Hostilities from the right-wing scene
Fire letter teachers leave school in Burg
07/12/2023, 8:13 p.m
Two teachers from Burg im Spreewald published a fire letter about right-wing extremist incidents at their school. The letter sparked a nationwide debate. The situation at the school has not changed since then, one of the teachers complains two months later. Now the two want to leave school.
Two teachers made right-wing extremist incidents at their school in Burg, Brandenburg public – about three months later they now want to leave the school. The teacher Max Teske confirmed corresponding media reports, according to which he and his colleague Laura Nickel also want to leave the right-wing scene because of hostilities. Nickel and Teske made right-wing extremist incidents at their school public in April, triggering a nationwide debate. Both are to receive the “Award for civil courage against anti-Semitism, right-wing radicalism and racism” this year.
At the time, the teachers wrote in an anonymous letter that they were confronted with right-wing extremism, sexism and homophobia on a daily basis at the school in the Spreewald. In the fire letter, the two reported, among other things, about swastikas on school furniture, right-wing extremist music that is heard in class, and anti-democratic slogans in school corridors. The authors of the letter complained that they were experiencing a “wall of silence” and a lack of support from school management and offices as well as from politicians.
In June, Teske said the situation at the school had not changed even after right-wing extremist incidents became known. The college is deeply divided, some teachers no longer greet him and his colleague. He also said that they also expected attacks because of their commitment.
Brandenburg’s Education Minister Steffen Freiberg referred to the state’s support for the teachers and the school in Burg. He was aware that transfer requests had been made, he said. However, he does not comment on individual personnel matters. “We put ourselves ahead of our colleagues in every respect,” said Freiberg. The country has taken care of the school through the state school board and two school boards since the incidents became known.