Militant Neo-Nazi Network prioritizes Recruitment โThrough Leisure Activities,German Intelligence โWarns
Nuremberg,Germany – A recent reportโ by the German intelligence agency,Cemas,detailed strategies employed by “Active Clubs,” a growing network of militant neo-Nazi groups,to recruit youngโฃ people through seemingly innocuous leisure activities.โข The findings,โ highlighted by Der Rechte Rand magazine, reveal a intentional effort to downplay overt โpolitical messaging inโ favor of fostering a sense of community and fun.
Patrick Schrรถder, described as โan “Active Instructor,” advocates forโ recruiting individuals with martial arts experience from mainstream associations toโค train members. Heโค also suggests utilizing AI-generated imagery to inflate the perceived size of groups. Schrรถder advises against appearing “too โขpolitical,” instead emphasizing “community feeling and enthusiasm for sports” while subtly expressing opposition to “multiculturalism.” He explicitly encourages adopting the American “Active Clubs” motto, “Make Fascism Fun,” advocating for activities like excursions, paintball,โค and concerts, stating, “the enemy hates it when he sees that we have fun and a โฃgood time!”
The Cemasโค assessment, โprompted by a request from Bundestag member Martina renner of theโ LINKE party, concludes that the “violence and threat potential” from “Active Clubs” is โ”potentially considerable” due to their rapid expansion, strong recruitment efforts, and the ideologicalโฃ influence of โคits founders.โฃ The agency alsoโ fears โthatโฃ the increasing number of martial arts-focused “Active Clubs” in Germany will contribute to a rise inโฃ right-wing extremism.
The report notes that the AfD party’s appeal to “20%โค of young people” presents a significant recruitment opportunity, even among those not actively engaged in political debate, as many participate in activities likeโ football, martial arts, and travel.
A photograph โขaccompanying the report shows Patrick Schrรถder โatโฃ an AfD event in Nuremberg in 2021 alongside Lukas Suttner,his later successor as managing director of “Nemesis Production GmbH” (associated with the pseudonym “Ansgar Aryan”).