Ideally, a graduation motto is a phrase one fondly remembers for a lifetime. It decorates the senior class' T-shirts, serves as inspiration for numerous graduation parties and is the title of the graduation newspaper, marking the ceremonial end of school life for 18- and 19-year-olds.

For some students at the Liebig School in the town of Giessen in central Germany, however, the whole topic of picking a graduation motto is now something they would rather quickly forget. Or, as student representative Nicole Kracke told German news magazine, Der Spiegel: "We're now the ones with the Nazi label. That hurts."

'Abi macht frei' (a reference to the infamous 'Arbeit macht frei' signs above the gates of Nazi extermination camps), and 'NSDABI — Burn the Duden' (referring to the Nazi party NSDAP, Nazi book burnings and Jewish persecution) were among the proposals in an anonymous online vote for the 2026 graduation motto.

Some students reacted immediately and reported the incident to the school administration. Access to the portal was deleted, the entire graduating class was summoned and a prepared statement was presented to them: 'In our school community, there is no place for racism, antisemitism or discrimination. We stand together against it!'

The police are now investigating on suspicion of incitement to hatred.

Provocation, or far-right extremist mindset?

Was the incident just a provocation, a lapse by a few immature high school graduates, or a silly prank? Or was it, perhaps, the ultimate proof of how deeply right-wing extremist views are resonating with more and more young people in Germany?

The Nazi slogans proposed as a graduation motto caused such an uproar that the new education minister, Karin Prien, of the center-right Christian Democratic Union party (CDU), called for mandatory visits to concentration camp memorials for all students in Germany.

The motto comes after several recent antisemitic incidents involving students. In April, front of the Auschwitz extermination camp, where the National Socialists murdered over a million people, ninth-grade students from Görlitz, Saxony, displayed a neo-Nazi salute. Also last month, a secondary school teacher at a school in Oelsnitz, Saxony, requested a transfer after being threatened by far-right students. And in February 2024, at a school in Wiesbaden, Hesse, students applauded during an educational film about the murder of millions of Jews.

Tina Dürr was therefore not particularly surprised when she learned about the incident in Giessen. She is the deputy director of the Democracy Center Hesse, which assists and advises schools, municipalities and organizations in the fight against right-wing extremism.

"Provocations and right-wing extremist statements, such as this graduation motto, have generally increased in schools — we receive more and more reports about it," she told DW. "There are swastikas and right-wing extremist graffiti, Hitler salutes, racist or right-wing extremist songs being sung on school trips."

Schools reflecting society's rightward shift

The federal states do not have a uniform way of recording far-right hate crimes in schools, but a survey conducted by the German weekly Die Zeit among German state ministries revealed a worrying picture: In 2024, right-wing extremist incidents increased by at least 30%, compared with the previous year.

In German society, such positions and provocations are becoming more acceptable, and Dürr has explored the ways in which young people are being engaged. 

"Young men are being deliberately drawn into pre-political activities through martial arts, in order to recruit them for nationalist ideas and toxic masculinity ideals," she said.

On social media, the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) particularly focuses on the issue of misogyny. "The devaluation of women and a return to a traditionally conservative gender role model — both elements of right-wing extremism — are experiencing a resurgence. Confident women are devalued, queer people are devalued, leading up to acts of violence and femicide," explained Dürr.

Above all, this has presented an enormous challenge for teachers. Two years ago,a case in Brandenburg drew national attention when two teachers publicly exposed right-wing extremist incidents at their school. They were subsequently subjected to massive hostility — and ultimately left the school in frustration.

A response from teachers is more necessary now than ever, said Dürr — otherwise far-right and racist provocations could become socially acceptable. "If right-wing extremist incidents are not addressed and the perpetrators are allowed to act unchecked, it sends a subtle message to students that such behaviour is normal," she said. "We must support those who have the courage to stand up for democratic values, and who identify extremism as a problem."

Holocaust feels increasingly distant

Stefan Düll knows this issue all too well from personal experience. The head of the German Teachers' Association is also the principal of a high school in Neusäss, Bavaria. He has called for the toughest possible response to right-wing extremist misconduct by students, involving the police, filing charges and emphasizing that public officials are legally obligated to take action.

"We cannot sweep crimes under the carpet and say, 'We'll just handle this with a personal discussion, and that will be enough.' Even if the perpetrator is only 13 years old, we must report it to the police. And when the police visit the perpetrator and issue a formal warning, it carries a different weight than school disciplinary measures, which must also be imposed," he told DW.

Düll supports the Federal Education Ministry's plan to make visits to concentration camp memorials mandatory — 90% of schools already do this. However, educational institutions are finding it increasingly difficult to keep the memory of the Holocaust alive, he said.

According to a study by the Jewish Claims Conference, some 40% of surveyed Germans aged 18 to 29 did not know that approximately 6 million Jewish men and women were murdered during the Nazi era. Eyewitnesses who visit schools, such as the recently deceased Margot Friedländer, will soon no longer be around. And as time passes, the historical distance grows: students live in the here and now, Düll explained.

"Right-wing extremist incidents in schools are increasing because the direct connection, even through one's own family, is no longer present," said Düll. "We also have students whose families have no connection to the history of Nazi Germany because they did not live in Germany during that time."

This article was originally written in German.

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