Right-wing extremist gatherings in Hesse: Where danger lurks!

Right-wing extremist gatherings in Hesse: Where danger lurks!

In Hesse, right-wing extremist groups continue to have access to several properties that are used for meetings and events. This emerges from a response from the Interior Ministry to a request from the Greens in the state parliament. In total, six objects are classified as clearly right-wing extremist, which increases concerns about the influence of extremist ideologies in the region. Frankfurt T-Online reports that among the properties affected is a property in Frankfurt that was previously linked to the banned group “Kingdom of Germany”, but was able to be permanently defused.

Particularly striking is the Ludenbeck cultural center in the Weser Valley, which has been inhabited by a well-known right-wing extremist since the end of 2020 and functions as a supra-regional event location. A so-called “winter solstice celebration” took place here in December 2024. In April 2025, Abdallah Melaouhi, a former carer of Rudolf Heß, gave a lecture in which he spread scandalous claims about Heß's death in prison. Loud Documentary Network Around 30 neo-Nazis gathered for this event, including active members of extremist organizations.

The role of the Ludenbeck Cultural Center

The Ludenbeck Cultural Center is run by Meinolf Schönborn, who organized the event that came into the public eye. Some participants traveled from far away, including Heiko Kolodzik, a former AfD official, and members of the Radevormwald Friends Circle, who can be associated with violent attacks in the past. The brothers Jonas and Tobias Ronsdorf were particularly active in the scene and there are reports about their criminal activities.

The meeting was accompanied by a counter-event “Wesertal remains colorful”, which was attended by around 60 people who wanted to take a stand against right-wing extremism. The state chairman of the neo-Nazi party “Die Heimat”, Stefan Jagsch, was also present, which clearly shows the reach and networking of the right-wing extremist scene in the region.

Official measures and observation

The Hessian State Office for the Protection of the Constitution takes these developments seriously and is proactively approaching municipalities to prevent the acquisition or long-term use of real estate by right-wing extremists or Reich citizens. The Richberg house in the Schwalm-Eder district has established itself as a well-known scene address; The right-wing extremist party “Der III. Weg” founded its Kurhessen base here in March 2023. This group is under observation by the Office for the Protection of the Constitution and symbolizes the ongoing challenge that right-wing extremism represents in Hesse.