Germany’s Escalating Kulturkampf

The Jagdschloss Thiergarten in Donaustauf near Regensburg was destroyed by a fire on the night of October 6. The hunting lodge was a jewel of architectural historicism. The structure was built during the 1890s in the English hunting lodge style, with a gabled roof, natural stone base, and rich interior design, including doors that played a built-in zither when opened. The castle belonged to the popular Princess Gloria von Thurn und Taxis, who rented it to a golf club. On October 9, Antifa claimed responsibility for placing “several incendiary devices” in the building.

Princess Gloria is a well-known enfant terrible with a weakness for the public eye and a greater weakness for the Catholic Church. The former “punk princess” (a name she earned in her flamboyant youth) does not mince her words. Her outspoken conservative views have drawn hatred and criticism from the German left. Unfortunately, this arson attack marks a new stage in the Kulturkampf that is almost as old as the Federal Republic itself, a conflict that goes back to the Weimar Republic.

The wave of deadly political violence in 1970s Germany began with arson attacks as well. The Antifa manifesto claiming responsibility for the attack on the precious monument says it was intended to serve as a “warning,” citing Gloria’s connection with Steve Bannon and Viktor Orbán, as well as her stance against abortion. It was also a “direct reaction” to the imprisonment of Hanna S., an Antifa thug from the so-called Hammer Gang who was sentenced to five years in prison last month. Princess Gloria is, of course, not at all responsible for that event. “For centuries,” the Antifa manifesto states, “Thurn und Taxis has stood for monarchy, contempt for humanity, and a class-based society.” Gloria “belongs to the sections of the bourgeoisie that are promoting the return of fascism in Germany and around the world.” This is classic left-wing thinking. Gloria is a “class enemy” who deserves to be destroyed.

Despite the threat against the princess, not a single word of remonstrance has been voiced by state representatives. By contrast, the Hammer Gang, which brutally hunted down “right-wingers” in Budapest and beat them up, was punished with imprisonment by a Hungarian government that understands the importance of the rule of law. One of the imprisoned members is named “Maja T.”—a young, athletic person with a large Adam’s apple who identifies as non-binary. He received a sympathetic visit in June from the Green politician Katrin Göring-Eckardt, a vice-president of the German Bundestag from 2021 to 2025. I fear that German elites do not respect the rule of law and will tolerate violence against anyone whom the left deems a “fascist.” For the German establishment, the fact that President Trump has designated Antifa as a domestic terrorist organization speaks more in favor of Antifa than in favor of Trump.

The same week of the fire, the Berlin-Treptow chapter of the Left Party (today’s iteration of the former ruling party of the German Democratic Republic), together with a government-funded NGO, declared that it wants to “make life uncomfortable” for Apollo News, a young, successful, conservative-libertarian media outlet. The federal government has made no comment on this threat. 

This attack on right-leaning media contrasts with the fact that Germany’s mostly left-wing book publishers are supported by the chancellor’s cultural department. One of the publishers distributes a practical guide that explains exactly what violence can be lethal and how to write a letter of confession. When asked about this incitement to terrorism, Wolfram Weimer, the minister of State for Culture and a former conservative journalist, is said to have downplayed the guide. I don’t envy his situation. There effectively exists no state-sponsored culture in Germany other than left-wing and extreme left-wing enterprises. Weimer either distributes money to them, or his office closes. Were he to send even the smallest amount to a right-wing publisher, he, too, would be targeted.

The left long ago completed its “march through the institutions.” Yet it still believes itself to be under attack; thus “self-defense” by any means possible is permissible. Germany’s federal government openly colludes with extremism in order to exclude and damage the Alternative for Germany (AfD), which is now the strongest party in the polls. The establishment parties have their backs to the wall, but they still control government power. Julian Reichelt, former editor in chief of the largest German newspaper Bild, has built up his own media outlet nius.de, where Gloria is a regular guest. Reichelt challenges the government’s narrative and misinformation. Smart, brave, and successful, he is now also a target.

Further escalation poses a serious threat. Up to this point, those on the right who have been attacked often remain silent. That may be an understandable tactic—staying out of the spotlight to prevent further attacks—but it is not a strategy. If those on the right do not defend themselves, the left will continue its threats—and deeds—of violence.

German society is paralyzed. The left-wing establishment is losing the support of the people, and it increasingly relies on sheer power to maintain its dominance. There is a widespread concern that a state of emergency will be used to suspend legal protections and crack down on dissent. Growing public tensions, migrant violence, economic decline, poor public finances—the pressure builds.