Search at the Center for Political Beauty

Investigative authorities in Berlin have searched residential and business premises associated with the Center for Political Beauty. According to Ingrid Burghart, a spokesperson for the authorities, this is part of an investigation by the Chemnitz Public Prosecutor’s Office into allegations of using symbols of unconstitutional organizations, defamation, and insult. The case involves a poster that a suspect is alleged to have unveiled with two other people last October in front of the Chemnitz Police Headquarters.

Poster critical of the police

The image reportedly showed “a caricatured depiction of a police officer and the AfD chairman” Tino Chrupalla, “riding together on a motorcycle with a Reichskriegsflagge attached to the rear,” Burghart described. The Chrupalla figure had his left arm extended in a Hitler salute. “In addition, it was implied that the police officer grants all Nazis unrestricted access to case files,” the spokeswoman said.

The search warrants were issued by the Chemnitz Local Court for five properties in Berlin. Several residential and commercial premises were searched, including those of the Center for Political Beauty. Burghart explained that she could not currently say to what extent the defendant in the case belonged to the group.

Activists speak of harassment

The Center for Political Beauty reported on the searches itself via X—and made allegations. They claimed that “families and children were woken from their sleep” and “team members were harassed.” The poster addressed how internal police data from Saxony ended up in the hands of far-right extremists. “Anyone who criminalizes art that exposes the failure of the state in Saxony has a problem with democracy!” the post on X read.

The Center for Political Beauty is a group of activists that has been causing a stir for years. Last summer, for example, the activists disrupted an ARD interview with AfD leader Alice Weidel in Berlin’s government district.