Zentrum Demokratische Kultur

Zentrum Demokratische Kultur (ZDK) is a German non-governmental, non-profit initiative founded in 1997 that addresses threats to democratic culture posed by extremist phenomena. It began as a project of the Regionalen Arbeitsstellen für Ausländerfragen, Jugendarbeit und Schule in the new German federal states, and in 2003 its work was continued under a new legal form, the ZDK Gesellschaft Demokratische Kultur gGmbH, a non-profit limited liability company. The organisation describes itself as neither party-political nor confessional, committed solely to human dignity, human rights and the democratic constitutional order. It is a recognised provider of free youth welfare services under SGB VIII. ZDK works nationwide in Germany for the basic values of freedom and dignity. Its initiatives serve public enlightenment and protection against violence and extremism, engaging with anti-freedom and radical worldviews including right-wing radicalism, Islamism and anti-freedom left-wing radicalism. Its stated guiding idea is a functioning, freedom-oriented, democratic, humane and solidary constitutional, performance and civic society. The organisation rests on three pillars: counselling, education and practice. Its counselling initiatives include EXIT-Deutschland, which helps people break with right-wing extremism and build a new life; HAYAT-Deutschland, which advises and coaches parents, relatives and affected persons dealing with Islamism and ultranationalism; and DNE-Deutschland, which responds to the psychological intervention needs arising from individuals, families or groups entangled in radicalisation processes. Insights from counselling are communicated through education to help understand the inner connections of radical developments, and ZDK translates its experience into practical action. ZDK is known for guerrilla-style campaigns that counter extremist actions with opposing actions. In 2012 it supplied organisers of a right-wing rock festival with scene-typical printed T-shirts to give away; after the first wash, the shirts revealed the slogan 'Was dein T-Shirt kann, kannst du auch' and Exit contact details, so the organisers inadvertently advertised washing oneself clean of right-wing activity. In 2014 it turned a memorial march registered by the party Der III. Weg into a charity run under the motto Rechts gegen Rechts, with ten euros donated per metre walked to Exit-Deutschland. ZDK publishes the twice-yearly Bulletin series, aimed at teaching, administration, police, justice and social work as well as the public and media, and since 2013 the quarterly open-access Journal Exit-Deutschland (JEX) on deradicalisation and democratic culture. Its managing director and scientific-practical leader is Dr. Bernd Wagner, a former Kriminaloberrat and graduate criminalist, honoured in 2014 by Federal President Joachim Gauck with the Verdienstkreuz am Bande for his work against extremism and violence.

