The seven members and one supporter of the "Last Wave of Defense" (Letzte Verteidigungswelle) group were found guilty of crimes with the aim of bringing about the collapse of Germany's political system through attacks on migrants and "political opponents." The judge in the Hamburg Higher Regional Court said the group's name reflected their deeply racist and violent mindset. "We are the wave that washes the filth out of our country," the group had written in pamphlets.
The young men sentenced on Wednesday were aged between 14 and 21 when they committed the crimes.
They were sentenced under juvenile criminal law to youth prison terms ranging from one and a half to five years. The sentence for the youngest defendant — one and a half years in prison — was suspended. They had been charged with membership in, or support of, a terrorist organization. The convictions also covered offenses including attempted murder, arson, and dangerous bodily harm.In May 2025, police raided properties in Altdöbern as part of an investigation into the far-right group Image: Frank Hammerschmidt/dpa/picture alliance
A cultural center was destroyed in an arson attack
According to the ruling, the youths carried out an arson attack on a community cultural center in Altdöbern, a town in the eastern state of Brandenburg, in October 2024. Investigators believe the far-right group mistakenly identified the building — located in a town of only 2,300 residents — as a meeting place for left-wing activists. The building burned to the ground, resulting in property damage amounting to several hundred thousand euros.Altdöbern's Mayor, Peter Winzer of the center-left Social Democratic Party (SPD), told public broadcaster Deutschlandfunk (DLF) that he is still shocked by the attack: "An absolute catastrophe. Because it was a community hub — a place for culture and gatherings. Every local event took place there."
