Alarming right-wing extremism at the BTU Cottbus: dozens of incidents!

Alarming right-wing extremism at the BTU Cottbus: dozens of incidents!

Exciting times at the Brandenburg Technical University Cottbus-Senftenberg (BTU): a monitoring center for right-wing extremism was set up there around ten months ago. Since then, students and employees have increasingly reported incidents of discrimination, coercion and violence that took place both on the university campus and in the immediate vicinity. However, the university is keeping a low profile about the exact number of reported cases, as [rbb24] reports.

Led by Susanne Dyhr, the monitoring center aims to document right-wing extremist incidents and offer support to those affected. Reported incidents include damage to property, right-wing extremist stickers and the wearing of clothing from extreme right-wing brands, with acts of violence particularly concerning. It is often members of the university who are affected by such attacks outside of campus. A concrete example illustrates the situation: A student who was threatened near his home was given a place in a student dormitory for the sake of his safety.

The situation on site

Since the introduction of a reporting system in October 2023, feedback from the student body has increased. Numerous students and teachers are looking for support in dealing with racist statements and online postings. According to [diebrandenburger], right-wing extremist attacks have also been reported, such as an incident in which a student was attacked while removing right-wing propaganda. “The number of reported incidents is not high, but each one is one too many,” emphasizes Dyhr.

The monitoring body does not act in isolation - the BTU has developed a comprehensive action plan against right-wing influence, which leads to training courses for teachers. These training courses are intended to ensure that teachers can respond appropriately to such topics in class. In addition, there are warnings against ethnic authoritarian tendencies that try to gain a foothold in public events.

A broad context

The situation in Cottbus and the southern Brandenburg region should not be underestimated: a toxic environment, characterized by militant neo-fascist groups and the AfD, has established itself. The monitoring center is the first of its kind at a German university and was created primarily to counteract increasing pressure from the right. The Office for the Protection of the Constitution is seeing worrying developments in the region. [Verfassungsschutz] reports that the potential number of people in the violent right-wing extremist scene has increased to around 15,300 people, while the total number of right-wing extremist crimes rose by an impressive 47.4% in 2024.

The challenges facing the BTU reflect current social conflicts. The right-wing extremist spectrum has not only manifested itself in the form of violence and attacks, but also uses social issues such as migration and asylum to spread anti-Semitic and anti-migrant positions.

The BTU has taken a courageous step with its monitoring center to protect students, teachers and the entire university environment. It remains to be seen how the situation in Cottbus will develop, but one thing is clear: attention to right-wing extremist incidents and support for those affected remain essential.