohm, an area party official, called Teske a "left-wing radical informer" and Nickel his "comrade."

Those terms hit especially hard here. When eastern Germany was a communist state, many people spied — or were suspected of spying — on their friends, family and neighbors on behalf of state security. The AfD has presente ditself as a bulwark against communism, using the region's painful history as a means to bolster its own political prospects.

Meanwhile, Hohm has denied that Brandenburg's schools suffer from a far-right problem. "Civic engagement works," he wrote. "There is no right-wing extremism problem in Brandenburg's schools."

Summer vacation has now begun for schools in Brandenburg. But politically, the situation remains tense. And in September 2024, state elections are expected in Brandenburg.

Nicolas Heintz contributed to this report.

This article was originally published in German

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