Source: Deutsche Welle – Page 6

Chemnitz murder trial begins amid questions of impartiality Daniel H.'s stabbing death led to weeks of unrest and the sacking of Germany's domestic intel chief. Now, the murder trial has begun despite major evidence 'gaps' and concern about lay judges' conflicts of interest.

March 18, 2019 Ben Knight

(Deutsche Welle) The trial of Alaa S. began in Dresden on Monday morning in the middle of a media scrum and fears of far-right protests, following the killing last year of Daniel H. in Chemnitz — an incident that led to a week […]

Berlin passes first-ever state plan to combat anti-Semitism The German capital has put together a comprehensive approach to fight anti-Semitic hatred. So why is this initiative happening at a local and not a federal level? The reasons, DW found out, are complex.

March 13, 2019 Jefferson Chase

(Deutsche Welle) There have been many reports about anti-Semitism in Berlin over the past year or so, ranging from the story of a Jewish youth bullied out of his high school to accounts of an Israeli symbol being burned at a Palestinian […]

A Muslim as German chancellor? CDU leader slammed for saying ‘why not’ The party of Chancellor Angela Merkel has been roiled by a debate about whether a Muslim could lead the CDU and one day become chancellor. One lawmaker couldn't believe anyone would even suggest such a thing.

March 7, 2019 Unlisted Author

(Deutsche Welle) The parliamentary group leader of the conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU) has sparked a divisive debate after he said a Muslim could be a future CDU leader and chancellor of Germany. Asked by media outlet Idea if a Muslim could lead […]

Germany to strip ‘Islamic State’ fighters’ citizenship — report Germany's Interior Ministry and Justice Ministry have reportedly agreed on a proposal to expatriate IS fighters. Interior Minister Horst Seehofer had tried to link the legislation with broader citizenship reform.

March 4, 2019 Davis VanOpdorp

(Deutsche Welle) Germany’s governing coalition has agreed to strip fighters of the “Islamic State” (IS) militant group of their citizenship, according to German outlets Süddeutsche Zeitung, NDR and WDR. The new law would apply only to jihadis who are of age, have a second […]

German interior minister defends deportation of Berlin terrorist associate A friend of the Berlin Christmas market attacker is at the center of a probe into security shortcomings and a botched investigation. Bilel Ben Ammar was quickly deported following the 2016 truck attack.

March 1, 2019 Unlisted Author

(Deutsche Welle) Germany’s interior minister on Thursday defended the hasty deportation of an Islamic extremist who had dinner with Anis Amri the night before he killed 12 people in a 2016 truck attack on a Berlin Christmas market. Bilel Ben Ammar, a […]

‘Terrorist accomplice’ in Anis Amri Berlin attack deported, according to report Germany deported a key suspect in the 2016 Berlin Christmas market attack before he was questioned, according to leaked documents. But authorities denied reports that Bilel Ben Ammar worked for Moroccan intelligence.

February 22, 2019 Ben Knight

(Deutsche Welle) German authorities deported a Moroccan secret agent to hide his involvement in the December 2016 Christmas market attack in Berlin, according to an internal document leaked to the German magazine Focus. However, sources within German security forces have since told public […]

Germany: Horst Seehofer sets terms for repatriating ‘Islamic State’ foreign fighters Some 40 foreign fighters who fought for 'Islamic State' and are in detention in Syria reportedly have German passports. Germany's conservative interior minister has said they can only return under strict conditions.

February 19, 2019 Unlisted Author

(Deutsche Welle) Germany will only take back “Islamic State” foreign fighters and their families if they can prove their identities and they do not pose a serious security threat, Interior Minister Horst Seehofer has said. “In the interest of the security of […]

Kiel University bans full-face veil in classrooms A spokesman said the move was not exceptional, citing similar decisions by other institutions of higher education. But some politicians have called the decision 'untenable,' saying it undermines religious freedom.

February 13, 2019 Unlisted Author

(Deutsche Welle) Kiel University on Wednesday announced that it has banned full-face coverings in classrooms, citing the need for open communication that includes facial expressions and gestures. However, the university in the capital of the German state Schleswig-Holstein clarified that its action did […]

Germany closes Muslim kindergarten over Islamist links The youth welfare office for the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate has revoked the operating license of a Muslim kindergarten. The day nursery was accused of promoting Salafist ideology.

