Raids against banned "Artgemeinschaft": 15 premises searched across six federal states
The Halle Public Prosecutor's Office is investigating 15 German nationals for breach of the association ban on the neo-Nazi "Artgemeinschaft". No arrests were made.
Searches on suspicion of continued operation of banned "Artgemeinschaft"
The Halle Public Prosecutor's Office carried out searches of 15 premises nationwide on Wednesday morning. According to Tagesschau, citing the ARD capital studio, there is suspicion that the right-wing extremist association "Artgemeinschaft", banned since September 2023, could still be active.
Investigations are being conducted against 15 German nationals for breach of the association ban. The State Criminal Police Office of Saxony-Anhalt has been tasked with the investigations. The Public Prosecutor's Office confirmed the proceedings but made no further statements regarding the background. No arrests were made.
According to information from security circles, the searches covered Saxony-Anhalt, North Rhine-Westphalia, Brandenburg, Berlin, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and Lower Saxony.
Ban under association law – legal challenge before Federal Administrative Court failed
The "Artgemeinschaft – Germanische Glaubensgemeinschaft wesensgemäßer Lebensgestaltung e.V." was banned in September 2023 by then Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser (SPD) under association law. The Federal Interior Ministry described it at the time as a neo-Nazi association that was hostile to foreigners and democracy, with approximately 150 members nationwide. The ministry cited opposition to the constitutional order and antisemitic content as grounds for the ban.
According to the ministry, the central objective of the association was the preservation and promotion of its own "species" – essentially National Socialist racial ideology. This included requirements for so-called "mate selection", whereby members were encouraged to choose a partner from the North and Central European "human species".
A legal challenge to the ban failed before the Federal Administrative Court, which dismissed the case on 29 April of this year. The court assessed "Artglaube" as racist and attributed a combative and aggressive stance to the association.
Association ban prohibits any continuation
An association ban results in the dissolution of the organisation and confiscation of its assets. Continuation of a banned association is an offence, as is the continuation of subsidiary organisations or the establishment of a replacement organisation.
According to the authorities, the searches are intended to corroborate the suspicion that the "Artgemeinschaft" is continuing to operate despite the ban. In total, approximately 80 right-wing extremist associations are banned in Germany.
Source: Tagesschau