Swastikas and AfD complaints: Teachers in the East are worried
Background & Context
Correctiv, a German investigative newsroom, surveyed nearly 60 teachers and school social workers in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and Saxony-Anhalt, two states in eastern Germany, about political and far-right developments at their schools. Nine participants were interviewed in greater depth.
They reported incidents including swastika graffiti, Hitler salutes, far-right symbols and clothing, and extremist remarks. Several also described complaints from parents or local AfD politicians and formal parliamentary inquiries by the Alternative for Germany (AfD), which some said made them feel politically pressured.
The survey documents concrete experiences but is not representative of all teachers or schools in eastern Germany. Official figures show that the reported far-right incidents are not merely a matter of perception, at least in Saxony-Anhalt.
Authorities recorded 74 right-wing-motivated crimes at schools in 2023, 185 in 2024 and 163 in 2025. The number therefore fell in 2025 after the sharp increase in 2024, but remained more than twice as high as in 2023.
Correctiv cites 149 cases for 2025; that figure came from an earlier data snapshot and was later superseded by the final annual figure of 163. In Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, 119 school incidents with a suspected extremist background were reported for the 2025/26 school year, but the state government says it cannot determine how many were specifically far-right.
Complaints and parliamentary inquiries by the AfD should be considered separately from far-right incidents at schools. Correctiv reports that the AfD submitted 45 formal parliamentary inquiries in German state legislatures in 2025 concerning alleged violations of political-neutrality rules by teachers.
Complaints and parliamentary questions are legitimate political and legal tools. Their number alone does not show whether they were used for legitimate oversight or deliberately to intimidate teachers.
What is documented is that some of the teachers surveyed perceived them as pressure or intimidation. Nor does the research establish a causal link between AfD activities and swastikas, Hitler salutes or other far-right incidents at schools.
Article Profile
Dramatization
Pronounced
7/10
The article emphasizes events emotionally and relies on distinctly dramatizing language.
Moralizing
Moderate
6/10
Some passages carry evaluative or moral undertones.
Sharpening
Moderate
5/10
The article sharpens individual aspects but keeps some nuance.
Objectivity
High
7/10
The article is largely factual and fact-oriented.
Review Transparency
The underlying reporting is based on a Correctiv survey of nearly 60 teachers and school social workers in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and Saxony-Anhalt, along with nine in-depth interviews. We checked whether teachers actually reported the experiences described in the headline.
They did. The survey is not representative, however, and cannot show what share of all teachers or schools in eastern Germany have had similar experiences.
We also reviewed official data. In Saxony-Anhalt, final statistics show 163 right-wing-motivated crimes at schools in 2025, compared with 185 in 2024 and 74 in 2023.
The 149 cases cited by Correctiv came from an earlier data snapshot. In Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, 119 school incidents with a suspected extremist background were reported, but it is not known how many were specifically far-right.
Complaints and parliamentary inquiries involving the AfD are also documented. Broader claims that the AfD generally or “systematically” intimidates teachers are not treated as established fact.
We also do not draw a causal connection between the AfD and far-right crimes, swastikas or Hitler salutes at schools. The headline places these issues side by side, but that does not establish a cause-and-effect relationship.
Impact Check
Does it affect you?
60% impact
Teachers in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and Saxony-Anhalt are affected, as increasing political pressure and far-right incidents are impacting their daily work.
Security risk?
10% impact
No heightened security risk for Germany, as the issue is locally limited and does not pose a direct threat to national security.
Historic?
75% impact
Far-right incidents at schools are historically known, especially in regions with strong AfD influence, which amplifies current concerns.
Why is this article's headline most likely mostly true
The claim is true: Teachers and school social workers in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and Saxony-Anhalt told Correctiv about both far-right incidents at their schools and complaints or parliamentary activity involving the AfD that some of them perceive as political pressure. The survey, however, is not representative of all schools or teachers in eastern Germany.
Official data confirm that right-wing-motivated crimes at schools in Saxony-Anhalt remain well above their 2023 level. After rising from 74 cases in 2023 to 185 in 2024, the number fell to 163 in 2025.
Correctiv’s figure of 149 cases for 2025 was based on an earlier data snapshot and no longer reflects the final annual statistics. What is not established is a causal link between AfD activities and swastikas, Hitler salutes or a broader shift to the right among students.
Complaints and parliamentary inquiries are legitimate instruments in themselves; whether they are deliberately used to intimidate teachers must be assessed case by case.
This analysis is based on a journalistic report by correctiv.org. The rating and context were produced with AI assistance.
AI Transparency
This analysis was produced, structured and editorially reviewed with AI-assisted systems. The rating refers to the specific statement examined and is based on the sources cited.
Methodology & AI Transparency