February 11, 2019 Unlisted Author

(Deutsche Welle) Officials in the city of Mainz on Monday withdrew the license of the only Muslim kindergarten in the state of Rhineland-Palatinate amid allegations that the facility was promoting Salafism. The president of the state’s youth office, Detlef Placzek, said the […]

Muslims say Germany should provide Bundeswehr with imams The Bundeswehr provides Catholic and Protestant clergy for soldiers, but no spiritual counsel for Muslims. According to the government, key questions must be answered before the Bundeswehr's religious ranks are expanded.

February 5, 2019 Deger Akal

(Deutsche Welle) Nariman Reinke, a naval petty officer, is one of about 1,500 Muslim soldiers who serve in the Bundeswehr. Born to [Moroccan] parents in 1979, Reinke has been in the military since 2005 and has twice deployed to Afghanistan. But being a Muslim […]

Germany’s thousands of ‘missing’ refugee minors Authorities lose track of thousands of unaccompanied child refugees each year. Often they are safe, but experts say alarmingly little is known about their situations, and the government must do more to protect them.

January 28, 2019 Ines Eisele

(Deutsche Welle) The increased influx of refugees to Europe in recent years has also brought tens of thousands of refugee minors to Germany, as well as other countries. Many of them vanished from the authorities’ radar after arrival, either immediately or at […]

Second German deported from Egypt over suspected ‘IS’ links Isa El Sabbagh has arrived in Frankfurt after disappearing in Egypt in December. Egyptian authorities held him for weeks without telling his family.

January 14, 2019 Unlisted Author

(Deutsche Welle) The Egyptian government announced on Monday that it had deported another man back to Germany, the second suspect deported from Cairo after being detained for terrorist sympathies. Isa El Sabbagh, 18, was allegedly found with several maps of Egypt’s North […]

One German arrested in Egypt deported, another remains in custody Twenty-three-year-old Mahmoud Abdel Aziz has returned to Germany after weeks in Egyptian custody. Eighteen-year-old Isa El Sabbagh remains in detention.

January 11, 2019 Unlisted Author

(Deutsche Welle) A 23-year-old German-Egyptian citizen detained by Egyptian authorities at Cairo airport on December 27 has arrived back home in the central German city of Göttingen. Germany’s Foreign Ministry confirmed the man’s return on Friday. Egypt’s state-run Al-Ahram newspaper said that […]

Afghanistan sends deported asylum-seeker back to Germany The government of Afghanistan has denied entry to a failed asylum-seeker deported by Germany. The Afghans say the man was turned back at the border as per agreement with the German government because he's mentally ill.

January 10, 2019 Jefferson Chase

(Deutsche Welle) In an article designed to raise the hackles of those worried about foreigners and crime, German daily Bild reported on Thursday that Afghanistan had turned away an Afghan deportee with a long criminal record at its border and sent him back […]

Germany introduces extremism counseling service The 'emel' service will mainly target Turkish- and Arabic-speaking families. Germany has seen a dramatic rise in young people becoming radicalized online in recent years.

January 9, 2019 Unlisted Author

(Deutsche Welle) A new prototype project was launched in Germany on Wednesday, aimed at counseling parents who are concerned their children may be flirting with extremism. The Turkish Community in Germany (TGD) non-profit established the service primarily for Turkish- and Arabic-speaking parents, […]

Police refute claims of far-right patrols after migrant attacks Four asylum-seekers reportedly assaulted a dozen people in the Bavarian town of Amberg over the weekend, renewing debate over migration. The mayor rejected fears of vigilantism by the far-right NPD.

January 3, 2019 Chase Winter

(Deutsche Welle) A German far-right group claims to have carried out street patrols in the Bavarian town of Amberg where four asylum-seekers allegedly attacked a dozen passers-by over the weekend. The Nuremberg branch of the far-right National Democratic Party (NPD) posted pictures […]

German interior minister renews call for stricter deportation laws in wake of Amberg attacks An attack by a group of asylum-seekers on passers-by in a Bavarian town has prompted Germany's interior minister to renew his longstanding call for stricter deportation laws. Amberg's mayor has called for caution.

