Patriotic hike in Detmold: protest and national pride united!

Patriotic hike in Detmold: protest and national pride united!

On October 3rd, German Unity Day, a “patriotic hike” took place from Detmold train station to the Hermannsdenkmal in the Teutoburg Forest, in which around 200 men and women took part. Under the motto “Love of homeland is not a crime,” participants chanted slogans such as “Germany, Germany,” showing that identity issues are very important in the current political climate. The event was organized by Benedict Doege, the district chairman of the Junge Union (JU) Lindenthal. He also runs the website “Against Gender”, where he sells various items with national symbols. Cologne City Gazette reports that some participants in this campaign were identified as right-wing extremists, but no right-wing extremist slogans or symbols were seen during the hike.

At the Detmold train station, the group met around 300 counter-demonstrators who clearly protested against the march. The police separated the two groups so that both events could take place peacefully. In his remarks, Doege emphasized the clear intention not to allow himself to be influenced by extremists, be they from the left or the right, and stated that the event should not be misused for ideological purposes.

A context of change

These developments are part of a larger trend running through Germany's political landscape. The shift to the right in Germany is obvious. According to a survey, there is an increase in right-wing extremist attitudes among the population. The Alternative for Germany (AfD) has now reached a record 20.8 percent in the federal government, making it the largest opposition party. Politically motivated crimes with a right-wing extremist background have also experienced an alarming increase in recent years, with over 20,000 cases annually. Statista shows that around 85 percent of those surveyed see democracy as a good form of government, but 55 percent are dissatisfied with how it works.

In general, the political discourse shows a high level of polarization, especially on topics such as migration, war and the economy. Populist movements benefit from this polarization and paint a picture that pits the “true people” and “corrupt elites” against one another. The AfD, founded in 2013 by a group of men in response to the financial crisis, has since become increasingly influential. In the context of these movements, the role of events such as the “patriotic hike”, whose symbolism and rhetoric resonate in a society characterized by uncertainty, also becomes clearer.

In the wake of these developments, the North Rhine-Westphalia state parliament also made a small inquiry about the right-wing extremist participants in the event. The Cologne CDU party leader announced that she would contact Doege after answering this request in order to further process the events. The NRW Office for the Protection of the Constitution has classified the organizers of the hike as “patriotic groups” that could potentially serve as a bridge to right-wing extremism, which is further fueling the debate about patriotism and nationalism in Germany.

An exciting time lies ahead as questions about identity, home and belonging become more and more pressing. Enterprises like this are viewed with suspicion and the boundaries between patriotism and extremism are becoming increasingly blurred. The future will show how these trends will continue to develop and what echo they will find in society.