"The accused called themselves the "Saxon Separatists" SS for short. It was an allusion to National Socialism: During the reign of terror under Adolf Hitler from 1933 until the end of World War II in 1945, SS stood for Schutzstaffel, an elite paramilitary organization. It was a central instrument of power and crucial in the planning and implementation of the Holocaust and other genocides."
"According to German federal prosecutors, the "Saxon Separatists" prepared to overthrow democracy in Germany 75 years after the end of the Nazi era. According to investigators, the suspected right-wing extremist terror group was founded in the town of Brandis, near Leipzig in the eastern state of Saxony, in 2020. "This was a militant group of about 20 people whose ideology was shaped by racist, antisemitic, and in parts apocalyptic ideas.""
"According to the prosecution, the suspects were convinced that Germany was on the brink of collapse and on a forthcoming "Day X" the state and society would break down: "The members of the organization were determined to use this opportunity to conquer as much of Saxony by armed force as they could, in order to establish an independent state based on the ideology of National Socialism.""
An extremist group calling itself the "Saxon Separatists" (SS) formed in Brandis, near Leipzig, in 2020 and consisted of about 20 militant members. The group's ideology combined racist, antisemitic, and apocalyptic beliefs and referenced National Socialism and the Schutzstaffel. Prosecutors say members prepared to exploit a perceived collapse of the German state on a forthcoming "Day X" to seize territory in Saxony by armed force and establish an independent National Socialist state. International raids in November 2024 led to eight arrests in Germany, Austria, and Poland; the suspects have been held in custody and face trial beginning January 23, 2026.
Read at www.dw.com
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]