Appeal for donations for those affected by neo-Nazi attacks in Bitterfeld

On the night of April 18, 2015, as yet unknown perpetrators carried out an arson attack on a caravan on the premises of the Alternative Kulturwerk (AKW) in Bitterfeld-Wolfen. Only by a lucky coincidence, the person who normally lives and works in the caravan was not in the caravan that night. The caravan was totally destroyed by the attack. The AKW Bitterfeld-Wolfen is one of the few places in the Anhalt-Bitterfeld district where refugees and non-right-wing, alternative and anti-fascist youth and adults feel safe from right-wing attacks and racist discrimination. The living and working place of a dozen young women and men, who have created a non-commercial and neo-Nazi-free space through cultural and workshop offers, has existed for 18 years. Now this space is acutely threatened.

Neo-Nazi offensive in Bitterfeld

The arson attack is one of a series of 15 politically right-wing motivated attacks in Bitterfeld-Wolfen since the beginning of 2015. In these attacks, masked and armed neo-Nazis entered the homes of left-wing youths and young adults, a 16-year-old was attacked with a baseball bat at the train station, refugees were threatened and bottles were thrown at them, and attacks were made on the offices of members of parliament of the LEFT and Alliance 90/The Greens parties. At least seven people were injured in the attacks. (see, among other things, the chronicle of the Mobile Victim Counseling Service).

The neo-Nazis' offensive is no coincidence: For months, the extreme right-wing Reichsbürger, neo-Nazis from the III. Weg, from the "Die Rechte" party and the Free Comradeships have been publicly agitating against refugees, Jews and young leftists at so-called Monday vigils. The perpetrators also feel emboldened by the continuing wave of racist sentiment, as most recently in Tröglitz. In Bitterfeld - and not only there - the neo-Nazis rely on the fact that the colorful, sometimes noisy and deliberately different life in the NPP is offensive and present themselves as enforcers of a supposed "will of the people" against alternative (sub)cultures.

Solidarity and security

Political and material signs of solidarity are urgently needed so that those affected are not left alone to deal with the consequences of the attack and so that the Bitterfeld-Wolfen nuclear power plant can be permanently secured as a visible site of non-right-wing culture.

The NPP and its residents and visitors currently need donations totaling 6,500 euros for:

the replacement of a caravan in the amount of at least 3,600 euros,
the securing of the grounds and the residential building of the Alternative Kulturwerk (e.g. with spotlights, fire extinguishers, building materials) in the amount of about 1,000 euros,
the repair or securing of apartment doors in the rented apartments of AKW visitors, which were destroyed by attacks of neo-Nazis and whose costs are not borne by the landlords in the amount of 1,300 euros;
and costs still to be incurred in the amount of approximately 600 euros for the legal representation of those affected and the AKW in connection with the attacks.

We call to protect places of non-right and alternative youth culture and support the request for donations of the Alternative Kulturwerk in Bitterfeld-Wolfen.

In the event that the donations exceed the required sum of 6,500, the victims' fund of the association Miteinander e.V. will use it to support further victims of right-wing and racially motivated violence. Donations are tax-deductible.

Donation account of our victim fund

Together e.V.
Bank for Social Economy Magdeburg
IBAN: DE84 8102 0500 0008 4734 01
BIC: BFSWDE33MAG
reason for payment: Bitterfeld

Initial signatories

• Together e.V.
• Mobile counseling for victims of right-wing violence in Saxony-Anhalt under the auspices of Miteinander e.V.
• Multicultural Center e.V.
• Counseling center for victims of right-wing violence Dessau in sponsorship of Multikulturelles Zentrum e.V.
• Petra Pau, Member of the Bundestag, Vice President of the Bundestag (DIE LINKE)
• Claudia Roth, Member of the Bundestag, Vice President of the Bundestag (Bündnis 90/DIE GRÜNEN)
• Jan Korte, Member of the Bundestag, DIE LINKE
• Karamba Diaby, Member of Parliament, SPD
• Henriette Quade, Member of the State Parliament (DIE LINKE)
• Sebastian Striegel, Member of the State Parliament (BÜNDNIS 90/DIE GRÜNEN)
• Holger Hövelmann, Member of the State Parliament (SPD) and Minister (ret.)
• Chris Henze, member of the SPD Bitterfeld-Wolfen
• DIE LINKE Saxony-Anhalt
• Alliance 90/The Greens KV Anhalt-Bitterfeld

We will inform you about further supporters on the pages of our victim counseling.