Lutz Bachmann

Lutz Bachmann (born 26 January 1973 in Dresden, East Germany) was the founder[1][2] and organizer of the anti-Islam and anti-immigration far right group[3][4] Pegida (Patriotic Europeans Against the Islamization of the West) based in Dresden.[5] Bachmann resigned from his role at Pegida after a photograph of him dressed as Adolf Hitler surfaced, and after he insulted asylum-seekers on Facebook calling them "scumbags", "stupid cows" and "trash" when the Dresden Prosecution started investigations.[3][6]

Personal life

Born 1973 in Dresden,[7] Bachmann had a working class upbringing.[8] He is the son of a butcher.[8] He was a (trained[7]) chef and graphic designer,[9] and played professional soccer for teams in Dresden and Düsseldorf.[8] Bachmann has a criminal record for sixteen burglaries, drunk driving, dealing cocaine[10][11] and assault.[12] In 1998, after Bachmann had been sentenced to several years in prison, he fled to South Africa but was deported back to Germany.[7][8] According to Bachmann, during his time as a fugitive, he opened a nightclub in Cape Town.[8] Bachmann is the owner of a public relations and advertising company in Dresden[13][14] that he founded in 1992,[7] and has been a publicist for nightclubs.[10]

Pegida

Lutz Bachmann posing as Adolf Hitler

Bachmann started Pegida in October 2014 to protest plans to add 14 refugee centres in Dresden, Germany.[2][11] Through Pegida he rallied the disparate forces of the German right against the "parallel societies" of Muslims in Europe.[8] Bachmann publicly renounces extremist violence of any kind and insists his enemy is not religion itself.[8] As a result of his involvement with Pegida he has been threatened with death and had to cancel a march in Dresden.[1][15][16] In mid-January 2015, Bachmann was hit with criticism after a picture surfaced showing him with a mustache and hair style similar to Adolf Hitler.[17][18] According to Bachmann, it was an old photo that was meant as a joke.[17][18] After the photo had sparked international outrage, Bachmann stepped down as de facto leader of Pegida.[19] According to Bachmann and Pegida co-founder Kathrin Oertel, Bachmann's resignation had nothing to do with the photo.[19] A few weeks later, Bachmann was reinstated as a co-leader following a secret-ballot vote. [20]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Huggler, Justin (19 January 2015). "Germany's Pegida anti-Islam movement vows to continue protests in Berlin and Munich". The Daily Telegraph (Berlin). Retrieved 21 January 2015.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Dorell, Oren (8 January 2015). "Paris attack heightens European tensions with Muslims". USA Today. Retrieved 21 January 2015.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2920124/German-PEGIDA-leader-investigated-Hitler-pose.html
  4. ↑ http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2916408/Far-right-anti-Islamisation-rally-Dresden-cancelled-police-confirm-concrete-threat-kill-leading-member-Pegida.html
  5. ↑ Stuttaford, Andrew (13 January 2015). "A Stroll in The Dark". National Review. Retrieved 21 January 2015.
  6. ↑ http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/22/world/europe/pegida-hitler-photo-germany.html?_r=0
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 Pasquet, Yannick (12 January 2015). "The man behind Germany's anti-Islam street protests". Dresden. AFP. Retrieved 21 January 2015.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 8.5 8.6 Shuster, Simon (15 January 2015). "Meet the German Activist Leading the Movement Against 'Islamization'". Time (Dresden). Retrieved 21 January 2015.
  9. ↑ "Who goes to German Pegida 'anti-Islamisation' rallies?". BBC News. 13 January 2015. Retrieved 21 January 2015.
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 Smale, Alison (7 December 2014). "In German City Rich With History and Tragedy, Tide Rises Against Immigration". The New York Times. Retrieved 21 January 2015.
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 Kirschbaum, Erik (16 December 2014). "Patriotic Europeans Against the Islamisation of the West quickly gathering support in Germany". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 21 January 2015.
  12. ↑ Davidson, Amy (14 January 2015). "Germany's Strange New Right Wing Meets Charlie Hebdo". The New Yorker. Retrieved 21 January 2015.
  13. ↑ Obourn, Erin (15 January 2015). "PEGIDA: Who is behind Germany's growing anti-Islam campaign?". CBC News. Retrieved 21 January 2015.
  14. ↑ "German xenophobia: Peaceful, but menacing". The Economist (Berlin). 20 December 2014. Retrieved 21 January 2015.
  15. ↑ Torry, Harriet; Troianovski, Anton (19 January 2015). "German Lawmakers Slam Police Ban on Pegida Protest". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 21 January 2015.
  16. ↑ "German anti-Islam group vows that it won't be silenced; Copenhagen". Fox News (Dresden). Associated Press. 19 January 2015. Retrieved 21 January 2015.
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 Rising, David (21 January 2015). "German anti-Islam leader in hot water over Hitler pose". Philadelphia Media Network. Frank Jordans (Berlin). Associated Press. Retrieved 21 January 2015.
  18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 Huggler, Justin (21 January 2015). "Pegida leader pictured posing as Adolf Hitler". The Daily Telegraph (Berlin). Retrieved 21 January 2015.
  19. ↑ 19.0 19.1 Gander, Kashmira (21 January 2015). "Pegida leader Lutz Bachmann steps down over Hitler photograph". The Independent. Retrieved 21 January 2015.
  20. ↑ Eddy, Melissa (24 February 2015). "German Who Posed as Hitler Returns to Position in Anti-Immigrant Group Pegida". The New York Times. Retrieved 25 February 2015.

External links