To keep out a neo-Nazi foothold, one German town unites
Until recently, Delmenhorst was one of Germany's many decaying, postindustrial factory towns, blighted by unemployment and poverty and without a sense of pride or common purpose. But when a right-wing organization threatened to turn an abandoned downtown hotel into a neo-Nazi conference center five months ago, Delmenhorst's residents joined together and found some very creative ways to buy the building.
The city's butchers launched a "Bratwursts Against Nazis" campaign. Taxi drivers urged donations in lieu of tips. A professional soccer team from nearby Bremen donated signed jerseys, which were auctioned on eBay.
Meanwhile, countless protests sprang up in front of the building. Muslims and Jews banded together for one event. Children marched from schools across the city to stage a demonstration. Labor unions and politicians jumped into the fray, sometimes rallying crews of more than 4,000, according to organizers.
Delmenhorst's near daily protests and $1.2 million fundraising blitz, which made headlines across Europe, echo the anti-Nazi battles that have erupted in many towns as Germany's right-wing parties have surged.
According to the German Ministry of the Interior, there were about 8,000 politically motivated right-wing crimes between January and August 2006. That's double the number that were counted during the same period in 2004 and a 20 percent increase over 2005. Far-right parties have also made stunning electoral gains in parts of the nation's ragged east.
Experts believe the far-right groups have been able to achieve this success largely by building ideological centers that offer everything from right-wing workshops to rock concerts and social services for the elderly.
"These places are decisive for spreading the far right's influence in local communities and making them a legitimate social force," says right-wing extremism expert Hajo Funke.
Delmenhorst's ordeal started in late July, when the Wilhelm Tietjen Foundation for Fertilization bid $4.4 million for the Hotel am Stadtpark. The organization is directed by Jürgen Rieger, a neo-Nazi lawyer known for defending right-wing extremists and leading an annual march honoring Rudolf Hess, a top Third Reich official. He also wrote a book on the "disastrous" effects of "bastardizing" races.
Mr. Rieger has bought at least six properties since 1995, including a farm, a theater, a former army barracks, and a 19th century manor. His aim is to establish right-wing training facilities, as well as communes and fertility centers for members of the "Nordic blond race."
Delmenhorst's saga finally drew to a close two weeks ago, when the city, with the help of private donations and fundraising efforts, bought the 100-room hotel for some $4 million. The public drew a sigh of relief and politicians waxed triumphant.
"The Nazis are out, the city is united, and we have won the good fight," said Mayor Patrick de La Lanne.
"We knew it would destroy our community," says Günter Feith, a 58-year-old architect. "There would be constant clashes between Nazis and protesters. The streets would always be swarmed with police. You could basically shut our city center down."
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