'Baseball bat years' continue to haunt eastern Germany, 30 years on
Summary
In the years after the Berlin Wall fell, eastern Germany saw many attacks by far-right groups against migrants, LGBTQ+ people, and left-wing activists. Thirty years later, racist violence is rising again, and far-right political groups are gaining more influence in Germany.Key Facts
- The early 1990s in former East Germany were marked by violent attacks from far-right extremists, called the "baseball bat years."
- During this time, police were weakened and new government authorities in the east were not fully working.
- Far-right groups targeted migrants, asylum centers, LGBTQ+ people, and left-wing activists, causing deaths and injuries.
- Racist violence is increasing in Germany again, 30 years after those events.
- Courts are prosecuting more young people connected to neo-Nazi groups.
- The far-right political party AfD (Alternative for Germany) has gained support and given some far-right groups more influence.
- For many people who lived through the 1990s, the rise in far-right violence feels like history repeating itself.
Read the Full Article
This is a fact-based summary from The Actual News. Click below to read the complete story directly from the original source.