Knife Threats and Protection Money: New Violence Incidents at Ludwigshafen Problem School
A student was threatened with a knife and protection money demands were reported at the Karolina-Burger-Realschule plus in Ludwigshafen in late August. Politicians and parents are debating a genuine fresh start.
Student Threatened, Protection Money Demanded: Escalation at Ludwigshafen Problem School
In late August, a student at the Karolina-Burger-Realschule plus in Ludwigshafen was threatened with a knife on the school premises. The boy remained uninjured but was reportedly very frightened. According to WELT's reporting, the information comes from a teacher who wished to remain anonymous.
The same teacher described further conditions to the newspaper "Bild": older students demanded a form of protection money from younger ones – those who paid would be left alone. The Rhineland-Palatinate Police Headquarters confirmed tersely to "Bild": "We can confirm that an investigation is underway for bodily harm and threats."
A School Under Constant Pressure
The secondary school in Rhineland-Palatinate's second-largest city has been in the spotlight for months. In January, tear gas was sprayed on three consecutive days; in October of last year, police launched a major operation. In May 2025, a student allegedly attacked a teacher with a knife. Most recently, false alarms triggered fire brigade deployments; 14-year-olds got into fights on the school premises. The migrant proportion of the student body was 86.5 per cent in the 2024/2025 school year.
At the beginning of the new school year, around a third of teaching staff reported sick. The school authority responded and announced new school leadership and a package of measures. Education Minister Ute Eiling-Hütig justified the step: the problems were not solvable within existing structures – the state had to take over.
Politicians and Parents Struggling Over a Fresh Start
The CDU politician will present her plans to the Rhineland-Palatinate state parliament's education committee this Thursday. At the same time, ADD President Andreas Kruppert and Education State Secretary Jenny Groß will present the package of measures at a full staff meeting at the school.
The Rheinhessen-Pfalz parents' council demands a genuine fresh start – and no short-term measures. Regional parents' representative Justyna Winkler told the news agency dpa that there had to be a safe and orderly school day again with clear and reliable structures. "The name of a school must not become a negative stigma that could disadvantage young people in job applications or the transition to working life," Winkler explained. Children and young people should never feel the need to justify themselves for or be ashamed of their own school.
More Social Work Instead of Police Presence
The situation must not be reduced to individual persons or merely a change in leadership, Winkler emphasised. Regular police presence was not considered a sustainable solution. Instead, a strengthening of school social work and the permanent deployment of multiprofessional teams were required.
Additionally, close collaboration with school psychology, special needs education and other specialists was needed, as well as active support from the school authority. For positive development, open and timely communication as well as transparency in decision-making were above all necessary, according to Winkler.
Source: WELT