By Michael Sauerbier
Hitler salutes, swastikas, Nazi sayings. The right-wing extremist incidents at the secondary school in Burg (Spreewald) are not an isolated case, according to a study by the Brandenburg Ministry of Education.
► Almost every second student thinks that “stop talking about our guilt towards the Jews” should be.
► One in four says that National Socialism “also had its good sides”.
► Just as many believe that the Germans are “superior to other peoples”.
The primary and high school in Burg (Spreewald). In an open letter, teachers have complained about right-wing incidents at their school in the Spree-Neisse district Photo: picture alliance/dpa
► Almost half (44.1%) of the students think that there are too many foreigners in Brandenburg.
Far-right attitudes are four times more common in high schools than in high schools. Xenophobia is as high in all school types as it is among adults.
Prof. Dietmar Sturzbecher, head of the study, sees the causes in the families. “The more parents take on AfD positions,” he said to the BZ, “the more difficult it becomes for the schools to change the attitude of the children in a democratic direction.”“
Brandenburg Minister of Education Steffen Freiberg (SPD) Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Michael Bahlo
Education Minister Steffen Freiberg (SPD) called on teachers to “look, act, help”. On Tuesday he visited the school in Burg for the first time, where students showed the Hitler salute. He spoke to teachers, parents and students at a “democracy festival”.
But: “The situation here hasn’t changed,” complains teacher Max Teske (31), who uncovered the right-wing incidents. The school management, which had looked the other way for a long time, is still in office. Freiberg’s ministry is silent on the reasons.