Authorities conducted searches across five German states—Saxony-Anhalt, Berlin, Brandenburg, Lower Saxony, and North Rhine-Westphalia—as part of an investigation into ongoing support for the banned extremist group Artgemeinschaft, targeting 15 suspects.

The raids began early on Thursday, with the focus in Saxony-Anhalt and parallel operations in the other four states, coordinated by the Landeskriminalamt Sachsen-Anhalt and other security services.

Officials say the operations target possible ongoing activity by Artgemeinschaft, a group that was banned in 2023 for its neo-Nazi, anti-democratic, and racist ideology.

The article is a teaser for a detailed Spiegel Plus report, which subscribers can access for more extensive coverage.

Spiegel’s reporting on the Ipse gathering notes ceremonial elements and songs linked to the Hitler Youth, while Lansmann distances himself from Artgemeinschaft and states he does not endorse its Nazi-associated songs.

Experts describe Artgemeinschaft as a völkisch combat network centered on racism and Germanic cults, with scholarship tracing its roots to prior neo-Nazi ideologies.

The piece underscores the political risk posed by far-right networks gaining influence around state elections in Saxony-Anhalt and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, urging civil society and independent journalism to counter such movements.

The reporting highlights alleged ties between some AfD actors in Saxony-Anhalt and far-right groups, including the banned Heimattreue Deutsche Jugend (HDJ) from 2009, suggesting enduring extremist links within the region’s AfD.

Private contacts with Artgemeinschaft members were not illegal before the ban, but the Sonnenwendefeier event raised suspicions of violating the ban and triggered the searches.

The investigations have implications for two AfD politicians from Saxony-Anhalt who allegedly attended the June Sonnenwendefeier in Gardelegen, with the party’s official response still pending.

AfD state election candidate Simon Lansmann is reported to be married to a woman linked to Artgemeinschaft, illustrating close personal ties to the network.

There are discussions about potential government roles for individuals tied to these networks within a future Siegmund-led administration.