Aktivistin Birgit Lohmeyer – Woher nimmt man die Kraft, unter Nazis zu leben?

·1 hr 25 min·5 clips

What happens when you move to the country for peace and find a Nazi flag flying in your neighbor's garden?

The episode is an interview format where host Matze Hielscher visits activist Birgit Lohmeyer at her home in the village of Jamel. Birgit and her husband Horst moved from Hamburg's St. Pauli district to the countryside in 2004, only to find themselves in a village dominated by right-wing extremists. Their neighbor, the local Nazi leader, displays a Reich flag, which Birgit sees from her bedroom window each morning. The Lohmeyers have endured a long list of criminal acts: insults, theft, being chased by car, a barn fire that threatened their house, and murder threats. As a counter-action, they initiated the 'Jamel rockt den Förster' festival in 2007, a pro-democracy and tolerance event that has grown significantly. Major German artists like Die Ärzte, Die Toten Hosen, and Herbert Grönemeyer have performed, with a pivotal moment in 2015 when Die Toten Hosen played and offered ongoing professional support. Birgit describes how the 2015 barn fire was a traumatic turning point that shifted their lives from private pursuits to public activism. They now receive awards and are seen as galleon figures for civil society engagement. She discusses the emotional and practical burdens of this role, including constant media interviews and political opposition from local authorities who try to sabotage the festival with excessive fees and bureaucratic hurdles. Birgit reflects on the cultural differences between East and West Germany, the lack of diversity in their region, and the generational transmission of bitterness post-reunification. She expresses a bleak view of human nature but remains committed to democratic values. The host, Matze, concludes by sharing his own emotional reaction to the visit, feeling depressed by the visible Nazi symbolism and conflicted about the Lohmeyers' heavy burden.

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