Zentrum Demokratische Kultur (ZDK) began in 1997 as a project of the Regionalen Arbeitsstellen für Ausländerfragen, Jugendarbeit und Schule in the new German federal states. From the outset it addressed the endangerment of democratic culture by extremist phenomena, with initial goals of informing the public about 'the development of the right-wing extremist mainstream as an elementary component of East German everyday culture' and advising central addresses such as institutions and municipalities about 'possibilities of intervention'. In 2003, the ZDK Gesellschaft Demokratische Kultur gGmbH was founded as a non-profit limited liability company, continuing the content, experience and working approaches under a new legal sponsor. The organisation is a recognised provider of free youth welfare under SGB VIII and describes itself as neither party-political nor confessional, bound only to human dignity, human rights and the democratic constitutional order. ZDK's work rests on three pillars. Counselling offers sustainability-oriented, problem-oriented and situational advice on questions of radicalisation and anti-freedom. Its initiatives include EXIT-Deutschland, which helps people break with right-wing extremism and build a new life; HAYAT-Deutschland, which provides counselling and coaching for parents, relatives and affected persons in dealing with Islamism and ultranationalism; and DNE-Deutschland, which responds to psychological intervention needs arising from the entanglement of individuals, families or groups in radicalisation processes. Education communicates insights from counselling to help understand the inner connections of radical developments. Practice translates specific experience into hands-on action. ZDK became known for guerrilla actions that counter extremist actions with a second, opposing action. In 2012 it sent organisers of a right-wing rock festival scene-typical printed T-shirts to give away; after the first wash these revealed the slogan 'Was dein T-Shirt kann, kannst du auch' and Exit contact details, so the festival organisers inadvertently advertised washing oneself clean of right-wing activity. In 2014 ZDK converted a memorial march registered by the party Der III. Weg into a charity run under the motto Rechts gegen Rechts, supported by the Projektstelle gegen Rechtsextremismus Bad Alexandersbad, the Bayerischer Verein für Toleranz, Demokratie und Menschenwürde e. V., the Aussteigerhilfe Bayern e. V., the DGB Bayern, the Wunsiedler Bündnis gegen Rechtsextremismus and the Bürgerinitiative Wunsiedel ist bunt. For every metre covered by the demonstration march, ten euros were donated to the exit organisation Exit-Deutschland, with the money collected beforehand by opponents of the event. Counter-demonstrators also displayed banners reading 'Der unfreiwilligste Spendenlauf Deutschlands. Im Spendenschritt Abmarsch oder Endspurt statt Endsieg'. ZDK has been publisher of the Bulletin series since 1997. Conceptually it serves teaching, administration, police, justice and social work as a handbook, but also aims to inform the public and media. Volumes appear twice a year and contain project descriptions, analyses, documentation and experience reports. Since 2013 ZDK has published the open-access Journal Exit-Deutschland – Zeitschrift für Deradikalisierung und demokratische Kultur (JEX), focused on deradicalisation as an interdisciplinary exchange platform for scholars and practitioners, appearing quarterly. The Schriftenreihe Zentrum Demokratische Kultur includes titles such as 'Junge Rechtsradikale im Strafverfahren' (2014), 'Der ideale Türke: Der Ultranationalismus der Grauen Wölfe in Deutschland' (2013), 'Ich lebe nur für Allah: Argumente und Anziehungskraft des Salafismus' (2011) and 'Familien stärken gegen Extremismus und Gewalt' (2010). The Handbuch Rechtsradikalismus (2002), edited by Thomas Grumke and Bernd Wagner, emerged substantially from ZDK's work. Dr. Bernd Wagner, a former Kriminaloberrat and graduate criminalist, is managing director and scientific-practical leader; in 2014 Federal President Joachim Gauck honoured him with the Verdienstkreuz am Bande for his work against extremism and violence.

• 2014

  ZDK turns a Der III. Weg memorial march into the 'Rechts gegen Rechts' charity run; Dr. Bernd Wagner receives the Verdienstkreuz am Bande; Schriftenreihe volume on young right-wing radicals in criminal proceedings published.

• 2013

  Open-access Journal Exit-Deutschland (JEX) launched; Schriftenreihe volume on the Grey Wolves' ultranationalism in Germany published.

• 2012

  ZDK supplies a right-wing rock festival with T-shirts that reveal an Exit message after washing.

• 2011

  Schriftenreihe volume 'Ich lebe nur für Allah: Argumente und Anziehungskraft des Salafismus' published.

• 2010

  Schriftenreihe volume 'Familien stärken gegen Extremismus und Gewalt' published.

• 2003

  ZDK Gesellschaft Demokratische Kultur gGmbH founded as a non-profit limited liability company, continuing ZDK's work under a new legal sponsor.

• 2002

  Handbuch Rechtsradikalismus, edited by Thomas Grumke and Bernd Wagner, published, emerging substantially from ZDK's work.

• 1997

  Zentrum Demokratische Kultur founded as a project of the Regionalen Arbeitsstellen für Ausländerfragen, Jugendarbeit und Schule in the new German federal states; begins publishing the Bulletin series.

Non-profit, non-partisan and non-confessional civil-society initiative providing nationwide counselling, education and practical campaigns against extremism and anti-democratic movements in Germany.

• EXIT-Deutschland

  Initiative helping people break with right-wing extremism and build a new life.

• HAYAT-Deutschland

  Initiative offering counselling and coaching for parents, relatives and affected persons dealing with Islamism and ultranationalism.

• DNE-Deutschland

  Initiative responding to psychological intervention needs arising from entanglement of individuals, families or groups in radicalisation processes.

• Bulletin

  Twice-yearly publication series serving teaching, administration, police, justice and social work as a handbook, also informing the public and media.

• Journal Exit-Deutschland (JEX)

  Open-access quarterly journal on deradicalisation and democratic culture, published since 2013 as an interdisciplinary exchange platform.

1. 1ZDK Gesellschaft Demokratische Kultur gGmbH – official websitezentrum-demokratische-kultur.de
2. 2Zentrum Demokratische Kultur – Wikidatawikidata.org
3. 3Zentrum Demokratische Kultur – Wikipedia (German)de.wikipedia.org