Tarnished German image on World Cup eve

Though there are fewer deaths nowadays, says Kahane, the German political elite continues to ignore the fact that racism is spreading into all levels of society. The way the government is handling the current situation is proof of that, she says.

"Germany's defensive strategy when it comes to racism is part of the problem," she says. "They don't focus on the fact that [in East Germany] it's not safe for people of color to move freely."

Brandenburg and other states of the former East Germany make up just 20 percent of the country's population, but half of the right-wing activity, according to a report released last week by the Interior Ministry. The lack of economic opportunities for young people in the depressed regions has something to do with the problem, say sociologists. But so do crumbling family structures, a missing tradition of multiculturalism, and westward migration.

"The people who leave are the smart ones, the ones who are good in school," says Mr. Reinecke, the columnist. "What remains is a negative social selection. The people who stay are not mobile, are not smart. Frustration is their reason for violence."

The new Interior Ministry report showed a 24 percent increase in the numbers of right-wing attacks, and a rise in neo-Nazis to 4,100 from 3,800. Government officials tried to counter concerns that such groups would try and disrupt the World Cup by promising last week to increase police patrols. Interior Minister Wolfgang Schäuble told reporters that Germany "will do everything in its power to prevent the World Cup from being used by extremist organizations to spread their abhorrent thoughts."

The vast majority of Germans share his conviction. Equally as vehement as the discussion about "no-go" areas has been the desire by Germans not to be pushed into the same corner as the extremists as the World Cup nears.

"As a citizen of this country, I don't want a small minority to ruin Germany's image of hospitality," says Freitag. "I think that would be unfair." Antiracism advocates say the true test of Germany's commitment to tackling its right-wing problem will come after the World Cup, when the need to protect its image abroad is less urgent but the problem just as pressing.

"I think that the question should be asked continually, and not just in the weeks up to the World Cup," says Esther Lennart. Together with her colleague Timm Köhler, Ms. Lennart has been working to stop right-wing influence in such Berlin districts as Lichtenberg. Their consultancy group, mbr, sets up programs that help victims of racist attacks and aim to eliminate breeding grounds for right-wing culture - with some success.

"Where we work, they've started talking about right-wing extremism in a different way," says Köhler. "A few years ago it was a taboo subject."

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