Right-wing extremist incidents at schools in Hesse have increased dramatically!

Right-wing extremist incidents at schools in Hesse have increased dramatically!

It is an alarming development: In Hesse, right-wing extremist incidents in schools are increasing massively. Compared to previous years, the numbers have increased immeasurably. As the Hessian/Lower Saxony General reported, a total of 11 incidents were reported in the Hersfeld-Rotenburg district in the 2024 and 2025 school years, while 8 cases were reported in the neighboring Werra-Meißner district. These incidents mainly affect secondary schools and include, among other things, the use of anti-constitutional symbols such as swastikas and xenophobic slogans.

Particularly frightening are the incidents in which students loudly shout racist slogans in connection with music by Gigi D'Agostino or, as recently happened in Wiesbaden, even applaud during an educational film about the Holocaust. Such scenes highlight a profound social problem. The Hesse show notes that the number of reported incidents more than tripled from 37 to 167 in 2024, with 31 cases already reported by March 20, 2025. This makes Hesse the state with the highest increase in incidents.

Causes and reactions

How does this increase come about? One factor could be the increased use of social media by young people, who are made susceptible to right-wing extremist content through platforms such as TikTok. Malte Lantzsch from the mobile advisory team against right-wing extremism confirms this connection, reporting a wide spectrum of incidents ranging from racist sayings to extreme symbolism.

The Hessian Ministry of Culture has responded to this alarming development and called on schools in November 2023 and February 2024 to immediately report anti-Semitic and extremist incidents. The school principals are under pressure - they must take active action with their school community against these tendencies. Tina Dürr from the Hesse Democracy Center emphasizes that schools are increasingly asking for help to immediately address and dismantle right-wing extremist slogans.

Schools and support

Headmaster Uwe Petersen from Kassel plans to have his high school join the “School without Racism – School with Courage” network and offer corresponding teaching units. This is certainly a positive initiative, but the pressure to act remains high. Teachers often feel unsafe when dealing with such incidents, which also means that many incidents are not reported at all, as a survey by the Thuringian Teachers' Association shows.

The need for action is undisputed. Especially at a time when social polarization is increasing, it is important to strengthen schools and offer more support. Projects to promote democracy had to worry about their funding, which made the situation even more difficult. Advice centers are overloaded and need more continuity and support to meet increasing demand.

In summary, it shows that the fight against right-wing extremism in schools in Hesse is more urgent than ever before. Action must be taken before the line of the unspeakable is crossed again. Each incident is not only a failure of society, but also a call to take action together and advocate for a respectful and diverse school environment. The alarming figures are not just statistics, they reflect the challenges that schools face every day and underline the need to take strong action against misanthropic views.