January 2, 2019 Unlisted Author

(Deutsche Welle) Germany’s Interior Minister Horst Seehofer said asylum-seekers who commit violent crimes must leave the country, after a group of apparently drunken teenagers attacked a dozen people in the Bavarian town of Amberg. “If existing laws are not sufficient, they must be changed,” Seehofer told […]

Germany to curb mosque funding from Gulf states The German government has started to request that those countries register any funding they may provide to mosques in Germany, a report says. The move aims to discourage radicalization in German mosques.

December 28, 2018 Nicole Goebel

(Deutsche Welle) The German Foreign Ministry wants Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait and other Gulf states to register any donations or state subsidies intended for mosques in Germany. According to daily Süddeutsche Zeitung and German broadcasters WDR and NDR, the government has involved […]

Germany mulls introducing ‘mosque tax’ for Muslims The idea, similar to Germany's church tax, would aim to make mosques independent of foreign donors. Germany's government and progressive Muslim leaders have supported the idea.

December 26, 2018 Unlisted Author

(Deutsche Welle) Lawmakers from Germany’s grand coalition government said on Wednesday that they were considering introducing a “mosque tax” for German Muslims, similar to the church taxes that German Christians pay. Thorsten Frei, a member of Chancellor Angela Merkel’s Christian Democrats (CDU), […]

Germany’s atheist refugees: When not believing is life-threatening They do not believe in God and want a life free from religious restrictions: They are atheist asylum-seekers. Not only are they threatened and sometimes killed in their homeland — even in Germany they face danger.

December 20, 2018 Astrid Prange

(Deutsche Welle) Mahmudul Haque Munshi’s name was on a hit list in Bangladesh. After five of his friends and associates were murdered, the authorities warned the blogger: “There’s nothing more we can do for you.” Munshi had to leave the country in […]

German court rejects AfD’s complaint over Angela Merkel’s refugee policy Judges on Germany's highest court unanimously threw out legal complaints brought by the AfD. They said far-right lawmakers failed to show how Merkel's 2015 decision to let in refugees was a constitutional violation.

December 18, 2018 Unlisted Author

(Deutsche Welle) Germany’s Constitutional Court dismissed three complaints initiated by the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) challenging German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s refugee policies in 2015. Judges on the high court unanimously rejected all the cases, which were brought by the AfD’s group […]

German police raid Berlin mosque over suspected ‘terror financing’ Authorities raided several buildings in the German capital as part of a larger terrorism probe. One imam is suspected of sending money to an Islamist fighter in Syria in order to carry out 'terrorist criminal acts.'

December 18, 2018 Unlisted Author

(Deutsche Welle) Police raided a mosque and several other buildings in Berlin on Tuesday morning in an operation into suspected terrorism financing, prosecutors said. State criminal police, intelligence officers as well as special police forces took part in the raids, which included […]

SPD begins 3rd bid to expel anti-Islam author Thilo Sarrazin Anti-Islam author Thilo Sarrazin again faces possible explusion from the Social Democrats. The center-left party has sought to ban the economist since his first of two critical bestsellers on Islam in Germany.

December 17, 2018 Unlisted Author

(Deutsche Welle) He’s a longstanding Social Democrat and former board member of Germany’s central bank, the Bundesbank, but nowadays Thilo Sarrazin is better known as Germany’s bestselling author of a pair of books fiercely criticizing Muslim migration into Germany. The first, “Germany […]

Germany’s terrorism watch list: What you need to know The suspected Strasbourg attacker was named on a French high-security watch list. German authorities, in turn, keep tabs on hundreds of potential terrorists — who are they and what are authorities doing about them?

December 13, 2018 Matthias von Hein

(Deutsche Welle) What is a “potential terrorist”? A potential terrorist (referred to in German as “Gefährder,” lit. “endangerer”) is someone who could pose a threat to public safety as certain “facts justify the assumption that he or she may commit a severe crime.” […]

German Bundestag votes to support UN migration pact A majority of German parliamentarians has voted in favor of a global pact aimed at regulating migration. Despite its nonbinding nature, the pact has increasingly come under fire from populists across the world.

