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•  Refugees: From Neo-Nazi refugee helpers

From Neo-Nazi refugee helpers

Rene Prascher organized neo-Nazi marches revered Hitler beat. Today he gives classes for refugee children. The story of a transformation OF STEFAN KREITEWOLF

August 22, 2015 08:25 clock10 comments

Right-wing extremists in a demonstration | © Fredrik von Erichsen / dpa

"And next week we learn the Q," the twentysomethings says in checked shirt. He faces a smudged blackboard in a low rise concrete building, somewhere in the Ruhr area. Before him, on worn tables, sitting: Said, Raina, Omaira, Mohammed and Kaan. Where even earlier, the children from the neighborhood learned the ABC.

But today everything is different. These children are refugees . They come from Somalia, Eritrea, Iraq and Syria. Her parents fled - from war, drought, dictators, extremists. They wear worn-out clothes, their German is poor. It is located in the former school. Rarely a smile flits across their faces. For example, when Rene Prascher * comes to visit, three times a week, with them playing football and teaching them German.

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His Allerweltsgesicht would sink between the children, he was not the only German. And another thing separates him from the residents, even if they do not know: Prascher was more than a decade in the right-wing extremist scene is active, a neo-Nazi .

He has repeatedly been convicted of assault. In the Dortmund neo-Nazi scene , he was spokesman. "Hitler and the Third Reich, I idolized at the time," he says. In his logic, he was among the brave, "the debates, what the rest of society does not dare". He founded and led right fellowships in North Rhine-Westphalia, was training for neo-Nazi cadres, performed at rallies as a speaker.

At the beginning of his path was pain

For two months now, he helps in the Erstaufnahmeunterkunft the newcomers in the German pronunciation, plays with civil war refugees, distributed clothing donations. "Rene, come, come!" Said, Raina, Omaira, Mohammed and Kaan greet him mostly already at the fence.

How is the neo-Nazi refugee helpers? At the beginning of Praschers path was pain, not understanding: In November 2014 escalated a dispute with a competitor camaraderie. "One thing leads to another," Prascher describes the brawl vague.His fingers tremble, the voice increased. What has happened seems it still does not let go. At the end of another neo occurs on the fallen Prascher. "I've lost a lot of blood," he says.

The result: intensive care unit, a lot of time to think. As with many right-wing extremists, who want to get off, are also needed Prascher a personal experience. A key event that brings the break with the old comrades finally rolling. The fight was so one.

"I just want to live a normal life"

The dropout organization "Exit" According to a complete phase-out of the scene is only made ​​when the former neo-Nazis their previous ideology critically reflect and conclude with her. Doubts are not enough. A real break from the scene is associated with rare and serious personal hardship.

Privations there were at Rene Prascher well: when he is accused by the brawl, the judge upheld hard. The young neo-Nazi was a "danger to society", according to the verdict. Prascher is because it was previously for different facts only on a trial basis in freedom, was sentenced to 18 months in prison - without parole. "After the hospital, I thought, now I start again at '" says Prascher. "In the prison I was at the end."

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1. PAGE 1From neo-Nazi refugee helpers
2. PAGE 2Prascher not asking for understanding or acceptance

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