German police targeted the country's far-right scene in early morning raids on Wednesday, searching premises linked to dozens of suspects as young as 16 believed to be playing leading roles in groups for young neo-Nazis.
Those targeted are accused of being involved in "Young and Strong" and "German Youth Forward," two groups that authorities consider to be criminal organizations, a spokeswoman for federal prosecutors said.
Most of the 36 suspects are believed to be ringleaders, while eight are also being investigated over dangerous bodily harm, according to a statement by the Federal Public Prosecutor’s Office in Karlsruhe.
No arrests were planned on Wednesday, the spokeswoman said, adding that the raids, which took place across all of Germany's 16 federal states except for Hamburg, Bremen, Thuringia and Baden-Württemberg, were focused on searching premises.
Prosecutors believe the two groups were founded in mid-2024, and are active nationwide via regional chapters.
Members network both via social media and at regular meetings, where calls have been made for acts of violence against political opponents and against alleged paedophiles, according to prosecutors.
Some of the accused are said to have attacked members of the left-wing scene or people they believed to be paedophiles. In each case, the victims were beaten by several attackers and sustained significant injuries, prosecutors said.
Some of the attacks are believed to have targeted Pride events.
Violence in Germany by young neo-Nazis has increased since 2024, including at Christopher Street Day parades, one of the largest LGBTQI celebrations in the country.
Germany's Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA) said in mid-2025 that it has observed the emergence of new youth-led far-right groups over the past year, many of which were initially formed online. These groups are now increasingly appearing in public through events, disruptive actions and criminal offences.
The largest of these groups was "Young and Strong," which security sources estimate to have a mid-three-digit number of followers.
"German Youth Forward" is believed to have more than 100 members.