November 29, 2018 Unlisted Author

(Deutsche Welle) Germany’s parliament on Thursday voted to back a contentious UN pact aimed at promoting cooperation to deal with migration around the world. The ballot saw 372 parliamentarians vote for supporting the pact, with 153 against and 141 abstentions. While giving […]

Seehofer tells Islam conference Muslims are a part of Germany Some have called it a U-turn, others see it in less dramatic terms. Interior Minister Horst Seehofer has said that 'Muslims are a part of Germany' on the opening day of the German Islam Conference.

November 28, 2018 Unlisted Author

(Deutsche Welle) Horst Seehofer said on Wednesday in Berlin that “Muslims belong to Germany,” speaking as he presided over the fourth German Islam Conference (DIK). The comments drew particular attention given Seehofer’s past statement that Islam was not part of Germany. Seehofer said […]

German Islam Conference reconvenes search for German Islam Interior Minister Horst Seehofer is convening the latest iteration of the German Islam Conference. The 2018 DIK will focus on integration, Islam and German law. Many new faces in attendance will make for lively debates.

November 27, 2018 Christoph Strack

(Deutsche Welle) This year’s German Islam Conference (DIK) will be held on Wednesday and Thursday in Berlin. It has been over a year and a half since the last DIK. For this latest iteration, German Interior Minister Horst Seehofer, of Bavaria’s Christian […]

Ban on deportations to Syria to remain, says Interior Minister Horst Seehofer A hopeful to replace German Chancellor Angela Merkel at the head of the Christian Democrats had called for Syrian refugees who commit crimes in Germany to be deported. Germany's interior minister disagrees.

November 23, 2018 Alexander Pearson

(Deutsche Welle) German Interior Minister Horst Seehofer has ruled out ending a moratorium on deporting Syrians, including those whose asylum applications are denied or those who commit crimes in Germany. Seehofer told Der Spiegel magazine on Friday that the decision was made after publication […]

CDU hopeful Merz decried as ‘Trump light’ for questioning asylum rights Opposition lawmakers have lodged hefty criticism against Merkel's could-be successor for questioning the right to asylum. The populist AfD said Merz has become more right-wing than they are.

November 22, 2018 Elizabeth Schumacher and Ben Knight

(Deutsche Welle) Friedrich Merz, the millionaire lawyer and financial manager who is hoping to lead the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) after Chancellor Angela Merkel steps down as party leader in December, was in trouble on Thursday after suggesting Germany should reopen the debate on […]

EU top court rules against Austrian curbs on refugee rights The European Court of Justice ruled against a 2015 regulation that saw Austria give minimal social assistance to refugees. Austria's conservative government has introduced a number of strict immigration cuts recently.

November 21, 2018 Unlisted Author

(Deutsche Welle) The European Court of Justice (ECJ) ordered Austria to roll back regulations on Wednesday that saw refugees given markedly less social assistance than native-born Austrians. The ECJ ruled that the Austrian measure from 2015 was not compatible with EU directives […]

German state plans to ban religious symbols from courts The state government of Lower Saxony is drafting a law that would ban judges and prosecutors from wearing religious clothing or symbols. Germany's justice minister has welcomed the plans.

November 20, 2018 Giulia Saudelli

(Deutsche Welle) The government of Germany’s state of Lower Saxony plans to ban … judges and prosecutors from wearing religious symbols such as crosses or headscarves in the state’s courtrooms. Promoters of the measure say it is aimed at making clear that judges […]

Germany plans to fast-track deportations of failed asylum-seekers Germany's Interior Ministry has proposed new measures to monitor and deport failed asylum-seekers. Interior Minister Horst Seehofer has said he is also looking at ways to repatriate known criminals to Syria.

November 18, 2018 Unlisted Author

(Deutsche Welle) The German Interior Ministry on Sunday confirmed plans to facilitate and accelerate deportations of failed asylum-seekers along with those who should have their asylum requests processed in another EU country under the so-called Dublin rules. One of the measures submitted […]

When your daughter suddenly becomes radicalized Children's life decisions are often difficult for parents to bear and even more difficult to understand — especially when the children radicalize themselves. DW met an affected German mother.

November 10, 2018 Esther Felden and Matthias von Hein

(Deutsche Welle) It’s something no mother would ever want to experience. The unexpected appearance of state security officers on your doorstep, to inform you that your daughter was planning to leave for Syria to allegedly join the terrorist militia “Islamic State.” But […]

Germans increasingly prejudiced against foreigners, Muslims Xenophobia is on the rise in Germany, in particular in its eastern states, according to a new study. What's more, an increased affinity for authoritarianism in the country could pose a threat to democracy.

