Photo: DPAA government report published on Thursday looks at why rising far-right violence is a particular problem in former East Germany. In 2016, 23,500 right-wing crimes were committed, and violent right-wing crimes jumped up by 14.3 percent. The fact that people in many small east German communities rarely meet foreigners is also seen as a cause of right-wing radicalism. In East Germany, the state ideology encouraged people to believe in friendship between nationalities, but made it clear that foreigners in Germany were only there as guests. Gleicke called for a strengthening of the role of the state in impoverished east German communities to tackle the problem.

Source: The Local May 18, 2017 15:22 UTC