Left-Extremist Endeavours

Further increase in the
number of right-wing
extremists prepared to use
violence
Stagnation in the neo-Nazi
scene
DVU has the strongest
position within the spectrum
of right-extremist
parties
Also in terms of numbers, East Germany was the focus of rightextremist
skinheads and other violence-inclined right-extremists.
This potential of participants has in 1999 again increased significantly
with additional numbers joining the right-extremist skinhead
scene - a trend that has continued for years.
Another cause for concern is the increasing number of statements
- made by right-extremist skinheads and neo-Nazis alike -
in favour of violence as a means for achieving political aims.
Within the German skinhead scene, the internationally active
skinhead movement "Blood & Honour" has gained in influence.
On the other hand, systematic integration of skinheads in rightextremist
organizations continued to be the exception.
While the upward trend of the skinhead music scene, as observed
over a number of years, did not continue in 1999, this
scene has maintained a high level of involvement. The number of
bands and concerts has decreased slightly; the number of distributors
and fanzines was stagnant (cf. Chapter III, section 2,
below). This trend reflects the successful efforts by the security
authorities to prevent concerts of this type. Also, a large number
of law enforcement measures taken against distributors of skinhead
music and their customers rattled the scene.
The number of persons tending to be involved in the neo-Nazi
scene has slightly decreased. Most neo-Nazis joined "comradeships"
which, however, engaged in political activities - in the
form of demonstrations or their own publications - on a limited
scale only. In instances, networking of the comradeships has
further developed.
Thus, in Northern Germany, comradeships worked together under
the action motto of "Free Nationalists". Together with the
"Nationaldemokratische Partei Deutschlands" (NPD - "National
Democratic Party of Germany") and its youth organization "Junge
Nationaldemokraten" (JN - "Young National Democrats"), they
held demonstrations which, in terms of agitation, focused on
opposition to the travelling exhibition "War of Extermination.
Crimes of the Wehrmacht, 1941 - 1944" and on the glorification
of the Third Reich.
Within the right-extremist party structures, the "Deutsche Volksunion"
(DVU - "German People’s Union") held its position as the
party with the largest number of members and with the greatest
financial strength. It continues to be entirely dependent on its
founder and chairman, Dr. Gerhard FREY. In the various elections
in 1999, it was by far the most successful: it formed a parliamentary
group in the Brandenburg Landtag and won a seat in
Bremen’s Bürgerschaft [city-state Parliament]. The election results
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