November 7, 2018 Helena Baers

(Deutsche Welle) More than one out of three Germans believes foreigners only come to the country to exploit the welfare state, a study on authoritarian attitudes in Germany says. Almost one out of two people in eastern Germany believes this to be […]

German lawmakers push for Syrian refugee deportations In the wake of a rape case involving Syrians in Germany, conservative lawmakers are demanding the government re-evaluate the security situation in Syria. Criminal refugees should be able to be deported, they say.

November 5, 2018 Peter Hille

(Deutsche Welle) Who wants to deport refugees from Germany to Syria? The rape of a young woman in the southwestern city of Freiburg has reignited the debate over deporting criminal asylum-seekers. At least seven Syrian men and one German man are suspected […]

German Jews call for anti-Semitism classes for Muslim immigrants Germany's federation of Jews says Muslim immigrants need special classes to counter anti-Semitic beliefs. They also condemned the AfD for normalizing anti-Semitism in Germany.

November 5, 2018 Alistair Walsh

(Deutsche Welle) Germany’s Central Council of Jews on Sunday called for combating anti-Semitism among new Muslim immigrants through education. Vice President Abraham Lehrer told the Protestant Press Service that he expects anti-Semitism among immigrants to become more of a problem as they become […]

Battling Salafism on Germany’s streets Saloua Mohammed's most important tool in the fight against Salafism is listening — to parents whose kids radicalize online, to youth who rave about Salafism, and to women returning to Germany after fighting alongside IS.

October 26, 2018 Esther Felden

(Deutsche Welle) “Let’s see who is going to win in the end, shall we?” social worker Saloua Mohammed says. “They won’t get my youths that easily.” “They” are radical Salafists: ultraconservative Muslims who interpret the Quran literally, live their faith the way […]

The German who went from left-wing terrorist to Salafist sympathizer Bernhard Falk is no stranger to prisons. A convicted leftist terrorist, he spent 12 years behind bars. Now he looks after imprisoned Islamists. Germany's domestic intelligence agency considers him a danger to society.

October 25, 2018 Matthias von Hein and Esther Felden

(Deutsche Welle) One of the advantages of a constitutional state that ensures the rule of law is that it also applies those rights to people who deeply reject it. Even those who want to abolish the democratic system and fight by force […]

Germany ‘ignoring’ ECJ ruling on refugee reunification Media reports have accused Germany of disregarding a ruling from the EU's top court on the rights of unaccompanied minors to be joined by their families. The key point is the minor's age during the asylum process.

October 24, 2018 Jane Mcintosh

(Deutsche Welle) In mid-April, the European Union’s supreme court in matters of EU law ruled that unaccompanied minors could bring in their families, even if they had come of age during the asylum process. The European Court of Justice (ECJ) ruled that […]

Abu Dujana: The Salafi preacher For years, the organization 'The True Religion' provided a rallying point for radical Muslims in Germany — some of whom left to join IS. Naomi Conrad met Abu Dujana, one of the movement's most prominent Salafi preachers.

October 24, 2018 Naomi Conrad

(Deutsche Welle) There was nothing remarkable about the friendly, polite man with the long, dark beard, sporting a grey hoodie and blue jeans. Nothing, at first sight that is, to distinguish him from the young parents pushing prams and students milling around […]

Invisible and dangerous: The Salafist scene in North Rhine-Westphalia There are more Salafists in North Rhine-Westphalia than in any other German state. The scene has all but vanished from the public eye in its stronghold. But it is still very active, as DW is told by numerous sources.

October 22, 2018 Esther Felden and Matthias von Hein

(Deutsche Welle) “Speak after me,” the red-bearded German convert and Salafist preacher Pierre Vogel says as he publicly summons the young woman. Cheered on by an enthusiastic crowd in the pedestrian zone of the western city of Offenbach, she does exactly that, […]

PEGIDA’s fourth anniversary: Thousands in Dresden for rival rallies Some 10,000 people joined demonstrations in Dresden opposing a celebratory PEGIDA rally. The far-right group held its first 'evening stroll' four years ago.

