Tensions Rise in Klötze: Protests Against Alleged Right-Wing Connections to Martial Arts Club
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Police were deployed to the Waldbad in Klötze to oversee a left-wing protest against right-wing violence. Approximately 30 demonstrators, many from surrounding areas, gathered to voice their concerns.
“I think that a lot of people are not here for fear of themselves and around their family and do not dare to show flag against fascism,” stated Bastian Gebel of the Left Party.
At the center of the tension is a local martial arts association, which has long faced accusations of connections to the neo-Nazi scene.
Right Symbols During Training
MDR Investigative has obtained photographic evidence suggesting these connections. one photo, taken inside the association’s training hall, depicts a member displaying symbols associated with the now-banned right-wing extremist martial arts event “Fight of the Nibelungen.”
Another image shows a martial artist seemingly performing the Hitler salute during a carnival celebration,leading to charges filed by the Stendal public prosecutor.
The same individual is also pictured marching in a demonstration alongside other club members affiliated with the right-wing extremist youth group “young and strong.”
AfD Politician in the Club
The association was founded in 2018 by Fabian Lüdecke and Thomas Korell,and has since grown to 240 members.
Fabian Lüdecke is an AfD city council member and a decorated kickboxer, having won a bronze medal at the European Championship last year.
His party colleague, Thomas Korell, is a former national team member in power triathlon and secured a direct mandate in the Altmark-Jerichower constituency in the last federal election, receiving over 39 percent of the first votes.What’s Going On in Klötze?
Klötze, a town of around 10,000 inhabitants, saw the AfD garner approximately 34 percent of the vote in the last federal election – slightly below the national average.
According to the Saxony-Anhalt Office for the Protection of the Constitution, the region has a right-wing extremist presence in the lower double digits. These individuals operate in small groups and demonstrate a willingness to use violence.
“Youth life takes place here in the clubs. the young people are socialized there. And in the end you take over the right settings, you don’t want to be an outsider,” explained an anonymous left-wing activist from Klötze.
MDR Investigative spoke to a left-wing activist from Klötze…
Examination Reveals Right-Wing Extremist Connections at Klötze Martial Arts Club
An investigation by MDR Investigative reveals potential connections between a martial arts club in Klötze, Germany, and right-wing extremist ideologies. The investigation centers around an arbor, or garden structure, linked to a tenant believed to be related to a suspect in a recent assault at the Waldbad swimming pool.
The tenant reportedly received a notice of termination recently.A visit to the property shows an overgrown garden with the inscription “Laube 88” beneath the arbor, and a tile table in the center.
Leaked photos from MDR Investigative show the interior of the arbor.
Inside,an imperial war flag – a symbol favored by right-wing extremists – is visible. Backpacks hang on the wall, and shelves hold full bottles of alcohol. On the outside, a sticker declaring hostility towards political opponents reads: “Good Night Left Side.”
Interview in the Sports Hall
MDR Investigative secured an interview with representatives from the club. The Klötze martial arts association is located in a former beverage market within a residential complex in Klötze.
Board members and AfD politicians Thomas Korell and Fabian Lüdecke, along with Kerstin Lüdecke, the treasurer and Fabian Lüdecke’s wife, attended the interview.
Elisa Riedel and children’s trainer Jörg Ullmann also joined the discussion, seated near punching bags in the hall. Fabian Lüdecke initially remained silent, stating they wanted a fair discussion and did not want to be portrayed as nazis.
No Exclusion of Members
Board member thomas Korell expressed regret over the fight at the Waldbad but does not believe in excluding the members involved, stating, “This person I then put outside the door, I take your surroundings, I take your hold.”