October 21, 2018 Unlisted Author

(Deutsche Welle) Thousands of people turned out on Sunday in the eastern German city of Dresden in defiance of a fourth-anniversary rally by the anti-immigrant PEGIDA movement. The far-right group’s march through the city took place at the same time and attracted […]

Germany extends border controls with Austria and Denmark Germany's Interior Ministry will extend migration controls at borders with Austria and Denmark for another six months. Denmark, Austria and France have also announced their intention to extend border controls.

October 12, 2018 Unlisted Author

(Deutsche Welle) Germany’s Interior Ministry announced on Friday that it will extend migration controls at borders with Austria and Denmark, which were reintroduced in several parts of the normally passport-free Schengen area after the European migrant crisis of 2015. The extension is […]

Underage refugees in Germany increasingly going missing German authorities do not know the whereabouts of some 900 refugees under the age of 14. The head of a German children's charity said the new figures were alarming.

October 12, 2018 Alexander Pearson

(Deutsche Welle) The number of refugees under the age of 14 who are missing in Germany has increased in recent months, despite a drop in the total number of refugee arrivals, according to the German Child Welfare Association. The number increased from […]

Mosques in Germany: Statistics hard to come by In a country that diligently makes note of its statistics, it may seem rather puzzling that no one knows the exact number of mosques in Germany. Differing laws and a lack of top-down organizing are largely to blame.

October 8, 2018 Christoph Strack

(Deutsche Welle) Exactly how many mosque buildings, and how many mosque associations, are there in Germany? No one in the country knows for sure. Ever since the opening of a Turkish state-financed mosque in Cologne, Islamic houses of prayer have been a […]

Far-right AfD launches JAfD Jewish faction A small Jewish group has set itself up within Germany's far-right AfD party despite scorn from 17 Jewish organizations. Critics say the AfD remains anti-democratic and harbors hatred to the point of Holocaust denial.

October 7, 2018 Unlisted Author

(Deutsche Welle) The small group founded Sunday in Wiesbaden by 19 Jewish members of the AfD would call itself Jews in the AfD (JAfD), said Wolfgang Fuhl, chairman of a southern German branch of the far-right anti-migrant party. The Alternative for Germany (AfD) has […]

Open Day at the mosque: ‘Everyone must contribute’ The Cologne Central Mosque has been making headlines recently, and the effects have not all been negative. On the contrary: An especially large number of curious, non-Muslim visitors attended this year's mosque Open Day.

October 4, 2018 Julia Vergin

(Deutsche Welle) “If not now, then when?” thought Dana and Julia. The two young women have travelled from their hometown of Olpe to the Central Mosque in Cologne, not despite but precisely because of the negative headlines surrounding its opening by the […]

Turkish far-right Erdogan greetings cause concern in Germany The Turkish president's opening of Germany's largest mosque and use of hand gestures associated with extremists have led to German politicians' concerns about the role of the DITIB association.

October 2, 2018 Jane Mcintosh

(Deutsche Welle) Politicians in Germany expressed concern Monday about the use of Turkish ultra-nationalist symbols during Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s recent state visit. Erdogan supporters welcomed him with the Grey Wolves (Bozkurt) hand sign when he arrived in Cologne to open Germany’s largest mosque […]

Austria’s controversial ‘burqa ban,’ a year on With few burqa wearers in Austria, police have often been forced to deal with the absurd side effects of the law. Public opinion, however, remains divided one year after the country banned full-face coverings.

October 1, 2018 Christian Bartlau

(Deutsche Welle) “Not much has changed,” says Herbert Trappel, enjoying a glass of wine at an outdoor sausage stand at Vienna’s Viktor Adler Market. “When was the law introduced, back in April?” The stand’s proprietor, Vesna Dudek, shakes her head indecisively. You […]

Erdogan in Germany: What you need to know about DITIB mosque association Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is opening a new central mosque in Cologne. DITIB, a controversial Turkish-Islamic umbrella group, provides the financing and imams. But what is DITIB?

September 28, 2018 Daniel Heinrich

(Deutsche Welle) The Turkish-Islamic Union for Religious Affairs (DITIB) is the largest umbrella organization of mosques in Germany. DITIB manages about 900 mosques in the country, including the central mosque in Cologne, and has about 800,000 members throughout Germany. Its ties to […]